Old World style can be recreated with new furnishings.
Old World style furniture is oversized, rustic, elegant and weathered. Old World rooms have a collected-over-time look that evokes a Tuscan villa, English cottage or European manor house. You can create this classic, comfortable look even if your home isn't filled with family antiques. Any piece of furniture can be artificially aged to give it an Old World style. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Use an overscaled, imposing piece of furniture such as a tall bookcase, armoire, dresser, farmhouse table or sideboard. Purchase a used piece from an antique mall, flea market or garage sale if you don't already own a piece. Look for interesting architectural details, a rustic quality and sturdiness to keep the Old World look authentic.
2. Sand the piece of furniture to remove the old finish and roughen the surface. This allows the paint to adhere. Remove the dust, lint and grit with a tack cloth.
3. Paint the furniture with a muted tone that complements your room, or a neutral shade such as black or white. Old World rooms typically have a mix of stained and painted furniture from different periods to give them a collected-over-time look. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly, at least overnight.
4. Artificially age the piece of furniture by sanding the corners and any raised edges to remove the paint and expose the wood surface. This step brings out the architectural detail and gives a weathered appearance to the piece. Rub the hardware with steel wool to give it an aged look. Remove all the grit again with a tack cloth.
5. Apply brown stain over the entire piece. The stain will color the sanded edges and details and ''age'' the painted finish. Apply a second coat of stain for a darker look. After the stain is completely dry, coat the top of the piece with polyurethane to protect its finish.
Tags: piece furniture, World style, collected-over-time look, surface This, tack cloth, with tack, with tack cloth
