When you no longer like a piece of furniture or it doesn't fit into the decoration of a specific room, replacing it should never be your first option. Paint them, give them a second chance and save by doing it. Transforming them is much easier than you can imagine and it will be even more so when we share with you today how to paint these pieces of furniture.
White is one of the most used colors to give a second life to furniture. It is no coincidence: it fits well into any decorative style, it is clean and contributes to enhancing the light. In addition, you can use it with different shades, colder or warmer. Do you wonder how to paint furniture white? Here you have all the answers.
choose the paint
There are many paints on the market and not all of them will be suitable for painting your furniture. Both the material in which the furniture is made and the conditions to which it is going to be subjected will influence your choice. The three types of painting that we share below are the most popular for painting furniture but not the only ones. Ideally, let yourself be advised by your trusted hardware store or paint store:
- chalk painting It is a paint with a high calcium carbonate component that is characterized by its matte finish, its high coverage and its very fast drying. It is mainly used to paint wooden furniture, and can be applied directly on it without any prior treatment. This type of painting is fashionable and we are not surprised; It provides you with a simple, fast and economical way to renew any piece of furniture.
- acrylic decorative enamels with a satin finish they are ideal for painting bathroom and kitchen furniture. They do not require prior primer, dry quickly and are very resistant to bumps, stains and grease. In addition, its washable water-based formula allows you to use regular products and does not leave an odour. It is very easy to apply, with a brush or roller and, being water-based, it dries very quickly.
- Multi-surface enamels to paint wood, metal and PVC, resistant to sun and rain are the most suitable for painting outdoor furniture. They are easily applied with a roller and offer protection for up to 6 years.
Prepare the surface
Regardless of which piece of furniture you want to paint and which paint is chosen for it, preparing the surface will be the first step in transforming it. And no, there is no way to save it if you want to do a good job. Start by removing the hardware and handles that you do not want to paint, remove the drawers and shelves and then check the condition of the furniture.
If it is a piece of furniture with a surface or paint in good condition, generally, it will be enough for you to clean the surface. How? Going through the entire surface with a cloth impregnated with alcohol to remove both dust and grease.
Is the furniture not in very good condition, is the paint chipping or is it a dark color? The ideal then to paint white furniture will be apply a stripper and/or sand them, always in the direction of the grain. Only in this way can we remove the remains of varnish or paint that the furniture may have and also the irregularities that have appeared with use.
Once done, it is recommended to correct imperfections if it had them, filling the cracks and polishing them later with a fine sandpaper. To finish, and only in some cases, it will be necessary to add a layer of primer so that the paint adheres better to the material, the surface is uniform and the final result is much better.
Pinta
With the surface clean and prepared, it's time to apply the paint! You can do it with a brush or roller, with or without texture, respecting the texture of the paint or watering it down to achieve different effects. Our advice is that if you are looking for a rustic aesthetic, apply the paint with paletina or brush to accentuate the brushstroke. So when you apply the wax you will achieve a vintage patina that will make the furniture more attractive.
If, on the other hand, you are looking to imitate the finish of a contemporary piece of furniture, the ideal is use a flocked roller. If the texture obtained is still slightly grainy, you will have to pass a fine sandpaper over the paint once it is dry so that the finish is smooth like that of a lacquered piece of furniture.
And the gun? A prior preparation of the product is usually necessary to spray paint with them. The viscosity of the paint must be adjusted with a solvent for the mixture to be projected. In addition, in addition to the usual surface to be covered, you must take a series of precautions so that the mixture does not stain everything around it. Do tests before on another surface; it takes some dexterity to master it. The dispenser must be held in a vertical position and the gun must move slowly, firmly, without sudden movements and parallel to the surface at a distance of between 15 and 25 cm from it.
Apply wax or varnish
The application of wax or varnish has two objectives: seal the piece and/or add a colored patina. In chalk-painted furniture, the wax finish provides a very natural finish, although some pieces with a lot of use could be better protected with a matt varnish. But it is not always necessary after painting white furniture to apply a wax or varnish, it will depend on the paint used and the use that is going to be made of the furniture.