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28 February 2018

8 Finishes for Furniture

8 Finishes for Furniture

Don’t let the name fool you, while you may think that your furniture’s ‘finish’ is the last thing you need to think about, it's something you've got to plan from the start. Your chosen finish will make or break the design, so don’t wait until the end to pick the perfect style.

To help you in your quest for the best finish, we’ve outlined the different types available. Each option has its merits, but it’s going to depend on the style that you want. Generally speaking, the material, the design and construction will influence your choice.

Types of Finish

Antiquing Finish

Antiquing

As the name suggests, if you’re trying to make your furniture appear old or aged to give it the look of an antique then you’ll be wanting an antiquing finish.

This style is becoming more and more popular in recent years.

Closely linked with antiquing is the process of distressing.

Distressed Finish

Distessing

A technique mainly used while antiquing your furniture, distressing is the process of creating a weathered look. Distressing can be used on various materials, including wood and metals. It’s important to note that by distressing an item of furniture, you will be visibly affecting its appearance by rubbing, sanding and denting the material to create a rustic or vintage look.

It’s also the process undertaken to create a shabby chic style. It’s popular because it makes furniture appear older and more unique than it actually is, to create a one-off piece of furniture.

Rubbed Through Paint

The main process for creating the shabby chic look is a rubbed through paint finish. This style is created by applying lighter coats on top of dark coats of paint. The paint is then artistically rubbed, or sanded, to reveal parts of the dark coat beneath to imitate a worn-look.

Stains

Stains

Do you want to enhance the characteristics of the wood? Stains are used to color wood by adding pigments. This will reveal the grain and magnify its design. If you’d like to freshen up your decor then staining can provide a nice woody facelift. Stains can come in a variety of shades and tones so you can either go natural or choose bright vibrant colours.

Lacquers

Lacquer

A lacquer is a fast-drying finish that is extremely durable. Perfect for wooden furniture that needs to withstand a lot of use.

It creates a tough surface and comes in different sheen levels, from ultra matte, satin and high gloss.

It’s recommended that lacquers are applied by professionals to ensure the best application. Your wood must be properly prepared and the lacquer must be applied multiple times. The fast drying time will make it difficult for amateurs to apply.

Solid Colours

Solid Colour

Quite a simple one, a solid colour finish delivers a consistent colour throughout. A client could select a colour from the RAL Colour Standard, which contains about 1625 colours, which is internationally recognised standard, or they could simply ask for any colour or item to be colour matched to.

Start picking your perfect colour on the RALs website:

Colour Picker
Polyester Deep Glossing

Polyester Deep Glossing

Create a modern look with a high gloss polyester coating. This finish is extremely durable offering scratch resistance and hardness that’s perfect for the most demanding uses.

Liquid Metal

Liquid Metal

Do you want to transform your furniture’s finish so that it looks like metal? Liqui-Met is a system of coating that can be used on any material to make it look like solid metal.

It creates an exciting finish that is currently in vogue. Copper, brass and bronze bring that industrial look into interior design, adding warmth to minimalist decor.

A liquid metal finish offers a lower cost way to bring metal products into your designs without the cost of materials.

Atlas Spray Finishes deliver quality finishing services using only the finest products and administered by trained professionals. If you'd like to talk to us about furniture finishing, please get in touch.

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