If you want to distress an unfinished buffet, the furniture is essentially a blank canvas with drawers—and, thankfully, no decades of mystery polish to remove first. With two contrasting paint colors and a plain candle, you can give new furniture the softly worn edges and layered color of an old painted piece without waiting fifty years for it to happen naturally.
This candle-wax distressing technique places a thin barrier between the base coat and top coat. When the finished piece is rubbed with fine steel wool or a synthetic finishing pad, the top color releases where the wax was applied and reveals the contrasting paint underneath. The trick is to put the wear only where hands, feet, drawers, and everyday use would naturally create it, making this one of the easiest ways to create a convincing distressed furniture finish.