Antiquing: How to refinish furniture to give it an heirloom look

To do this, apply three coats of finish to a piece of furniture to give it a patina of age.

Try using a semi-gloss, oil-base enamel for the first, or base, coat, in a color that will mask the old finish, such as off-white.

Try mixing the second coat, for a tinted and nearly transparent glaze. You may make your own clear glaze BY mixing three parts sating varnish with one part turpentine. Try adding oil-base tinting colors, like burnt sienna, to color the glaze. Use clear polyurethane satin-finish varnish for the final coat.

Detach knobs and hardware. Use detergent and water to wash the piece, and mineral spirits to remove old wax. Calmly sand the piece with medium sandpaper. With a coarse brush, put on the base coat. Let it dry for about a day.

Brush on the glaze and let it set till it starts to dull. Wipe the glaze off with cheesecloth, leaving some residue. Then wipe with the grain, working out from the center of every flat surface.

Try leaving more glaze on depressions, and less on high spots and areas that usually become worn with use. You may also wipe with steel wool, or a dry paint brush.

Work glaze like finger paints. Allow it to dry fully. Using fine paper, sand lightly. Try dusting with a tack cloth. Finally, apply a coat of clear satin varnish. (Trivia: What furniture is surviving Rizal’s ‘Noli artifact’?)

Check Out: The Colorful Love Affairs of Dr. Jose Rizal by Jensen DG. Mañebog