I’ve been working on developing finishes that looked distressed, aged and authentic. I love the aesthetics of Shaker furniture and also rural Craftsman type pieces that look like they could be pulled out of old but really cool farmhouses. The finished surfaces are achieved through processes of distressing the wood using various tools including a rope with nails, screws, washers and angle irons imbedded. . . denting the surface with various tools and once finished sanding and scraping out edges and surfaces to give the look of wear that would naturally occur over time. The finishes themselves are applied using a vinegar-steel wool solution that ages the tannins in the wood which are then layered with oil based enamels, sanded out and then glazed again. It’s an intuitive process but one that can be repeated and achieved in different colors and finishes with some practice. Shown here are a couple small cabinets that are designed to be stacked in combination either on a larger base cabinet or table tops. The same approach can be applied to more comprehensive pieces such as cabinets, dressers or tables that include drawers, shelving, tops and bases. Reproduction antique brass hardware is used which can also be steel wooled out on the edges and enhanced with a few nicks and scratches. These pieces are a lot of fun to build and always interesting to see how they emerge in the finishing process. They very much draw upon my years previously spent as a painter and illustrator. (CLICK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PHOTOS TO SCROLL THROUGH MULTIPLE VIEWS).