Trend or decorating main-stay?
I think painted furniture is going to be around for awhile.
Sure, in generations to come, they might say things like “Ewww….look at that yellow table, I’d rather see the nice oak finish.” (insert choking sounds here).
But isn’t that the beauty of vintage – retro – and antiques!
Each generation looks to their past to reflect those fond memories of Grandma’s house, their childhood home, holidays, summers……etc.
I’m sure the colors will change to reflect current styles and trends but painted furniture and accessories are such a fun way to add color I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
Over the last 6 years I’ve painted everything from kitchen cabinets to picture frames and I’ve used all sorts of paint, from latex to the chalk and milk paints.
With that in mind I wanted to share a couple of my thoughts and tips on having painted furniture in your house.
1) Protect Me.
Just because it’s painted doesn’t make the top indestructible. Use coasters like you would on any surface that you want to protect from water marks etc.
2) I might chip….
Even with a zillion hard surface top coats…..the paint could still scratch or chip; whether it’s latex or chalk (except maybe for spray paint then coated in a spray polyurethane, that’s stinkin’ durable). It’s not a reason to stay away from painted furniture, but handle with care when moving and have a plan in order (see next tip!).
3) What color am I?
When I paint a piece of furniture, I write down the color information just in case of needed touch-ups in the future. I’ve also been trying to note the color on the price tags of the pieces in my booth so customers also know what color was used. When you purchase painted furniture – if possible get the name of the color/paint used. That way if it gets scratched and you don’t like it that way, it’s a super easy touch-up fix. Or…you can…..
4) Add character.
No need to panic if a piece gets dinged. Just use a little sand paper to smooth out and blend in the scratch. Distressing it a little simply adds character – bonus if the piece is already somewhat distressed, it will blend in. I’d start with a lighter sand paper (Grit 400) or even a piece of a brown paper grocery bag. If you don’t get the results you need you can always switch to a coarser sand paper; but you don’t want to accidentally sand it too much, especially if you don’t have the paint color to fix and sand again.
5) Don’t be afraid of me.
Show a little TLC but use it. Don’t be afraid of what might happen. I spilled nail polish remover on my painted kitchen table – that will take the paint right off – and I still need to fix it but for now….it’s loved and being useful. Those nicks and scrapes are like badges of honor. Heck, people pay for painted furniture (and jeans) that look like they’ve been through hell and back. That’s style my friend.
Till the next time,
Julie b.
Good timing. I am looking for some inspiration for an old coffee table I have inherited.
Me too! I was thinking of decoupaging and craqueleur the top of an heirloom coffee table, but wondering how durable it would be. I think I’ll try it out anyway–like you said, it’s meant to be loved!
If you put at least 3 to 4 “top coats” of the decoupage glue when you’re all done it should be pretty durable. There was a gal I know that did a kitchen table decoupaged – it was adorable. She said she did 6 light layers/top coats. Just depends how much “use” it will get. Happy Friday.
That’s really helpful, thanks!