Painting Furniture 101....

We have been getting a TON of questions about painting furniture lately. I'm sure it's because of all Brooke's awesome re-vamped furniture. So I thought I'd tackle them all and dedicate a post to Painting Furniture 101. So let's get down with the paint.

First things first....

What to look for in Furniture: Here are my rules when looking for furniture to refinish--

* Quality: I want something that is built to last. Something that my grand-kids can pass down. I don't want a veneer. I want something that is solid. Sturdy.

* Look wise: I like something that has character. By character I mean the details. I want something that makes it stand out from the crowd. That thing that separates it from the rest. I don't mean busy. You can still have classy and simple but have some charm too. For instance this table

I like that the base it adds a little something something and around the edge it has this detail {which I cannot wait to glaze}

It adds just enough character to separate it from the others but keeps it simple and classy too. {No this has not been refinished yet}

If you need some more ideas of things to look for in furniture just wander around All Things Thrifty..your bound to find something..right??!!

Sanding: I only sand something when a) I am going to stain the wood or b) if I am trying to smooth the surface and get out any scratches or dings it may have. I only do that when I want a sleek looking piece of furniture. More times then not I like the character that scratches and dents bring and opt out of the work of sanding. I like to start with 80 grit sandpaper at first and a 180 grit sand paper to finish. The 80 grit sandpaper to get through the previous finish faster and get out the dents and dings and the 180 grit sandpaper to give you a nice smooth surface that makes it ready to paint. Make sure you really clean your project after sanding...any left over dust or residue will clump and cause bumps in your surface...which I don't think is the result you are going for. I like to use my vacuum with the soft bristled attachment followed by a wipe down with a tack cloth to remove all the dust and residue.

Primer: Can I just say that I heart primer. Let me tell you why... it saves a lot of headache if you are just wanting to paint over an existing finish. Most furniture that you buy has a finish of some sort on it. Even regular satin or gloss paint has a finish. That is what gives it the shine. The main purpose of the finish is to give the paint more durability helping to prevent chipping and everyday wear and tear. If you were to just paint over that finish with out a primer it doesn't give anything for the paint to bond to. Which will result in peeling and chipping paint...and who wants that?? A primer preps your furniture for paint. It gives the paint something to bond to and adds extra durability. I would recommend using a primer on anything that is going to see a lot of use.

The primer I use is KILZ but I know that there are others out there you could use too. You can buy primer in cans or they also have it in a spray paint for easy application on chairs or intricate detail. You can find KILZ primer at any home supply store like Home Depot or Walmart even carries it.

I like to use a roller made to paint wood if I am not using a spray paint. It dries fast and a roller gives you nice even coverage...I think a paint brush puts too much on. It dries in 15 minutes so you are ready to paint quickly.
* If you are going to paint something red...tint your primer grey to get the most true to color results.
* KILZ is oil based so just be prepared to throw away your roller cover or what ever you chose to use and where gloves so it doesn't get on your hands.


Paint VS. Spray Paint: I think regular paint VS spray paint depends on what you are working on. The ultimate way to paint is with a paint sprayer...I don't have one of these bad boys yet but I will one day. So with that being said I happen to prefer spray paint. Here is why, I re-did a kitchen table and I used regular paint and roller-ed the whole thing. I could see every roller mark when I was done. It didn't matter how many coats I did. It drove me crazy!!! Spray paint if applied correctly and using the right nozzle head gives you nice even coverage all around. Here is the nozzle I like to use.

Where it says "this guy right here" with an arrow is what makes all the difference in the world. You can rotate it so it sprays differently depending on the angle of the surface you are working on. I was going to make a video to show you how to paint so you get a nice even coat BUT since I haven't felt like doing anything I found this one from Rustoleum's site instead. Watch how she goes from right to left letting off the paint nozzle on each side. That helps prevent the paint from building up on your nozzle and dripping.

* I have learned through trial and error that the 99cent spray paint stinks. That black dresser I re-did I used 15 cans of 99cent spray paint and on my last coat it bubbled in one corner. So I had to sand down and start over. When my husband found out I used 99cent paint he about killed me. He took me to ACE and we bought the ACE brand spray paint. It was 3 dollars a can and we bought 2. I re-did the whole dresser with those two cans. We sprayed the ACE brand and the 99cent brand at the same time and it was a HUGE difference in the amount of paint that was coming out at one time. The 99cents paint wasn't putting out anything.It seriously looked like air next to the ACE brand. So it might seem more expensive at first but worth it in the end when you have to use less. I could have saved over half by going the other route.
* If you are painting dining room chairs I would for sure use spray paint. It covers so much better in all the nooks and crannies.
* If you have KILZed your project a glossy paint will give you that finish that you see on most furniture. What I would call Satin.
* Don't use a flat paint. You want some kind of finish in your paint for durability especially if you are going to clean it or it will see a lot of use.
* I use Latex paint never oil based. Oil based tends to last longer but it stinks something terrible and takes FOREVER to dry. Latex works great for me.

Finish: I don't always put a finish on my projects but let me tell you why. I most always when painting furniture use a high gloss paint. I know {gasp} right?? Remember when I said earlier that I have found if you use a primer first a glossy paint looks more like a satin or a semi gloss paint in the end? Keep that in mind. If you want an example of what a glossy paint looks like on a table that was primed first check out this post. As I said before high gloss paint already has a finish in it and most times this is enough for me. I redo things a lot so nothing stays put for long. If you are wanting more of a finish then what is in your paint you can use a polyurethane BUT I would not recommend it when painting in light colors such as white and creme. It will cause yellowing over time..ugly nasty yellowing. You can buy a polyurethane that won't react to UV light but it is pretty pricey.
* When applying a polyurethane I would suggest using a rag. A few light coats are going to look better then one heavy one.
* Make sure you let this dry completely before touching. It stays tacky for sometime.

Glazing: Glazing might look hard but really it is very simple. All glaze is, is a thinned down paint base. Making the consistency easier to work with and giving you a longer manipulating time. When I buy glaze I just purchase it at Home Depot. They give me a pint of glaze that looks like this

and a pint of paint in what ever color I want the glaze to be. Most times I use black or brown.You then mix 4 parts of glaze to 1 part paint. You can buy Ralph Lauren Glaze which is mixed for you but more on the pricey side (unless your Brooke and snag some at a yard sale)When using glaze you don't need very much at all. A lot goes a long ways. I like to apply mine with a rag for cabinets and flat surfaces. I will use a paint brush on things with lot's of detail. I let the glaze sit for about 30 seconds and then I wipe off. I don't like a ton on mine so I only do this process once. If you want more contrast then apply until you get your desired look.
* To make it POP sand in the areas you want to stand out before you glaze.
* You can also use glaze for a faux finish on your wall.{faux means technique}
I used a glaze with a dark brown base and did a wall in my friends house using a rag roller. Here is what it looks like

They have all kinds of Faux finished techniques. You can give your walls the look of texture without the cost of the real thing. They have techniques for linen,leather,suede,marble you get the idea. You can do these types of faux finishes in what ever color you want. So.. go get painting a wall ;) and send us a picture when your done.

Weather: I still project out in my garage right now. It says on the paint that it works the best between 50 and 90 degrees. If I am worried it's a little bit too cold I just take a space heater out there with me. I haven't had any problems yet. If it is to cold your paint will bubble so make sure it's a good temperature.I have noticed it takes a little longer for the paint to dry when it's cold then when it is hot but that's all. Make sure your garage is well ventilated. I wear a mask when I am painting in my garage. I don't like inhaling all the fumes. Also make sure you have a drop cloth or cardboard under and behind your project so your garage floor and walls don't get grafittied.

If you have any more questions that I didn't answer feel free to e-mail me at allthingsthrifty@gmail. I will be more then happy to answer them. Oh and here is that table all refinished. What do you think??

{Before}

{After}

Stay tuned for step by step instructions on how I refinished this table.