Furniture Paint

Yes, absolutely! Spray painting is one of the best ways to refinish furniture and is a favourite method for both DIY enthusiasts and professional restorers. It offers several significant advantages over traditional brushing or rolling.

• A Flawless, Professional Finish: Spraying atomises the paint into a fine mist, which results in a smooth, even coating that is completely free of brush strokes or roller marks. This gives the piece a high-end, factory-finished appearance.
• Incredible Speed: For furniture with complex details, spindles, or intricate carvings, spray painting is significantly faster than trying to work a brush into every corner and crevice.
• Excellent Coverage: The fine mist ensures that every part of the surface gets an even layer of paint, providing a consistent colour and sheen across the entire piece.

Whether you're updating an old wooden dresser, a metal patio set, or a plastic chair, spray painting is an excellent choice for achieving a durable and beautiful result.

Achieving a professional-quality finish when spray painting furniture is all about following a patient, step-by-step process. Skipping the preparation stages is the number one cause of a poor result.

Follow these steps for success:

1. Prepare Your Workspace: Move the furniture outdoors or to a well-ventilated space like an open garage. Use drop cloths to protect the surrounding area from overspray.
2. Clean and Degrease: This is a vital first step. Thoroughly clean the entire piece with a degreaser to remove all dirt, oils, and old furniture polish. Let it dry completely.
3. Sand for Adhesion: You are not trying to remove the old finish, just to dull it. Lightly scuff the entire surface with medium-grit sandpaper. This creates a microscopic texture, or "key," that the new paint can grip onto securely. Wipe away every trace of dust.
4. Prime the Surface: Applying a quality primer is the secret to durability. It ensures the paint bonds properly, blocks old stains from bleeding through, and creates a uniform base for your colour.
5. Apply Your Colour:

• Shake the spray can vigorously for at least two minutes.
• Hold the can 10-12 inches away from the surface and apply the paint in light, sweeping motions, overlapping each pass.
• It is always better to apply 2-3 light coats than one thick, heavy coat, which can lead to drips. Allow 10-15 minutes of drying time between each coat.

6. Cure for Durability: Let the piece cure for at least 24-48 hours before subjecting it to regular use. This allows the paint to harden to its maximum strength.

Choosing the right type of spray paint is crucial and depends on the furniture's material and the finish you want to achieve. Using a general-purpose spray paint may not give you the adhesion or durability required.

Here's a guide to the best choices:

For Wood Furniture:

• Chalk Finish Spray Paint: Extremely popular for a modern, matte, and slightly rustic look. It's very forgiving and easy to distress for a shabby-chic style.
• Satin or Eggshell Furniture Paint: A dedicated acrylic furniture paint with a satin finish is a fantastic all-rounder. It offers a sophisticated, low-lustre look with excellent durability and washability.

For Laminate Style Furniture:

• For these slick, non-porous surfaces, the primer is the most important part. You must use a high-adhesion primer first. Once primed, you can topcoat with most quality furniture paints.

For Metal Furniture:

• Look for a spray paint labelled "Direct to Metal" (DTM) or a tough enamel paint. These are formulated to bond strongly with metal and provide excellent rust protection.

The Golden Rule: Regardless of the material, always choose a product designated as "furniture paint" or pair your chosen colour with the correct primer for the surface. This ensures the paint system is designed to withstand the knocks and scuffs of everyday use.