With the change in the economy, many people are turning to good old paint as an easy and affordable way to create a new exciting look for their furniture. It is much cheaper to paint a piece than it is to purchase new furniture. Plus, many faux painting techniques allow the homeowner the opportunity to add a personal touch and make any piece truly special and unique and redecorate their home with minimal cost and effort.
Some are afraid of taking on the task of painting furniture, as they fear it will need to be stripped down to bare wood prior to painting. However, with the quality of primer and paints today, often you can get around the task of having to strip your piece prior to painting. But you do need to scrape or sand off any loose, peeling or chipping paint or varnish to prepare the surface to accept a fresh coat of finish.
Before you begin, it’s absolutely essential to make sure you are starting with a clean piece. Clean your object thoroughly to remove oils, grease, and other dirt; use a cleaner appropriate to the type of furniture in question. You want to remove any traces of previous waxes or other products used on the furniture, as they can work against the paint and cause it to separate before it even dries!
There are many relatively simple faux painting techniques you can choose from for your furniture makeover project:
Antiquing
This provides a finish that is characterized by a color that is washed with a second color; you can pick any color combination you like. Antiquing works very well with cabinets, bureaus, and other large pieces.
Distressing
This technique artificially gives a piece a used, time-worn effect; it’s very effective when used on coffee tables, vanities, children’s furniture, stools, rocking chairs, and even beds! Distressing can even be a great stress reliever, as it involves using hammers, mallets, and drills to cause slight intentional damage to the piece in question. Just don’t overdo it, or you can cause serious harm to your piece!
Crackling
Another great option for painting furniture. This technique can be used to great effect to complement a farmhouse country theme. Crackle painting uses two contrasting colors of paint and a crackle medium to, as the name suggests, crackle the top layer of paint so that the bottom layer shows through. You can use interesting, complementing color combinations (like black and white, or red and gold metallic) to give a really unusual look to a crackling piece of furniture.
To learn more about choosing and pairing colors for your furniture faux painting project, Creating Room Color Schemes.