Painting Furniture: Everything You Need to Know

Painting furniture is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to brighten up a room. I had an old desk that just was not cutting it for me anymore. I was about to get a new one, when I realized I could paint it and it would become a completely different desk.

I saved a lot money and the hassle of having to get rid of it.

Here is a little bit of what I did before my first time painting furniture.

Research Paints

The most important step in this whole process was picking the paint. After some research and recommendations, I decided to go with a chalk paint. It goes on with a smooth matte finish, and best of all there is no prep work needed just clean, paint, done!

After researching different brands I decided to go with Wedgewood by Heirloom Traditions Paint. I read great things about this brand and they have a beautiful color selection (something many other brands were lacking). When I saw this gorgeous blue color I knew that is what I wanted.

Buy Supplies

Of course you will also need painting supplies. You may already have these things at home, but if not here is what I used.

Foam Roller

A small foam roller is the best way to cover large surfaces quickly. I got this roller and these refills from another project. I also ordered more tray liners, because these come in handy.

Brush

For the small areas you’ll want either a paint brush or a small foam brush.

Paint Tray

You can also buy a kit from the paint company themselves that includes everything you need.

Drop Cloth

Next you may want a drop cloth to protect your floors and surroundings while painting, especially if you paint indoors like I did. You could also use old cardboard boxes if you have enough laying around.

Rag

Finally, something that comes in handy when painting anything is to have a rag nearby. You never know when you’re going to get paint all over yourself and need something to wipe it off with. You could also just grab a roll of paper towels.

Take Apart the Furniture

If you have a piece that comes apart, disassemble it. This will allow you to paint the entire piece more precisely. For example if you have doors or legs that come off do that now.

Clean

The cleaning was pretty easy. You just need something to degrease the surface. I used LA’s Totally Awesome because it was what I had at the house, but you could also use water and dish soap.

Paint

Now you’re ready to paint! Chalk paint is pretty easy to work with. I just rolled the big areas, like the top of the desk, and used a paint brush for the smaller areas.

This paint takes 1-2 hours for a coat to dry. This could take a while if you have a lot of angles to paint. I spent most of a day painting a coat, waiting for it to dry, and coming pack to paint more. This could take a while if you have a lot of angles to paint (like I did with the legs of the desk).

Wait

Now the hardest part, waiting! The paint suggests 24-48 hours to fully dry so to be safe I waited two days before using it

Another note for this paint in particular, it states that it can take 30 days to fully cure so don’t use cleaning products on it before then.

Put Together and Enjoy

After two days re-assemble your furniture and you’re good to go. I hope you enjoyed this post. I used to be intimidated by painting furniture, but after this project I realized it is actually fun.

Do you have anything you want to paint?

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