The beauty that time and age bestows is marvelous, especially when it comes to patina and rust. The colors of aged brass, bronze, and iron give it a multilayered effect that can be mimicked using many products. The darkening of wood and other surfaces over time has a certain character that can be alluring and romantic. I like brand new, shiny things, but something with history has an attraction that brings out my imagination like reading a classic novel. This is why I often look for vintage and antique furniture to refinish. Its style is from another place and time that I did not live but can only fantasize about. Reproductions of furniture from past time periods appeal to many a way modern styles do not. The trend of shabby chic furniture is popular with furniture painted to look worn and used in order to soften the look so it appears more ethereal and dreamy. Ornate details are often used in which for aging effects gives it an elegance that is not quite glamorous and more understated but still grand.
One thinks of the grand chateaux in France, villas, to large country homes in the English countryside full of antique furniture that is timeworn but expensive in quality. It’s a nostalgic look in stark contrast to the modern style of straight lines, more industrial materials, and affordable in price for the masses. The opposite of assembly furniture that arrives in boxes, making it portable and easily obtained, whereas the quality of antique furniture cannot be put together without craftsmanship. It’s a shabby luxury, not as pretentious as genuine rococo and baroque furniture. Don’t get me wrong, I love baroque furniture as well for its over-the-top gorgeousness. The celebration of many styles is reflected in my work.
Adding patina and rust is an easy way to give your furniture or decor an instant shabby chic look. It emulates the actual timeworn effect, but with something freshly painted. I like using patina effect paints and activators in that it can look more organic, but using patina pastes and rust or verdigris colored paint is an alternative that can give you the same look. For simple and timeworn patina, I like using patina pastes to dab on around areas and give it an aesthetically pleasing design. There are many patina pastes available, but I prefer the one from Re-design with Prima. These are perfect for old-world finishes and shabby chic looks.
If I am going for more of a verdigris finish and not the rusty sort of patina, I love using the verdigris-colored pastes and paints along with the metallics that create these colors in nature. These would be copper and brass paints. Copper produces more of the darker blues and green hues. Brass has the whitish blues to bright blues and mint green hues. Of course, you can use your own artistic interpretation for your designs. I like to dab the pastes on with bristle brushes as it gives more of a textured effect, but you can use whatever kinds of brushes you prefer.
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