The vintage look never goes out of style and with a few simple steps you can re-create it! Turn your dining room into an antique haven and reemphasise the hipster wave. A room upgrade doesn’t always mean you need to dip into your savings; this DIY project will have your guests wowing all through dinner.
Here’s what you’ll need to get you started:
- Your chosen wooden furniture
- A bucket to mix paint in
- A light and dark shade of wood paints
- Wood stain
- Sandpaper
- Water
- Foam brush
- Sponge
- Cloth
1. Stain and Sand
Start by layering wood stain with a cloth in circular motions. This will help the two colours you’re about to apply to connect properly.
The retro look means uneven surfaces. Create this distressed look with sandpaper by using medium pressure in various strokes. Remember, you are not trying to achieve a sleek and modern look so go as you please. Stop when you have the desired feel but don’t go overboard or your furniture will give you splinters.
2. Apply the Darker Shade
The first coat of paint should be your darker shade, which will act as a base to intensify the lighter one you’ll add next. Use a foam brush but don’t be neat with this so you can bring out the texture of the wood you just created. Let the darker shade of paint dry for 14 to 24 hours.
3. Mix the Shades
Now that your base colour has completely dried move on to the lighter one. Add the lighter paint to the darker one with 1 tablespoon of water at a time in the bucket. Mix them together until the paint thins out but doesn’t bubble when applying it to the wooden furniture.
4. Apply the Lighter Shade
The final paint layer is the lighter one, which you can apply with either a foam brush or a sponge. If you want a stronger look wipe chosen areas with paper towels. Once it’s colour perfect let the paint dry for 24 hours.
5. Sand it Again 
Use fine-grit sandpaper (to avoid taking off too much paint), around the edges and corners of your wooden piece. Gently does it best to achieve realistic vintage pizzazz.
You are now a shabby chic master!
