Brian McEntire / iStock / thinkstock.com
You don’t need to invest in a whole new set of furniture to give a room a makeover. A fresh lick of paint over your old furniture will breathe new life into the piece, making it the perfect way to redecorate on a budget.
Painting furniture is both a science and an art. Here are a few ways to keep your projects looking more professional, less kindergarten art project.
Step One: Clean
Fill a bucket with water and a mild soap, and give your furniture a good wash. Get inside all of those tiny crevices to scrub away dirt and dust. Once the piece has been thoroughly scrubbed, let it dry completely before proceeding to the next step.
Step Two: Sand and Repair
Not every piece of furniture will need this step, but most do. Sanding wood furniture will smooth away any nicks or chips and will give you a nice, even surface to work with.
Sanding actually consists of a few sub-steps. Use a medium grit sandpaper to roughly sand the piece, then use wood-patching compound to fix up any flaws in the furniture. Follow up with a thorough sanding with fine grit sandpaper. Finish by dusting the piece with a damp cloth.
Non-wood furniture will also need to be prepped: for instance, paint deglosser can be applied to remove a sealed finish, pieces finished with wax will need to have the wax coating removed, and metal pieces with flaky paint will need some smoothing. Consult your local hardware store for the products needed to prep your pieces.
Step Three: Prime
Apply primer to the piece of furniture. Primer is needed for most types of furniture material, including metal. You can paint the primer on by hand or you can use a spray primer, which is helpful for curvy pieces.
Step Four: Dry
This is actually more than one step—between each layer of primer, paint, and sealer, let your piece dry thoroughly. Patience is the key to professional-looking results. It can take a full 24 hours—sometimes more—for a layer of paint to dry completely. Give yourself a few days to finish a piece so that you don’t feel the need to rush through things.
Step Five: Pick a Paint
Choose a paint that matches the purpose of your piece of furniture: for instance, a kitchen table will need a paint that will hold up to constant washing and a fair bit of wear and tear. Focus on the quality of paint rather than the color—most hardware stores can stir up a shade of paint to match whatever swatch you provide them with. Buy a little more than you think you will need.
Step Six: Brush Up
Spring for a quality paintbrush, which will help you paint on even, clean coats. A good brush will not shed, meaning you won’t find stray brush hairs adhered onto your furniture.
Step Seven: Paint
Use even, consistent strokes to paint your prepped and primed piece of furniture. Depending on the type of paint you’re using, you might need to apply a few layers of paint, so keep your layers fairly thin. This will help them dry faster, too. Give yourself lots of time to paint: you can tell when a project has been rushed. Don’t cut corners—get into nooks and crevices.
Step Eight: Finish
Depending on the use of the piece of furniture and the look you’re going for, finish off with a protective finish to seal in your hard work and ensure the furniture will hold up. Once the coat has dried, you’re done!
