Any way to "distress" or lighten furniture's finish?

I bought a few things from IKEA, which were “black-brown”. In the store they were much more brown than black with a slightly worn look. At home, they’re jet black and super modern looking. Not what I had in mind.

Is there anyway using a chemical or other method to just lighten up the finish a tad, and in the process give it a more aged and lighter wood tone?

Here’s an example of one of things I purchased: Alve Desk