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Hoem Design Sense - Painted Furniture
- By H John Johnsen
- Published 03/7/2010
- Around the home
- Unrated
H John Johnsen
H. John Johnsen is a Designer and Writer for Home Design Sense.com and other web sites. You can find more information on Home Staging at the Home Design Sense website.
View all articles by H John Johnsen
If you think of painted furniture as a scraped-up old chair you pick up at the flea market to put in the laundry room, think again. Did you ever think of painted furniture as art? You need not be especially artistically gifted to successfully create a conversation starter as well as a true work of art.
For your first project, start with a thrift shop or flea market chair or small table. It doesn't matter if it's scraped up or if it's already painted and scratched up. A little sandpaper will take care of that.
Choose a base color, buy some acrylic paint in a can and a good brush. Get a set of small bottles of acrylic paint in several colors at a crafts store and an inexpensive set of little brushes. Paint your furniture item. Acrylic dries quickly, so you're ready to move on in half an hour.
When you're doing this type of painted furniture project, you can ad lib, painting an appealing shape wherever it pleases you. Maybe you'll then outline that shape in a contrasting color.
Go to your local library and look for books on design and antique painted furniture. This is where you can get inspiration and ideas. Also look on-line to find more ideas.
Painted furniture can be a kind of pop-art creation. Perhaps you want to paint a vine that drapes gracefully across the chair seat or runs across the table like a runner. How about stripes on the rungs of the chair? Anything goes. A
geometric pattern can look very attractive. Use any colors you fancy. Bright, primary colors are favorites with kids. For your teen daughter, various pastel shades may be just the ticket. If you've chosen a dark green as your base color, a burnt orange can provide a nice contrast.
Look around the room where you want to put your painted piece to get color and patterns from existing fabrics and colors. This way you can customize each piece to a particular room. If you are painting it for a child’s room you may want to paint on some of their favorite cartoon characters. Then as they get older you can paint over them and add new ones without replacing the furniture.
There are some other tricks of the painted furniture trade you'll want to explore while creating your work of art. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water and layered over another color. A swath of light blue crossing over a purple area creates a new shade and added dimension. There are clear acrylics which you can use to dilute the color while retaining the same body of the full strength paint. Experiment and have fun.
When you've completed this first project, consider the possibilities. New, unfinished furniture can be painted as well. Think what a terrific toy chest you can make as painted furniture for a youngster. That child will treasure it forever.
A painted furniture project is one you can put away and pick right back up when it's convenient to your schedule.
Have fun and be as creative as you want...it's your furniture.
For your first project, start with a thrift shop or flea market chair or small table. It doesn't matter if it's scraped up or if it's already painted and scratched up. A little sandpaper will take care of that.
Choose a base color, buy some acrylic paint in a can and a good brush. Get a set of small bottles of acrylic paint in several colors at a crafts store and an inexpensive set of little brushes. Paint your furniture item. Acrylic dries quickly, so you're ready to move on in half an hour.
When you're doing this type of painted furniture project, you can ad lib, painting an appealing shape wherever it pleases you. Maybe you'll then outline that shape in a contrasting color.
Go to your local library and look for books on design and antique painted furniture. This is where you can get inspiration and ideas. Also look on-line to find more ideas.
Painted furniture can be a kind of pop-art creation. Perhaps you want to paint a vine that drapes gracefully across the chair seat or runs across the table like a runner. How about stripes on the rungs of the chair? Anything goes. A
Look around the room where you want to put your painted piece to get color and patterns from existing fabrics and colors. This way you can customize each piece to a particular room. If you are painting it for a child’s room you may want to paint on some of their favorite cartoon characters. Then as they get older you can paint over them and add new ones without replacing the furniture.
There are some other tricks of the painted furniture trade you'll want to explore while creating your work of art. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water and layered over another color. A swath of light blue crossing over a purple area creates a new shade and added dimension. There are clear acrylics which you can use to dilute the color while retaining the same body of the full strength paint. Experiment and have fun.
When you've completed this first project, consider the possibilities. New, unfinished furniture can be painted as well. Think what a terrific toy chest you can make as painted furniture for a youngster. That child will treasure it forever.
A painted furniture project is one you can put away and pick right back up when it's convenient to your schedule.
Have fun and be as creative as you want...it's your furniture.
