Make it new again with a coat of paint!
Painted furniture is a popular decorating trend. Adding painted furniture pieces to a room, not only complements finished wood furniture, it is also a great way to repurpose furniture or decorate on a budget.
To get started all you need is an old or new piece of furniture, a few supplies and these painting furniture tips.
The first task is to find a piece of furniture to paint. Good places to look are at the local thrift store, the flea market or yard sales. Starting with solid wood furniture is ideal, but most furniture materials can be painted.
Next you will need to choose paint. Read paint can labels carefully to make certain the paint is recommended for your application, or ask your local retailer which paints will work best for the furniture piece you have chosen.
The look you are trying to achieve will determine the sheen of the paint to choose. You will want to use flatter paints for an older appearance and glossier paints for a more modern look.
Looking for an antiqued look? Consider sanding the edges of the furniture piece after it has been painted to reveal the bare wood underneath or, apply hammer marks (distressing) to a newer piece of furniture before painting to achieve and aged look.
Once you have decided on a painting technique and chosen your paints, you will need to prepare the furniture.
- Remove hardware then tape off any parts that will not be painted.
- Sand the furniture with progressively finer grit sand paper to remove scratches left by the previous paper.
- Prime the furniture with a primer that works well with the paint you have chosen. Note, if you are distressing the furniture, you may want to skip the priming step for a more aged look.
Now it’s time to apply the paint.
- Apply the paint from the top of the piece down. Depending on the color, you will need to apply two to three coats of paint.
- Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before putting the hardware back on (usually 2 to 3 days).
With a little imagination and elbow grease, you can create priceless custom pieces of furniture art!
Headboard to Bench by Building and Decor
Looking for more ideas and inspiration? Check out Salpeck’s Pinterest. Facebook or Google + page.
If you like the look of painted furniture or want to restore a family heirloom, but don’t have the time or patience to do your own painting, contact Salpeck’s Furniture Service. For a very reasonable price, we can make your old worn furniture look new again, or you new furniture look centuries old. Whichever the case may be!
Or check out our new Furniture For Sale Page to see the painted furniture currently available for purchase.