Why You May Want to Try Distressing Your Oak Furniture

When purchasing furniture for the home, there are usually two roads to travel. One can go for the newly manufactured pieces or look around for second hand furniture that may attract the eye. If one wants an old styled, antique look about a room then it makes sense to look for used furniture. However, this does not always turn out to be the most satisfying course of action. That is why distressed oak furniture has emerged as a popular style, providing newly made but aged looking pieces to satisfy those who love that look.

Distressed furniture has gained a foothold in the market because it can be very difficult to find the actual style, quality and price desired in the second hand furniture stores that are scattered around. In fact, it can be something of a lucky dip. By manufacturing regular furniture, such as wardrobes, chests and cabinets, and then subjecting them to distressing techniques, the desired appearance can be had, along with the quality and price of modern furniture. Even quality oak items, like oak bed frames, oak dressers and oak coffee tables, are available.

It is nice to think that old or well travelled looking furniture is in demand, but exactly why can seem a little mysterious. The reason is not actually financial, since distressed pieces of newly manufactured furniture are often purchased for around the same price as non distressed furniture. In fact, it comes down to purely aesthetic reasons, with endorsers of the style usually claiming an attraction to that well worn look.

The suggestion is that the particular look provides a feeling of permanency and, therefore, security. After all, old furniture is associated with old homes, or houses that have stood for a number of generations. While modern is clean, spacious and, as some might argue, cold, the old style of home is busy, close and warm. That warmth can make a big difference to a young family, especially if they have just recently moved into a new house.

For others, forming a warm family home is not the principal motivation. In their case, old furniture suggests history and stories to tell, and having stories to tell suggests a certain character. This is the main argument behind the suggestion that distressed furniture helps to provide a feeling of permanency, with a little piece of history added to a home.

Furniture distressing techniques vary but amongst the most common is simply the use of sandpaper. A new piece of furniture is painted in the factory, often a neutral shade of white over an undercoat of a shade of brown or black. After the paint dries, the item is then strategically rubbed with sandpaper.

Normally, the treatment is given to door edges, angles and any carvings or other markings that may be present. The effect is to make it seem that the piece of furniture had received scrapes and knocks over the years, with the white paint removed in areas and the light brown or black underneath visible.

Purchasing distressed furniture is fairly simple as most of the furniture manufacturers have a selection available within their ranges. Kristina white painted furniture is a range of distressed pieces that is very popular on the market.

The Kristina triple glazed dresser is a perfect example of old world charm produced in modern furniture, with this dining room item sporting both a base with three cabinets, each below a drawer, and an upper part with three cabinets with glass panelled doors. The style is traditional, and even rustic, with the distressed paint work making it look aged when, in fact, it is a new piece.

In the bedroom, Kristina combination wardrobes are highly popular as the design itself is a throwback to a century ago. The piece features on door leaf on one side and six drawers stacked upon each other on the other side, where the other door leaf would normally be.

While it is true that distressed oak furniture can be created at home, by using sandpaper or even wire wool, the ready prepared distressed pieces are every bit as impressive. Regardless of the type of furniture that carries the effect, whether they are oak dressers, oak tables or oak bed frames, clearly it adds so much more to a room and home.