Custom Cabinetry of Distinction: Paint and Stain Distressing Techniques
If you are talking about your mood, the economy or even a house, it is difficult to imagine the word distressing in a positive light. But in the world of fine old world furnishings, custom cabinetry can bring an antique, heirloom quality to a home's interior.
So, let's begin by changing our mindset on the term itself.
Without the actual aid of time, distressing is a process of staining or physically altering the wood characteristic to create an aged look. Done correctly, it appears to have occured naturally through the passage of time.
Stain Distressing and Physical distressing represent time-honored techniques typically reserved for fine custom cabinetry making.
Why?
Many of the finishing and distressing characteristics have been developed over the centuries, but are rarely used practices in today's cabinet making industry as they involve time-consuming and expensive processes. Finally, with the rise of the middle class worldwide and state-of-the-art machine technologies that can produce distressing affects en masse, these finish options are now available to the typical homeowner today who is looking to upgrade their kitchen interior.
Paint/Stain Distressing Techniques
Paint/Stain Distressing Techniques
Designed to enhance and the natural beauty of the wood, paint and stain strategy includes features such as Burnishing, Hand Padding, Washed Paint, Speck Distressing, Cow Tailing, and finish Glazing.
True to old world quality artisanship, each of these multi-step processes represent a delicate piece of carpentry that demonstrates a steady hand for detail and spirit that goes into these processes. Applying a quality, long lasting finish is both an art and a science as subtle hues are blended together to create a softer, more sophisticated look while ensuring optimum clarity and feel.
Here is description of the most popular paint and staining techniques -
Glazing - A semi-transparent tinted top coat applied over a painted or stained finish. Glazing is typically available in three glazes: Dark (Black), Medium (Brown) or Light (Charcoal)
Burnishing - A stain technique used on edges and profile to darken the finish giving the look of having been burned.
Hand Padding - A technique by which paint is blotted on the stained or painted surface with a cloth to create a sun faded look which occurs over time.
Cow Tailing - A paint technique where a paint brush is used to create random streaks of paint giving a rustic appearance to the finish.
Washed Paint - A dry brush paint technique that applies a darker paint over an opaque painted finish to create a striated or streaked effect.
Speck Paint / Speck Distressing - A paint technique where paint is flicked across the surface producing random specks/splats on the stained or painted surface. Also known as Fly Speck.
Stay tuned as next time, I will describe what incredible physical distressing techniques are available with today's cabinet making.
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