| when you thought you landed on a great bargain for | | | | since there are not so many of these old pieces that |
| an antique table, you get to read about distressed | | | | can satisfy the big demand. |
| furniture and you feel cheated. Yes, that furniture you | | | | The truth finally surfaced in the 1950s that there was a |
| thought was old-age and probably historical, might just | | | | dishonest practice of selling such furniture posed as |
| be another one of those pieces of distressed painted | | | | antiques. The media exposed about this much to the |
| furniture that have become intriguingly popular | | | | surprise of the antique enthusiasts. From then on, many |
| everywhere. | | | | started choosing the look and design over history or |
| Sometimes it is funny how some people want their old, | | | | genealogy. But, the manufacturers never really |
| rickety furniture replaced with brand new ones while | | | | stopped producing this kind of furniture since there |
| others like their furniture old and rather abused-looking. | | | | was still steady growth of demand for it. |
| The trend is to make brand new sets and make them | | | | What is distressing? |
| look old, used, and distressed. But how did this begin | | | | Old furniture, which usually takes on high reselling |
| anyway? | | | | prices, have dents and worn edges that speak a lot |
| How distressing started | | | | about how used up it is. Some area appears more |
| Distressing furniture probably started during the | | | | smoothened or shinier and some may have stains. |
| Victorian times when there was too much hype and | | | | Corners have bumps and some form of scratches. |
| fascination given to the past. Filthy rich people took it | | | | Chairs have flattened seats due to long use. Any |
| as a status symbol if they have tokens from the past. | | | | marks that suggest it has been somewhere and used |
| These tokens are in the form of pieces of furniture | | | | by someone qualify the set as old furniture. |
| that are interestingly used by people who came | | | | Distressing is simply adding some wear and tear on |
| before them. Every wealthy figure had to collect or | | | | the piece deliberately to make it pass as that |
| own one or more and so there rose a need that was | | | | ever-desirable and most-coveted antique or used |
| addressed by deliberate distressing of new furniture | | | | furniture. |