Hesperia Antiquing
Thinking about replacing or refinishing your kitchen, furniture, or mill-work? Replacing is the most expensive way out and paint is usually the go-to finish. But have you thought about antiquing? Most homeowners don’t know about the process that can bring a fresh, ironically new feel to their home.
Antiquing is a technique that helps the wood to look aged. This technique can be applied to a variety of home design styles, from a country kitchen to a kitchen with a Tuscan, French or Victorian style. By applying this technique to the cabinets, your kitchen will have a sense of warmth; a homey feel. It adds a sense of depth and permanence to your cabinets that cannot be achieved with a simple matte or glossy paint job. Antiquing, when done properly, appears like the natural aging of well-loved woodwork in your home.
Old is New Again
Antiquing can update your home in no time. This is a project that can be done over just a few days. Would you like a new kitchen next week? Some of the most common antiquing methods include glazing and sanding. To achieve a more complete look, distressing, strategic sanding or even a combination of all of these techniques can be utilized.
This is not a task that should be handled by just anyone, though. Sanding down your cabinets requires skills and patients. High-quality paints, glazes, and seals must be used to avoid clumping and brush strokes. Let the true Hesperia professionals take care of this antiquing project for you with cost-saving, efficient methods that allow the same great finish for years to come. Plus, at just a fraction of the cost!
Besides saving your wallet, Antiquing is one of the greenest home renovations you can undertake. Instead of tearing out cabinetry or millwork and purchasing new ones (both of which come with a hefty carbon footprint) you are only purchasing a few cans of paint, glaze, and sealant. If you are looking for an environmentally-friendly way to update your home, do so by improving on what is already there with simple steps that don’t make waste.
The Process
Perhaps you’ve seen videos online of crafty folks beating old furniture with metal chains to get a “shabby-chic” distressed look. Antiquing is not quite so violent, but it certainly gives the impression of a lived-in space.
Painting cabinets is very stylish currently, particularly for those that are looking for a warm, welcoming kitchen. There are several popular styles of painted cabinets:
- All light cabinets are very in and work well with dark glaze for antiquing.
- There is also a trend of painting lower cabinets dark and upper cabinets light. This tricks the eye into perceiving more room in the space.
- Finally, muted colors have really come into style, including cornflower blue and spruce greens. These can establish a nice, solid background for any kitchen decor.
Any of these cabinet paint styles could be antiqued.
Glazing is applied with a paintbrush in broad strokes and then wiped away. Some remain behind in the cracks and crevices of the wood, highlighting the edges of the cabinetry. This is what really brings the antique look to the wood surface which has been glazed. Glazes are generally water-based, which allows them to be sealed for protection.
The glaze is meant to show the relief of the cabinet panels. It is important that the glaze which highlights panel edges is not wiped away completely. Removing it all the way will ruin the perception of depth on the panel. A skilled antiquer will know to start the glaze in these highlight areas for the best results.
Unique Ideas for Furniture
If you’re a fan of thrift shopping, you may have noticed an unfortunate trend of late: as Baby Boomers begin to clear out their homes, they are donating a lot of furniture, most of which are heavy, glossy and brown. These dated pieces are solidly built but don’t meet the aesthetics of today’s furniture styles.
Antiquing can vastly improve upon them, however. Heavy maple furniture can be a dark drag in a room. But with a coat of white paint and a light antiquing glaze, it suddenly becomes eye-catching. Swap out wooden knobs for pastel crystal ones and stick a printed vinyl cling to the top surface for extra fashionable points. Suddenly that old furniture looks like it wandered straight out of a West Elm catalogue.
Landry’s is happy to help with the furniture as well. Most people don’t have the necessary tools to sand and refinish old furniture. However, if you bring your design ideas and we bring our sanders, you’ll have a new bedroom set in no time.
Interior Design by Landry’s
With more than 30 years of experience, Landry’s Painting services will change the way you feel about your home. Landry’s Painting and the Hesperia antiquing experts will make sure to get the results you want. Don’t forget, antiquing can be done on-site or at a pre-finish site. We’ll work with you to get the job done in a convenient fashion.
Even though this is the fastest and most valuable way to modernize your home, no other service beats Landry’s affordable painting prices for a turn-key remodel project. Call Landry’s Painting today at (760) 617-1051 and see why Landry’s Painting is leading the way in Hesperia!
