10 Tips On How To Paint Furniture

How to paint furniture is a topic I could talk about for days and days. I have been painting furniture since the ice ages. I can’t remember not painting furniture. When I found out that our budget was not going to allow me to decorate our home like I wanted, I started creating my own furniture.

I was getting the look for less with paint and more paint. I would say that a vast majority of the projects I have shared on this blog have been about paint and furniture. Paint is my favorite DIY tool because it makes the biggest impact with a lower monetary investment. 

Today, I am joining my blog friends for our monthly Back To Basics hop to talk about our advice and tips on how to paint furniture. Everyone has their own technique and thoughts about furniture painting so this blog hop should cover just about everything you need to know about painting furniture.  

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(Curbside Cabinet Makeover For The Office)

• Look For Inspiration:

   

It is always a good thing to look for inspiration to get you started. You may think you know what you want, but just researching and looking for inspiration is a great place to start. To get you started, hop over to my Pinterest page that is packed full with furniture makeovers. 

• Take Photos: 

Take photos of your piece before you start the painting process! It is so much fun to see the transformation so take a quick photo of what you started with so you can compare it with your final result. 

• Choose The Right Furniture:

If you are going to paint furniture, then I highly recommend finding real wood pieces to paint. There are many products out there that say you can paint over laminate pieces and other materials beside wood, but I just don’t think you get the same outcome as you do with real wood furniture. 

(White Painted Buffet Makeover)

• Choose The Right Paint:

Paint comes in all colors and all different finishes. Make sure you research all of your options before deciding on one. You can find some of my favorite furniture paint on the page HERE. 

 

(Painted End Table In Black Matte Paint)

• Invest In Great Supplies:

Depending on how you are going to paint your furniture, make sure that you are investing in the right tools. Don’t go with the cheapest option here. My furniture painting game changed when I discovered Zibra Paint Brushes and the HomeRight Paint Sprayer. If you are going to paint with a sprayer and/or brushes, I can’t recommend those enough. 

• Proper Prep Will Be Your Life Saver:

It is so important to prep your piece before you paint it. In prepping a piece of furniture for paint, you should always clean it first. Then, you may need to sand it a bit to rough up the surface so the paint sticks to it. (I couldn’t live without this sander for all my furniture projects.) If you don’t think you need to sand the piece, you may find this post helpful which is all about painting furniture without sanding. 

(DIY Metal Cabinet Makeover)

• Plan B:

Always, always, always have a Plan B. So many times I will start painting a piece of furniture and something won’t work out (the color, the paint, the sanding, etc.) so I always have a back up plan ready to go in case this happens. Having a Plan B lessens the amount of frustration that can come when a furniture project isn’t working out as planned initially. 

• Have Fun: 

It is just paint you guys. You can always change it. Have fun and try it. If you hate, paint over it! 

(The Easy Way To Paint Curvy Furniture)

• Finish Strong: 

When you get your furniture piece painted and it has dried, think about what kind of finish you want to put on top. Does it need a top coat? Do you want a glossy top coat or a matte top coat? Do you want to distress the piece? (Find amazing top coat options HERE.)

• Celebrate: 

Celebrate the job you just did! I get so many questions about this topic and so many people are scared to paint furniture. You can do it! I am here to cheer you on! AND.. after you complete the project, celebrate it! I would even love to see your projects! Share them in the comments on email me! 

I hope these 10 tips on how to paint furniture have not only taught you a few things, but more importantly, encouraged you to get started! You got this! 

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