Painting furniture yourself without special equipment and experience is a responsible task that is not always easy to cope with. The fact is that proper processing of interior items involves performing a set of interrelated procedures: choosing the right paint, preparing the base, applying the composition. Another important aspect is the material of the furniture that is processed. If you make mistakes in the process, it will be extremely difficult to correct the situation.
Tools and materials
How to paint furniture to get a quality product that will last for many years? The process is quite serious and has some peculiarities. The production uses special painting equipment. You can purchase it or make it yourself. In the latter case, you will need diagrams and drawings for the paint booth.
If you are painting furniture yourself, you need to understand what types of paints there are and how they interact with different materials. Tools and materials needed for painting furniture:
- putty knife;
- sandpaper, a piece of whetstone (grinder or other alternatives);
- dye;
- varnish;
- brushes or roller;
- masking tape;
- putty;
- primer.
In addition, you will need the product itself and protective equipment: gloves, clothing and glasses. To apply paint in an even layer, you can use a spray gun or spray gun. Such tools are mainly used when the surface area to be painted is very large. They will help speed up the process and save time and effort. For small products or their parts, it is recommended to use brushes or a roller. The paint is applied in one direction. One layer is often not enough, so the work is repeated 1-2 more times. The second and subsequent layers can be applied only if the previous layer has dried well.
Preparatory stage
To paint furniture yourself, it is recommended to do it in a separate room. The process may take several days, so it is better to have the furniture in another room. In this way, it will be possible to protect your home from dust. It is also recommended to wear safety glasses, gloves and a gown while working.
To prepare the furniture you will need:
- wood putty;
- sandpaper;
- rubber spatula;
- acrylic primer;
- brush (roller).
Furniture surface preparation is as follows:
- the product is disassembled;
- remove paint and varnish;
- primed, puttied.
The first step is to replace or repair all mechanisms. To do this, the furniture is disassembled into individual elements, handles and hanging parts are removed. Disassembly of interior items is also necessary in order to paint all elements evenly and completely. It is impossible to do this while the furniture is assembled. When the restoration of the mechanisms is completed, you can begin preparing the surface for painting.
If it is impossible to disassemble and remove decorative elements and fittings, masking tape will help protect them from paint. On products with drawings and pictures, all decorating elements are also sealed with tape, and after painting the furniture, they are carefully removed.
Disassembling furniture before painting
Old paint must first be removed
Primer of wooden furniture
putty
Types of paints by composition
It is equally important to decide what composition you will use in the future when painting furniture. First of all, it should be paint specifically for furniture. There is no need to follow the statement “the stronger, the better.”
When making a choice of what kind of paint should be used to paint furniture, we recommend choosing compositions that have an acrylic base. This type of dye is water-dispersible, that is, it is diluted with water. When not dry, it washes off easily. Once the surface is completely dry, it can be washed up to 500 times.
To the positive characteristics of acrylic, you can add breathability properties. This is very important for wooden products; they will be reliably protected from mold and mildew.
Another type of coloring compositions are alkyd-based paints and varnishes. They are identical in quality to acrylic versions, but are produced using organic solvents. This is why toxic substances are released after painting.
But don’t rush to abandon this option. If you need to change the coating of furniture that is used in rooms with high humidity, then it is better to use alkyd compounds.
Nitro paints and oil-based compounds are a little more difficult to work with than with previous options. Therefore, if you plan to paint furniture yourself, and have no experience working with such substances, then it is better not to use them. Leave it to the professionals.
When purchasing a coloring composition in a store, select a primer that matches it. Only in this case can you have no doubt about the quality of the future furniture coating. If the substances do not suit each other, then unpredictable consequences may arise: the appearance of bubbles, grains, etc.
Cleaning and priming
Furniture must be cleaned of old layers of varnish and paint. To remove old layers at home, you will need coarse-grain sandpaper. It is used to sand the surface of interior items. The process is quite difficult; a grinding machine can make it easier. If you don’t have one, you can wrap sandpaper around the block and then run it over the entire surface of the product.
In addition, you can remove old paint using other tools, including:
- construction hair dryer - the tool heats up old paint. When exposed to hot air, it is quickly cleaned with a spatula;
- wash - you can buy products in automobile stores. The remover is applied to the surface. After a while the paint will begin to bubble. Now it can be easily removed with a spatula. When working with this product, you must use protective equipment;
- grinder with a metal brush. With such a tool you need to carefully pass through all elements without touching the wood.
Construction hair dryer
Old paint from furniture can be removed with a special remover.
After cleaning the products with any tool, you need to sand the parts. Particular attention should be paid to the end parts and decorative elements. Then less harsh processing will be needed, so fine-grained sandpaper is used over all parts. When the work is finished, remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner. This way, dust won't fly all over the room.
Priming the furniture is an important step in the preparation process. A special solution is applied to the surface, which ensures uniform distribution of paint, as well as better adhesion to the surface.
- furniture is coated with an acrylic-based primer;
- leave for some time until dry;
- After this, the surface is degreased with vodka or alcohol.
It is better to select a primer that is similar in color to the future paint. Thus, the layer will be more even, and it will also be possible to save on dyes.
You can cover up and paint over scratches on furniture using putty. A small amount of product is distributed over the surface of the product with a rubberized spatula. If the defects are still visible, you can go over the putty again.
Priming wood before painting saves paint
Painting
How to paint furniture? The first step is to decide what kind of paint you will need to paint the furniture. Its appearance depends on the material from which chests of drawers, cabinets, and tables are made. It is recommended to use the following types of paints:
- acrylic paints are the most popular for painting furniture. They have many advantages: they dry quickly, are easy to apply, and, unlike other types, are considered more stable. The paint is diluted with water, which significantly saves material. Acrylic paint has a less pronounced odor and ventilates faster. Apply it with a roller or brush;
- Another commonly used type is spray paint. It applies very quickly. The spray can distributes the paint evenly;
- Depending on whether the surface should be glossy or matte, different paints are chosen. For glossy products you will need enamel varnish paint, and for matte surfaces you will need oil paint;
- many people like the natural grain of wood. To preserve it, the products are coated with transparent paint. Construction stores sell various paint materials for these purposes. They can be mixed with each other and get the desired shade.
Restoration of polished furniture
Let's move on to specific actions and look at how to repaint furniture or refresh furniture that has lost its shine. How to construct a work correctly in order to give new life to seemingly damaged objects?
Not only furniture items that have a matte surface can be repainted. Let's try to figure out how to paint polished furniture, especially furniture that was made several decades ago.
With dedication and diligence, you can transform an old chest of drawers or chair into a work of art. This is especially true if you plan to decorate the room in vintage or French country style. Here are detailed instructions on how to paint furniture that has a polished surface:
- Remove the polished part of the furniture using a special solvent. During the process, the coating begins to delaminate; all that remains is to remove it with a spatula. It is necessary to prepare pieces of furniture for painting carefully so as not to damage the structure of the wood.
- You can use a grinding machine if available. This way the work will go much faster.
- Next, clean the surface with fine-grained sandpaper and blow off the dust.
- After preparation, the furniture is painted in the style that best suits the chosen design.
Is varnish necessary?
Varnish is used not only to give furniture a spectacular look. It creates a more durable surface. The varnish will help protect interior items from dirt, moisture and pests. Varnish can be:
- alcohol - used for restoration of antique interior items;
- acrylic is the most convenient type of varnish. It appeared not so long ago, but has already become popular. Does not have a pungent odor, suitable for exterior and interior use. Acrylic varnish is diluted with water. Its properties are similar to alkyd varnish, but acrylic varnish is much more economical;
- alkyd - it is diluted with a solvent. The surface coated with alkyd varnish has a film that is resistant to abrasion;
- nitrocellulose;
- oil is the most economical option. Oil varnishes are used to paint the floor. They used to be very popular. The varnish is diluted with drying oil, it takes a long time to dry;
- polyurethane - this type of varnish is used to treat ship parts, which indicates its increased wear resistance. A protective, quick-drying film appears on wood treated with polyurethane varnish, so the furniture will be painted in the shortest possible time.
Acrylic
Alkyd
Nitrocellulose
Polyurethane
Alcoholic
Design options
If the interior of the house is made in country style, then the option of aging wood is most suitable. When implementing this process, you should first decide on the color. Here it is recommended to paint furniture white.
We repaint the stools white, and it immediately becomes clear that they play a primary role and people will immediately pay attention to them. Do not forget that in country style quality and good quality are especially valued.
Painted furniture in the Provence style should also be given special attention. Artificial aging can have different results. If the furniture is painted in one layer, then the structure is visible through the layer of dark paint. Otherwise, you will need to use sandpaper to allow the wood grain to show through after sanding.
The treatment is carried out in those places where the human hand most often touches. Furniture should look as if it had been used a long time ago, but was treated with such care that it has been preserved to this day.
Painting furniture with the effect of old paint shining through is very popular. To do this, you need to paint furniture painted one color in a different shade. And then, by sanding, reveal the old color. You can achieve this effect by rubbing the areas with dark wax.
As you can see, there are enough options for furniture restoration and most of them can be done independently. Therefore, we should not retreat, but boldly begin to implement the most daring projects.
Secrets of successful furniture restoration (1 video)
Furniture Before and AFTER restoration (15 photos)
The nuances of painting taking into account the material
When the primer is dry, you can paint the furniture. When choosing one color, no questions should arise. What to do if you need to paint furniture with your own hands in two colors, for example, black and white.
Wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables are made from different materials. Painting the surface and decorating a wooden furniture wall is as easy as shelling pears. But sometimes questions arise about how to paint veneered furniture, plastic products, chipboard, plywood, and laminated chipboard furniture.
Chipboard is prepared in the same way as wood. The paint is applied several times. In this way, the rough surface can be hidden under layers of paint. Water-based paints are suitable for plastic furniture. Paint brushes should be of good quality; you should not skimp on them to avoid overpainting. Otherwise, the surface of the furniture will be covered with fallen hairs from a low-quality brush.
How to paint furniture from light to dark at home? In principle, the sequence of actions is the same as in other cases. The surface is cleaned, sanded and degreased. Professionals advise choosing a primer color close to the color in which the furniture will be painted. Next they move on to coloring. The paint is applied in 2-3 layers until the product acquires the desired shade, so the furniture will be painted with high quality.
Interesting color solutions
You know that painting wooden furniture is done not only for reasons of economy and interior renovation, but also to create a unique style. Fashion and its trends have taken over wooden furniture, and even an old Soviet wall can look great with a modern renovation if you work on it a little.
It will be enough to repaint it using the instructions given in this article. The main thing is that you immediately decide on the design. In the photo on the Internet you can see how to transform boring furniture.
