How to Paint Just About Anything

One thing I absolutely love to do is paint furniture. Sometimes painting vintage furniture that is past its’ best. However, I love to paint things just change the colour so it will work better with my colour scheme. Ikea furniture is amazing but the white and grey does not fit with my colourful vibe.

It can be daunting because I never want to ruin it and I need it to last. Thankfully years of experience of painting furniture has helped me find a robust way to bring the items to life rather than kill them.

What do you need in your toolkit?

• Tupperware boxes to decant your paint. This stops paint clogging the edge of the paint tin and you can use a lid to keep it for later.

• Good quality paint brushes in a range of sizes. I love to use artists brushes as well for the hard to reach areas.
• Oil cloth is a great and affordable way to protect your work station. it is wipeable and thick enough that paint will not leak through.
• Sandpaper for sanding any rough or old paint and varnish. Giving anything a light sand is probably best practice but it is a step I regularly skip.
• Primer is the most important step. After you have prepared your piece the primer is what acts as a key between the surface and your paint. I love this one because it is water based and the clean up is easy. However if you are painting over teak furniture it is safer to use the more hard core B-I-N. It has a shellac and will completely block any oils from seeping through. You will need methylated spirits to clean your materials. With both primers mixing the paint before you start is essential so all the ingredients are blended and work as intended.
• Next is your paint. If you have purchased paint that is suitable for wood then once you have painted using it you have finished your project. Congratulations! However, one of the great things about painting your own furniture is using up left over paint. You will be using regular emulsion paint left over from painting your walls. If this is the case then paint as you would expect. But you need to complete the project with one more step.
• Varnish will lock in your paint and make it much more hard-waring. The trick with this is to paint it on in thin coats. It dries quickly so be systematic to ensure you do not brush over previous areas which may cause bobbling. There are various finishes so make sure you get the type you want. I like dead flat finish mostly.

Hints and Tips

• One of the methods I have found gives a better finish is to really take my time. I give at least 5 hours drying time between coats. Sometimes I find three thin coats of my chosen colour is better than two thicker coats. Giving each layer of paint ample drying time ensures that it has cured properly. Aesthetically it gives a better finish but it also ensures it will last longer.
• When I paint radiators I prime but i do not bother varnishing. Same goes for skirting boards and architraves.
• Picture frames are a great way to be more playful with patterns.
• Ugly, white UPVC windows can be painted. In this case I use paint for wood. Then I can skip the varnish step. Choose a dry day so the windows can remain open to speed up the drying process.