Paint is a great way to brighten or disguise furniture and accessories that are tired, tatty, or just the wrong color or finish. It can transform everything from cheap cupboards, chests of drawers, and wardrobes to lamp bases, tables, chairs, and filing cabinets.
Preparation
Aim for a surface free of dust, dirt, and grease. Sometimes a quick wipe down is enough, but don’t be afraid to give grubby stuff a good scrub using warm water with a squirt of washing-up liquid. Use scourers and old toothbrushes to get in all the nooks and crannies.
It isn’t necessary to completely strip painted or varnished wooden or melamine furniture, but it is worth rubbing down surfaces with sandpaper or wire wool – this makes the paint stick better.
Where to paint
Even if you don’t have much spare space, don’t be put off from redoing your furniture. Smaller objects, such as lamp bases, can be done on your kitchen or dining room table – just lay a couple of layers of newspaper down first. Move it away from any walls, lay dust sheets under it, and remove anything stored on or inside it. Keep the area well ventilated while you paint.
Painting
Start with a primer – you might think you can just skip this, but it is essential. It gives the paint a decent surface to stick to and gives a much better finish. Use a wood primer or multi-purpose primer/undercoat on wood, and a metal primer for metal.
Next, it’s either another layer of the multi-purpose primer/undercoat if you are using a light-colored paint, or a layer of undercoat if it’s a deep color (check the back of the tin – it should say which type of undercoat to use).
Now to add the color.
For a hard-wearing finish, use oil-based or water-based gloss or eggshell. These can be used on wood and on metal (the latter provided you have prepared and primed well). You can also go for specialist metallic paints. Two coats are usually enough, but some colors require extra coats to get an even cover. Oil-based paint finishes are touch-dry in around 48 hours, but they take a long time to dry thoroughly (months, even). For stools, chairs, tables, and shelves, wait for a week before use.
If you can’t face the bother of eggshell or gloss, you can get a good and surprisingly hard-wearing finish using emulsion paint. Clean and prime as above, then paint using emulsion. Apply two or three coats. Allow it to dry thoroughly (a couple of days), then apply a coat of liquid wax or a mix of beeswax, turpentine, and linseed to protect.
