How To Paint Furniture And To Ensure The Longevity Of Your DIY Projects

If you’re buying all your furniture ready made from stores or having a professional design everything then you probably have no idea or interest in how you can customize it yourself and in this case, we’re referring to the option of painting or staining furniture. It’s a shame really because there’s so much you can do with just a little bit of paint and so many ways in which you can make your furniture stand out and suit your style more. Today we’re going to check out some basic techniques, look at some useful tips and offer you a few ideas which will hopefully inspire you to try DIY projects more often.

First of all we want to mention the fact that you can paint all sorts of furniture pieces, not just shelves and cabinets. For example, you could paint your dining table just to give it a fresh new look and perhaps also to turn it into the focal point of the room. A fresh coat of paint will also cover up any old stains and marks so it’s really more than just a change of look but a complete rejuvenation of this piece of furniture. Make sure you prep it, paint it and seal it properly.

Staining a piece of furniture is quite different than painting it mostly because the techniques and the actual products are different. When staining a piece of furniture, start with an unfinished wood piece and make sure it’s clean and dry. First apply some wood conditioner (the equivalent of the primer), then the wood stain of your choice and then a finishing coat. You’re going to need a brush and some clean rags because they work the best for absorbing any excess stain.

You can use either paint or wood stain to refinish and rejuvenate an old piece of furniture and make it look like new again. For instance, you could give an old dining chair chair a makeover. If it’s still in good shape structurally you can always make it look pretty again by applying a fresh coat of paint or, if you want something more classic-looking, by re-staining the frame.

A toy storage chest is another really great project, simple enough to not require any professional help or knowledge about furniture building and with great results. Putting together a wooden toy box can also turn into a very fun project because once you’re done building it you get to paint it and make it look nice and pretty.

Paint is also very helpful is you want to give some color and life to your home accessories such as a storage basket for example. Give your painted basket character and use acrylic paints that really pop if your goal is to turn the basket into a decorative item or to make it stand out or serve as a focal point. The design doesn’t need to be complex in order to look good. We suggest playing with some geometric shapes and seeing where that takes you.

Painting a dresser is one of our favorites ideas for a DIY home project/ makeover. Whether you want to give an old dresser a fresh new look or if you choose buy a new unfinished dresser and customize it to suit your own style, this is a great project. Consider painting each drawer front a different color to create a sort of rainbow effect or using different shades of the same color for a nice ombre look. Either way, your colorful dresser will look amazing.

Of course, not every project is about fun and colorful makeovers or eye-catching designs so let’s also check out some ideas focused around maintenance and the practical side of things. Let’s say you’re build a nice wooden deck or you already have one and you’d like to make sure it stays beautiful and durable for a long time. You should look into the process of staining and sealing the deck so be sure to check some of our own tips and ideas regarding this subject.

You might also be interested in learning how to stain and seal a pergola. It’s a useful set of skills to be familiar with and you can apply this knowledge when dealing other similar projects or when building outdoor furniture. It’s important to go through all these steps in order to ensure that your projects not only look good but will stay in good shape and will remain that way for a long time.