The Beautiful Gift of Scars: Distressed by Design

A recent trip to the mall for decorations turned into a full-blown tutorial on furniture building. Needless to say, my husband was not happy to be drafted for the journey as we embarked on picking up some small decorative items needed for the house and anticipated a very brief stop. We happened onto a small shop with all kinds of neat items. The kind of things you just don’t see everywhere. When I inquired about a small wooden chest, the gentleman working in the store began to share why it was so expensive. When we finished speaking, I was sure there were some principles worth sharing as well.

The piece in question was a chest like wooden cabinet. The coolest thing about it to me was how worn it looked. I have had a thing for what’s called “distressed” wood for some time. When the clerk shared the price, I was taken aback. He then went on to explain the process of distressing wood and how laborious it is for the carpenter. I later found out that distress, as it relates to furniture is the technique of creating wear on an object that often enhances its appearance and value. The connection became clear to me.

Distressed pieces actually gain value by the many flaws, nicks and wear on it. The correlation to how we see ourselves is the

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