This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea.

Brought to you by the same folks who paint/buy a "Velvet Elvis".


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/30/06

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?


It's frustrating to a woodworker who takes the time to pick out the best
looking wood, making sure it's straight and taking the time to plane it,
sand it and make it as smooth as possible only to have someone come along
with a hammer and beat it up. If you want distressed wood, drive around
looking for an old barn that looks like it's about to fall down and ask the
owner if you could have the wood.

I feel the same way but a project I did severl years ago required this. I
spent almost a month building a custom vanity, tower and laundrey shoot
from bush pine, planing and sanding for a long time. Once the unti was white
washed once I beat it with a screen door chain and used it to roughen the
edges. I then stained the piece and repeated several times. When it was all
done it turned out to be one of the nicest "Fitting" pieces I've ever made.

The reason for the "antiqued" vanity was a remodel of a 150+ year old home.
The owner wanted something that had modern ergonomics and storage but had a
very old look and design (A lot of molding, raised panels etc.)




"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

I dont like the distressed look either not to mention the extra hard
work to create it. But then again I do like buying pre washed jeans not
wanting to wait for them to get old looking. Different strokes for
different folks. It would be boring if we all drove black cars.

I am not a big fan of heavily distressed furniture. however, distressed is
not a discrete/boolean/yes or no thing.

IMO super-crisp straight sharp edges of some contemporary styles look
equally unappealing to me. I happen to like some subtle forms of
distressing.

Most furniture designs incorporate "knocked down" edges and corners to some
degree. This is probably the least intrusive of distressing techniques. Have
you ever noticed that many factory finishes include a bit of dark or black
speckle? Did it ever occur to you that this is actually simulated fly dung?
Finishing schedules which darker areas in the recesses are another form of
simulated aging.... arguably distressing.

One of the benefits of distressing is that the inevitable dings will blend
in better.

My point is that not all distressing is bad and even the over-the-top stuff
has it's place in a *some* decorating schemes.

Antique value aside, if I wanted to have a beat-up looking piece...an
original work with that much superficial damage is likely to be structurally
compromised as well.... at least a reproduction can be built with rock solid
joinery.

Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

Not really; it's a style. Everybody regards at least one as really
unappealing

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?


Different styles for different people. I personally dislike it. I put it
along side that Mexican furniture that is stained with used motor oil and
has rusty worn out hinges and knobs.

Depends on the project. I posted a project on abpw of a door that I
distressed by scraping, dinging, oil, and wax. I thought it looked
appropriate for the situation.

Tom Plamann


"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

Todd the wood junkie wrote:
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

There is an old old hotel on the town square in Prescott, AZ that we
visited many years ago. There was a marvelous staircase whose rails had
been distressed by a previous owner. Now these rails may have been 100
or more years old and had been worn and smoothed by countless customers.
Is there any reason that some diddley-dip would attack this with whips
and chains?
grump for today,
jo4hn

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

IMHO, it's just a matter of personal taste. In *some* settings I like a well
done piece of distressed furniture. Part of the fun is creating the piece.
You start with clean shiny wood and end up with something that looks well
used.

What I do not like is where someone will go to a furniture store and buy a
premade piece and then distress it. I believe it has to be part of the
design. There's a pix of a wine cellar door posted on ABPW that shows a
beautiful effect.

Another effect I like - I made a small, typical kitchen wall unit - couple
of small shelves and two small drawers out of pine. Painted it with a dark
blue flat, then a coat of a rust red flat and finally an off white flat.
Dinged it a bit with some chain and then scuff sanded the corners to
simulate wear showing the blue and red paint beneath. Was very well
received. I had NO problem in roughing up the edges of something that I had
planed and sanded smooth. It was part of the design and, to me, that's the
key.

Just MHO,
Vic

On 1 Aug 2006 05:06:47 -0700, "Todd the wood junkie"
wrote:

This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?


A friend and I were walking through a high end furniture store to get
some dimensions and detail ideas for Queen Anne bedroom furniture we
were in the process of building. Happened upon a collection spnsored
by Bob Timberlake, an artist. It was distressed. After careful
inspection we concluded it was so they did not have to use select
hardwoods. Pin knots, sap wood strains, and other various defects did
not show after they had taken a bicycle chain to it.

Have to pay a premium for that second class wood.

Frank

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:32:51 GMT, "Tom Plamann"
wrote:

Depends on the project. I posted a project on abpw of a door that I
distressed by scraping, dinging, oil, and wax. I thought it looked
appropriate for the situation.

Tom Plamann


"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?




Had a job to match the new cabinets to the existing; a butler's pantry
from the 20's, with a pale yellow paint overlaying a white lead
primer.

It was a very interesting exercise to replicate the wear marks around
the pulls and those along the bottoms of the doors.

There were existing rub aways that went from yellow to white to bare
wood in a particular way and they were fussy to reproduce on the new
items.

I found that introducing the appropriate character marks into the
finish and getting the rub away parts just right was a very exacting
exercise.

The jelly glass knobs were damned difficult to find too and I sweated
them for a bit before finding a perfect match at an architectural
salvage shop, for $15.00 a piece.

The hinges and catches were still in production and only needed to be
tumbled a bit before fitting in.

I've never distressed a a stand alone piece intentionally but I've
found that distressing to match existing is a fine piece of finishing
work.

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

Doesn't bother me a bit. I think it looks like crap and if somebody wants
crap, fine. Don't get it around me though.

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

A buddy of mine agreed to replicate Pottery Shack furniture for his
next-door neighbor. He only used white wood from a warehouse store,
but did a gorgeous job; the knotty wood looked great. Came time to
distress it, and he couldn't do it. Handed the hammer to his wife and
walked out of the shop.

Turned out looking quite nice, but I'm with my buddy.

On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 07:21:55 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:


"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea.

Brought to you by the same folks who paint/buy a "Velvet Elvis".

Said snide comment coming from a happy coonass? Is that because "Velvet
Elvis clashes with the dogs playing poker. ;-)




+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:32:51 GMT, "Tom Plamann"
wrote:

Depends on the project. I posted a project on abpw of a door that I
distressed by scraping, dinging, oil, and wax. I thought it looked
appropriate for the situation.

Tom Plamann


Yeah, but you are a craftsman with an eye for detail and a keen eye for
design. Your pieces fit. Distressing for the sake of distressing is, well,
distressing.






"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?




+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message

Said snide comment coming from a happy coonass? Is that because "Velvet
Elvis clashes with the dogs playing poker. ;-)

Nope, with my paint-by-the-numbers "Mona Lisa" ... the one with the
distressed frame, not the one framed in neon over the bed.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/30/06

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message

Said snide comment coming from a happy coonass? Is that because
"Velvet
Elvis clashes with the dogs playing poker. ;-)

Nope, with my paint-by-the-numbers "Mona Lisa" ... the one with the
distressed frame, not the one framed in neon over the bed.


You've got the over the bed model? Cool. How do you integrate that with
the mirrored tiles? Doesn't the neon reflect too much?

--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow wrote:

I ask you though, why
is it that some men prefer women with big boobs and others prefer
small?
Why are some men boob men and others butt men? Alas, it all owes
to the
wonderful diversity of the male gender. Armed with these
preferences we are
fully prepared to embrace a waiting world and proclaim our own
individual
preference as the only valid one and question everything that is
contrary to
it.

As it should be.

Ah, the powers of observation.

Aren't they grandG?

Lew

"Mike Marlow" said:
snip
Armed with these preferences we are
fully prepared to embrace a waiting world and proclaim our own individual
preference as the only valid one and question everything that is contrary to
it.

I beg to differ, Mike. "everything that is contrary" to my own
individual preference is NOT questionable. It's just plain WRONG! g

Tue, Aug 1, 2006, 5:06am (EDT-3)
(Todd*the*wood*junkie) doth lament:
This is plaguing me. snip I naturally think it's a bad idea. snip

I pretty much agree. 99% of the time someone takes perfectly good
furniture and turns it into crap. Unless something really old was made
like crap in the first place it normally doesn't survive looking as beat
up as most "distressed" furniture does. I will admit, there are
exceptions, few and far between, say for restoring a really old home.
But, the "artistes" don't know what they're doing and just wind up going
waaaay overboard, and just turn decent furniture into crappy looking
"stuff". Did I mention I hate "artistes"?

The other day I was going thru a magazine listing farous peoples
work for sale. Included, and listed at a hefty price I might add, was
some "primitive" furniture. It had been thru the "distress" process,
sanded paint, et al. I've seen better paint jobs on 75 year old cars
that've never been repainted. Bad enough, but you look at the stuff and
you see gaps, poor fits, etc. Besically it looked like somehing very
poorly made, used very hard, with no atempt at being maintained, then
tossed, and pulled out of a dump somewhere, cleaned up, and put up for
sale.

I've got a child's rocker at home, bought new in the 1940-41 period
by my parents for me. It looks aged, yes; and it's probably had some
hard use, but it's sill in excellent condition, and doesn't look
distrssed - just looks old. I like it and I like it's looks. If I were
to make a similar one I would make one that looks new, and let it look
aged on it's own.

Somehow I kinda think that the people who lived in a house 100-200
years ago, say that their family had already been living in for a few
hundred years, when they bought a new chair, to go along with their
maybe 100+ year old furniture, they bought a new looking chair, and
didn't worry about it looking new and not matching their old furniture.
Buy the furniture to match the style, and color/hue, yes; to match the
wear, no. I would much rather go thru an old house, with original old
furniture, and maybe a few well made and non-distressed replacement
pieces than to go thru such a house with a new "distressed" replacement
piece.

Way I figure it, anything I make, you look at it and you can tell
it's new. Might be made in an old style, with old style decoration, but
still definitely can tell it's a new piece, and most definitely not
beaten up. Someone buys it, they can do whatever the Hell they want to
to it.



JOAT
Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

Todd,
Why do you get distressed over hateful furniture?

Marc

Todd the wood junkie wrote:
This is plaguing me. My wife and I were walking to a restaurant the
other night and we saw this dining room set in a shop window. Looked
pretty beat up and I said "Look how dinged up that is" and she explains
it's purposely done to the furniture.

I've seen this done on various shows, and since my mother-in-law does
it to her furniture, I naturally think it's a bad idea. Something
about taking newer furnature, then not having the patience to wait all
the years to have a 'real' antique. Am I way off on this? Why does it
really bother me?

marc rosen wrote:
Todd,
Why do you get distressed over hateful furniture?

This is what I am trying to figure out myself. The best answer someone
told me is that it represents a lack of discipline for truely 'earning'
something.

I tried to express to my wife that if you build a piece of furniture,
and use it for 100 yrs, you have a real family antique with dings and
patina that are 'earned' slowly over time. It's priceless. Each ding
may have a story, or serves at least of a reminder of something
emotional. If you take a piece of furniture and ding it up, you have
neither an antique nor a new piece of furniture.

Maybe It's like taking a notebook and trying to write your life's
journal in one day, because you think it's trendy to have a journal.
No substance, no real age to the story.

"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
oups.com...


This is what I am trying to figure out myself. The best answer someone
told me is that it represents a lack of discipline for truely 'earning'
something.

What's to "earn" in looking to achieve a particular visual effect? That
sort of implies that to do it right one should go buy a nice piece of
furniture and then methodically, but slowly over time, use and abuse it so
that eventually it will look beat.


I tried to express to my wife that if you build a piece of furniture,
and use it for 100 yrs, you have a real family antique with dings and
patina that are 'earned' slowly over time.

People that buy distressed furniture are not looking to keep a piece for 100
years. There seems to be a big gap in folks' understanding about what
consumers are looking for and what they happen to think is the romantic
treatment of a hunk of wood. Those dings that are so admired as signs of an
antique are more times than not simply signs of neglect and poor treatment.
There is nothing more noble about that than there is about the consumer who
wants to simply go out and buy that distressed look.

It's priceless. Each ding
may have a story, or serves at least of a reminder of something
emotional. If you take a piece of furniture and ding it up, you have
neither an antique nor a new piece of furniture.

Agreed (with the last part), but so what? What makes the antique nature of
something compelling? For those of us that value antique, it's kind of a
no-brainer, but not everyone does. Consumer's preference for simple visual
effect is no less noble or valid than the false romantic value that is being
assigned to damage over time. Frankly, I do not find that old furniture
which has been poorly cared for is somehow romantically attractive. It's
just a matter of taste.


Maybe It's like taking a notebook and trying to write your life's
journal in one day, because you think it's trendy to have a journal.
No substance, no real age to the story.


If I could do that, I might consider that to be just as valid as having done
it over time. Think about it - my thoughts are my thoughts whether
expressed over too many years, or expressed in a sitting.

I can see that the concept of age and time are very important to you.
That's fine - it's a preference and is just as valid as any other.
Though... as a preference it's no more valid than any other. Let those
other folks like the stuff. There's no need to defend a case against the
stuff. You can't defend a case against preferences. All you end up doing
is demeaning the things that aren't to your particular liking. Hell - you
like or dislike something... that's all there is to the subject. No need to
concoct reasons why the other idea is lesser.

It's just like the big boob/small boob thing. Those guys like Swingman that
like melons really don't know what's truly fine, but hell if big, ugly,
bloated ta-ta's make them happy, well that's fine. What do they know
anyway?

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message

It's just like the big boob/small boob thing. Those guys like Swingman
that
like melons really don't know what's truly fine, but hell if big, ugly,
bloated ta-ta's make them happy, well that's fine. What do they know
anyway?

LOL...

There ya go again ... got me pegged all wrong.

To set the record straight, and according to my renown and highly developed,
discriminating tastes in this regard (IIRC, I scored very high on the "Fake
or Real?" test posted here sometime back), my preference rates
_shape/contour_, over size.

IOW, and to keep your contextual reference intact, pears over melons,
please.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/30/06

"Swingman" wrote in message
...


There ya go again ... got me pegged all wrong.

Damnit! I hate it when that happens.


To set the record straight, and according to my renown and highly
developed,
discriminating tastes in this regard (IIRC, I scored very high on the
"Fake
or Real?" test posted here sometime back), my preference rates
_shape/contour_, over size.

Ahhhh - a man after my own discriminating heart. As I tell the wife - it's
all about the curves and the slopes. I'm a 34 guy at my base level but give
me a good upturned model and I'm in heaven.


IOW, and to keep your contextual reference intact, pears over melons,
please.


Alas - brethren. Birds of a feather. All of that stuff.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message

Ahhhh - a man after my own discriminating heart. As I tell the wife -
it's
all about the curves and the slopes. I'm a 34 guy at my base level but
give
me a good upturned model and I'm in heaven.


IOW, and to keep your contextual reference intact, pears over melons,
please.


Alas - brethren. Birds of a feather. All of that stuff.

Then it goes without saying the importance with which the above must be
verified, individually, by tactile methods, as well as to verify proper
textural properties.

Measure twice ... and all that.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/30/06

"Swingman" wrote in message
...


Then it goes without saying the importance with which the above must be
verified, individually, by tactile methods, as well as to verify proper
textural properties.


Well hell yeah!

--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow wrote:
"Todd the wood junkie" wrote in message
oups.com...


This is what I am trying to figure out myself. The best answer someone
told me is that it represents a lack of discipline for truely 'earning'
something.

What's to "earn" in looking to achieve a particular visual effect? That
sort of implies that to do it right one should go buy a nice piece of
furniture and then methodically, but slowly over time, use and abuse it so
that eventually it will look beat.

I agree with you that it is all about taste, but you miss my point. I
am not after a beat up piece of furniture, just something without
pretense. I would feel flakey explaining to someone that it's not
really an antique, I just beat it with a chain to make it look that
way.



Maybe It's like taking a notebook and trying to write your life's
journal in one day, because you think it's trendy to have a journal.
No substance, no real age to the story.


If I could do that, I might consider that to be just as valid as having done
it over time. Think about it - my thoughts are my thoughts whether
expressed over too many years, or expressed in a sitting.


Not true, my thoughts and opinions on things mellow over time. The
interesting thing is seeing the change and the trend. I suspect you
don't keep a journal or you wouldn't have said that.

replying to Todd the wood junkie, John Riley wrote:
It used to be where you would find furniture on a curb, sand it down, repair
it, and then repaint it or stain it, to restore it to its former glory. Now
it goes straight from the curb to someone's living room. And manufacturers
create new furniture that looks like Goodwill wouldn't even take it. I have a
Jeep that has dents and scratches from going off-road. Each has a story
behind it. What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'. There is no story behind all this fake
distressing. Where there is no story, there is no character.

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/woodwor...re-113128-.htm

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 12:14:03 PM UTC-5, John Riley wrote:
replying to Todd the wood junkie, John Riley wrote:
It used to be where you would find furniture on a curb, sand it down, repair
it, and then repaint it or stain it, to restore it to its former glory. Now
it goes straight from the curb to someone's living room. And manufacturers
create new furniture that looks like Goodwill wouldn't even take it. I have a
Jeep that has dents and scratches from going off-road. Each has a story
behind it. What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'. There is no story behind all this fake
distressing. Where there is no story, there is no character.

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/woodwor...re-113128-.htm

For some of us novices, we unintentially distress furniture when we try to build anew.

Some salvaged lumber requires lots of cleanup, before building anew, so "reverse distressing" (sic), somewhat, is required. I don't care for distressed furniture, but I like old and/or used quality salvaged lumber/furniture.... 50% of the time.

Kinna the same opinion for old tools, also. They have their own stories, that live on with continued use.

Sonny

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 1:14:03 PM UTC-4, John Riley wrote:
replying to Todd the wood junkie, John Riley wrote:
It used to be where you would find furniture on a curb, sand it down, repair
it, and then repaint it or stain it, to restore it to its former glory. Now
it goes straight from the curb to someone's living room. And manufacturers
create new furniture that looks like Goodwill wouldn't even take it. I have a
Jeep that has dents and scratches from going off-road. Each has a story
behind it. What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'. There is no story behind all this fake
distressing. Where there is no story, there is no character.


I'll join the 10 year conversation.

My daughter asked me to make one of these "fake distressed" items to
put outside her dorm room:

http://allgiftsconsidered.com/wp-con...chalkboard.jpg

The story behind it is this:

Every time someone says "Wow, that's really cool! Where did you get it?",
she gets to say "My Dad made it for me!"

I kind of like that story.

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 10:14:03 AM UTC-7, John Riley wrote:
... What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'.

An antique toy with no wear... is a sad story

Antique furniture without wear, is another kind of sad story.
Some of my favorites are from bygone decades, it's THOSE
I choose for guidance.

Even though I don't distress my pieces, the design is intended to work
with the scars of future time and mishandling. A dentable panel with
a few knots, or a kickable molding, or a bit of trim to make an eyecatching
line, a choice of non-impervious finish... maybe someday one of these
bookcases will be an antique.

On Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:24:03 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 1:14:03 PM UTC-4, John Riley wrote:
replying to Todd the wood junkie, John Riley wrote:
It used to be where you would find furniture on a curb, sand it down, repair
it, and then repaint it or stain it, to restore it to its former glory. Now
it goes straight from the curb to someone's living room. And manufacturers
create new furniture that looks like Goodwill wouldn't even take it. I have a
Jeep that has dents and scratches from going off-road. Each has a story
behind it. What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'. There is no story behind all this fake
distressing. Where there is no story, there is no character.


I'll join the 10 year conversation.

My daughter asked me to make one of these "fake distressed" items to
put outside her dorm room:

http://allgiftsconsidered.com/wp-con...chalkboard.jpg

The story behind it is this:

Every time someone says "Wow, that's really cool! Where did you get it?",
she gets to say "My Dad made it for me!"

Nice!

I kind of like that story.

On Fri, 16 Sep 2016 10:56:34 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 12:14:03 PM UTC-5, John Riley wrote:
replying to Todd the wood junkie, John Riley wrote:
It used to be where you would find furniture on a curb, sand it down, repair
it, and then repaint it or stain it, to restore it to its former glory. Now
it goes straight from the curb to someone's living room. And manufacturers
create new furniture that looks like Goodwill wouldn't even take it. I have a
Jeep that has dents and scratches from going off-road. Each has a story
behind it. What is the story of your fake distressed furniture's dings and
wear? What 'character' does it really have? A Japanese saying has it that
'the broken cup tells a story'. There is no story behind all this fake
distressing. Where there is no story, there is no character.

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/woodwor...re-113128-.htm

For some of us novices, we unintentially distress furniture when we try to build anew.

Some salvaged lumber requires lots of cleanup, before building anew, so "reverse distressing" (sic), somewhat, is required. I don't care for distressed furniture, but I like old and/or used quality salvaged lumber/furniture.... 50% of the time.

Kinna the same opinion for old tools, also. They have their own stories, that live on with continued use.

Sonny

Great post Sonny!