How to Choose the Perfect Paint for Furniture and More

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It is amazing what a little elbow grease and paint can do for furniture makeovers.  I wanted to share some furniture paint how-tos from some talented DIY’ers. I have teamed up with some talented furniture painters (see the team’s projects at the end) to makeover furniture and more with paint.

What’s The Best Paint For Furniture

This is the most asked paint question, however, there is not a simple answer since there are so many variables to making that decision.

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Chalk Painted Furniture

If you are looking for furniture that does not require sanding then you are going to want to use chalk paint. This amazing painted wood furniture makeover looks like it was done by an expert, however, it was easy to get these results for beginner painters. See how I painted this side table and custom made Mandala stencil HERE. I used chalky paint since it does not require any prep, however, I gave the top a light sanding and used a tack cloth to remove the dust.

I used two coats of gray paint and sanding between coasts to remove brush strokes. When using dark chalky paint you can use one coat of paint.

Moreover, since chalk paint is a porous water-based paint it allows a painted stencil to adhere to the paint the best. The paint dry time is only minutes for dry to the touch, but curing does take days, incidentally, I allowed my side table to dry overnight to be sure it that the stencil adhesive would not remove the gray paint. An expert tip is to use a fine sponge to gently hand paint the stencil.

Painting a Dining Room Hutch

Need some dining room hutch inspiration? This Craig’s List find got a paint update by Stephaine from Gathered in The Kitchen. Stephanie used Dixie Belle Mineral Chalk Paint’s White Lightening to clean her hutch before painting, as a result, the paint with adhere and the paint will last longer. She painted the hutch in a warm gray, Dried Sage by Dixie Belle Mineral Chalk Paint (it is one of my favorites too.)

All those beautiful vintage sewing tables from the past that house sewing machines that no longer work can easily be updated as a stunning piece of furniture such as side tables, desk, etc. My friend, Christine,  from The DIY Dreamer, shows us how to upcycle a sewing table into a pretty in pink (Fusion Enchanted Echinacea) computer desk.

Christine’s first step was to clean the sewing table with TSP mixed with water. She then used sanded and dusted the table before she started painting. To eliminate brush strokes she used a roller on the top. I like to use a mini foam roller to apply the smoothest paint finish and save time.

Have you been wondering what to do with out-of-date mirrors and frames? This stunning mirror got a little paint and sanding to achieve a new look by Rebecca at Zucchini Sisters.  Rebecca shares how to transform home decor items that are out-of-date and make amazing for example her frosted mirror from an earlier post. She used special spray paint (Mirror Effects) from Home Depot to achieve a vintage mirror look in minutes.

 

Spray Paint

Spray paint is the fastest way to apply paint and it easily applies paints in those hard to reach areas. These gorgeous blue bamboo chairs got a fresh coat of spray paint and new seat cushions too by Jenn and Vicki from 2 Bees in a Pod.

Jenn and Vicki’s DIY project included replacing the seat foam and fabric for the chairs.

 

 

Acrylic Paint

If you have an old dresser that needs new paint finish then you are going to enjoy this project. Stephanie, from Abbotts at Home, cut this dresser was cut in half to make 2 nightstands. This is the ultimate furniture up-cycle acrylic paint project.

 

This eight dollars chalky painted side table makes a bold vintage statement. The leg’s chalky paint was a custom mix made by Meegan from What Meegan Makes

More Painted Furniture Ideas

This antique wardrobe was on its way to dump when I saved it and brought it home to give it a new mirror and paint. I used Farmhouse Paint since it is chalk paint with a base primer and topcoat in the semi-gloss paint.

 

I scored this hutch from Market Place and I give it a total overhaul such as the new bottom, lights, removed the doors, added a solid wood counter area, patina painted the hardware (see a video how I did it HERE) and hand-painted and waxed the entire piece of furniture.

Expert Paint Tips

I asked an expert painter, Michelle from Vintage Monkey Designs, a few import questions about furniture and kitchen cabinet painting.

My Amazon picks:

 

Michelle’s Favorite Picks for Painting

 

See More Update With Paint Projects

Thank you so much for your visit today I hope you found some inspiration.

Happy Up-cycling,

Kippi