Ever find a great little table that is sturdy and solid but just looks ugly? The solution for that is to turn it into something like this chippy distressed side table. This amazing furniture transformation is going to shock you with how it changes with such little work! This process is detailed, but every step is simple to manage. You will love the look, style, and how you can do this with any wooden furniture piece!

Distressed Side Table Furniture Makeover

There is nothing in the world more satisfying than taking something old and turning it into something new. Whether you have a piece of furniture that just keeps being handed down through family and friends, or you like to go shopping at thrift shops and yard sales and find treasures, these tips are handy.

Making your own unique distressed pieces really fits into the modern farmhouse style that includes grey and white or yellowed distressing. Add to your own home with a hand-created piece that you can take pride in while also knowing you have saved money by doing it yourself.

Where Can I FInd Furniture to Distress?

My favorite place to go for furniture pieces is to estate sales and yard sales. There are tons of hidden gems that you can snag for just a few dollars. Some other ideas for acquiring old furniture pieces are below.

• Flea markets
• Swap shops
• Second-Hand or Consignment shops (local small mom & pop style)
• Habitat ReStore (if you have locally)
• Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, or similar well-known thrift shops
• Friends and family

Can This Be Done with New Furniture Instead?

Yes! While I love restoring older pieces to give them a fresh new life, sometimes you just can’t find what you want. If you’ve seen a new piece of furniture that looks like it will do the job, there is hope.

This tutorial for how to distress any furniture that is already painted is a recent step by step we shared. It works best with items that are solid would, but you can do this with patience if you are using something with a veneered finish.

You may find a lot of options very cheap at local department stores that have a particleboard base and veneered finish. These can be distressed, but it is something that takes a bit more patience usually.

More Furniture Makeover Ideas

Do you still need a bit of inspiration for upcoming projects? Don’t miss out on these amazing ideas! Furniture makeovers are tons of fun!

Supplies and Tools for Furniture Makeovers

Prepare Your Work Space

Set up your workspace with everything needed for your project. Since you will be working with chemicals and paints, make sure it is a well-ventilated space. Some steps may be done outside for safety.

Sweep and clean the floor or surface as well as lay out a drop cloth to make sure your flooring and surfaces are protected from any dust, debris, and paint drips.

Using a lint-free cloth (I like microfiber), dampen it lightly with mineral spirits, and then clean the entire piece of furniture. Pay attention to all areas you will be painting, including the edges, inside or the edges of drawers, and all of the detailed spaces.

When using mineral spirits, make sure you wear a mask and work in a ventilated area.

Begin sanding the entire space making sure you cover all surfaces. You will want to use an 80-grit sanding block or an orbital sander and go over all surfaces removing as much of the prior paint or stain as possible and making your surface smooth for painting. This may require extra pressure in some areas to get a nice smooth and even surface.

Using another lint-free cloth, remove all of the dust and debris paying attention to all of the nooks and crannies of detail areas on legs or ornate edges.

Begin Painting Your Side Table or Furniture Piece

Open and stir the gray chalked paint for 30-seconds using a wooden paint stirrer. Then pour a small amount of the paint onto a paint tray or paper plate. Star with just a little and add as needed to make sure you aren’t wasting paint.

Using the natural bristle chalk paintbrush, start painting the top of your piece going in the direction of the wood grain. Continue dipping into more paint as needed and work your way from the top of the piece to the bottom coating all of the edges, legs, and getting into any corners.

Work your way down from the top to avoid smudges and drips, but do know that the paint may look a bit streaky at first. As it dries, it will flatten out.

Once painted completely, let it stand for 30-minutes.

If needed, turn the piece over after 30-minutes and paint the underside of the table. Make sure to cover all areas that could be visible.

Let this dry an additional 3-minutes before continuing.

Turn the table back upright and then leave it alone to cure for at least 24-hours but potentially more if you live in a humid area.

After it has cured, use a 220 grit sandpaper block to lightly sand any areas that have paint drips or a thicker paint buildup.

Using a lint-free cloth, remove any of the debris and dust on the piece after you finish sanding.

Add a generous amount of petroleum jelly using a foam brush onto any areas you want the gray paint to show through. The best areas are to add to corners, detailed areas, ornate carving, around the sharper edges and sides of the table, and legs. Anywhere natural wear would show up.

Stir the white chalked paint well and then pour onto a paper plate or paint tray. Remember to use as little as possible to start and add as needed along the way.

Using the natural bristle chalk paintbrush, begin painting the top of the side table. Continue the process of painting with the wood grain working from top to bottom, just as you did before.

Make sure to paint over the petroleum jelly. It will look and “feel” different, but just go with the flow, it is supposed to not stick in these areas as much.

Let the side table dry for 30-minutes, then turn over and paint any of the underside or areas that you couldn’t reach when right side up.

Let it dry and cure for an additional 24-hours at least, but potentially longer if you live in a humid area.

Finalize the Distressed Look

After the side table has cured for at least 24-hours, you will use the 220 sanding block or orbital sander with 220 sandpaper and sand the entire piece again.

Focus on any areas you prefer to see show the weathered look. Corners, sharp edges, and such are perfect for sanding and expect the paint that was put over the petroleum jelly to chip off in this process.

When finished with the sanding, wipe off any excess dust or paint chips with a lint-free cloth. Then, working quickly (set a timer for 15-minutes) you will begin waxing the surface.

You will be working in an alternating method with both the clear and gray wax, so grab two natural bristle brushes to begin this process.

Dip one brush into the clear wax, and then brush across from edge to edge of the top of the table. Next, grab the other brush and do the same using the gray wax.

Continue this process repeating clear then gray until the timer goes off, getting the entire piece coated. Once the timer goes off, you will stop waxing, and use a lint-free cloth to begin rubbing in the wax.

Start with the area you applied the wax to first, and rub the wax into the piece rubbing it in the same direction it was applied, with the grain. Be careful to not mix the gray and clear together, but press the wax into the wood.

When waxing the surface, it will take extra pressure and should feel pretty like a good workout as you will be focused and pressing hard.

Let the wax cure for at least 2 hours.

Set the timer for 15-minutes again, and begin using the clear wax to apply a thin coat of the wax to the remainder of the surface that wasn’t covered before. After the timer goes off, follow the same process as above to rub the wax into the surface well.

Once waxed, and rubbed into the piece, let the table cure for at least 2 hours.

The full cure is 30-days. You can use the table before that, but be careful to not scrub or wash the surface with any cleanser that could destroy your work.

Clean Up Your Work Space

Once you have finished distressing the table and it is ready to use, you will want to make sure your workspace is clean for your next project.

As soon as you finish painting, you will want to clean the brushes well with water. If the paint doesn’t come off well, you can use a small amount of the mineral spirits to remove any buildup.

Wax brushes should be stored in an airtight container or a Ziploc-style bag until used again. As long as they are always used for the same color wax, there is no need to clean them between uses. Just make sure they are sealed so they don’t catch dust or debris.