An Easy Guide To Painting Furniture

Give tired, old furniture a new lease of life with a lick of paint. Customising your furniture is a quick and easy way to add a personal touch to your home. With the right equipment and necessary preparation, up-cycling can be a fun and creative process. Just be sure to follow our simple guide for maximum results.

Prep

So to get started, first place your chosen furniture piece on a dust sheet and work on removing any fixtures such as knobs, handles, shelves or drawers. This will simplify the process later on.

Next you need to prepare your surface. Most wooden furniture will have been treated with paint or varnish in the past. Consequently, a buildup of dirt and grease will have occurred and could impede your painting. Start by washing the piece down with hot soapy water or mild detergent and a nylon-washing pad. Follow by filling any cracks with wood filler, then lightly sand your surface with medium coarse paper. This will help with paint adhere to the furniture. Wipe down the surface again, this time with hot water and a rag and leave it to dry.

Prime

Now is when a primer is required. For bare wood furniture apply a single coat of specialist wood primer and undercoat and leave to dry. If the surface you're painting has been previously painted or varnished, opt for a multi surface primer.

Paint

Onto choosing your paint, when selecting your furniture paint look for paints labelled ‘for wood and metal.’ Water-based paints are advised if you want a shorter drying time. It’s also important to consider beforehand what finish you want to achieve. Satin provides a silky touch, gloss a modern look while chalky matt finishes are ideal for the distressed trend.

Once you’ve settled on our paint, and made sure your space is well ventilated, you can start painting. If your piece has fine details like doors or drawers we recommend starting with these. Begin with the edges and work your way into the inside panels, the surrounding framework then end on the top. Apply an even coat of paint with a good quality synthetic brush, painting left to right then up and down to ensure a smooth coverage.

Perfect

Lastly, if you are revamping a tabletop or flat surface, after allowing for adequate drying time we advise applying a coat of varnish for added protection. This will also help to disguise scratches and marks. Give your furniture a minimum 12 hours to dry before reattaching handles or moving it from the dust sheet.

Pick up all you need for your furniture renovations at The Paint Shed today.