Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How to Spray paint furniture!

Spray painting furniture is an easy and fast way to transform a piece to fit in with your home decor. The most difficult part is often finding a space to do the spraying. 


Many people have the mistaken impression that spray painting furniture won't result in a long lasting finish, that it will chip, scratch or flake off easily. It isn't true! If you take the time to prep and use the right paint for the job your finish will be just as hardy as any coat of paint. Plus, with a sprayed finish it is much, much easier to get a smooth, flawless finish. No brush stroke marks! And did I mention it is faster?



Spray paint is any home decorators friend, especially those of us on a budget. However, there are a couple of downsides. First, spray paint color choices are limited. This is a bummer when you have a very specific shade of color in mind. Second, it is messy and should never be done indoors and you have to take care to not breathe in the fumes.



The dresser below started  a creamy color with gold trim. Then it was a glossy black and then it was painted flat brown for a few years. Finally, the glossy turquoise face lift did the trick and the dresser is as good as new...





before furnituresanding paint

spray-painting primer



spray painting furniture




let furniture dry




spray-painted dresser

TIPS:
The first step in spray painting furniture is always sanding. Many people skip this step and this is why their paint doesn't adhere as well. Scuff up your surface (especially if it is glossy) to give your primer a better chance to stick. Yes, I know primer will say works on "any surface" and even glossy, but trust me on this, you'll have the best results if you do a quick sanding. I use a medium grit sandpaper most of the time.

Next step is priming. Again, shortcutters will skip this step. Don't. Priming with a quality primer is key to a professional looking job and will make the final color coats stick. For this project (already painted wood) I like Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X Primer, especially since I was covering a dark color. This kind is a bit thicker and so you'll need less.


After the primer is dry, add your color! (We used Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X in satin). Spray about 10 inches from the surface and sweep back and forth with smooth, even strokes. Be sure to coat all the crevices and undersides. When finished, let dry completely before moving or putting back together.


 For added durability for your finish, use a spray on poly coating or a wipe on poly coating.

Happy painting!

Brought to you by Home Decorating Ideas

3 comments:

Unknown said...

TY You explain the Spray painting process so anyone could understand !
I only have problems with it running down the side ,is that because I'm too close ?

Unknown said...

Most likely :) it may feel like you're wasting some paint, but will turn out better if done right. Good luck!

Unknown said...

Most likely :) it may feel like you're wasting some paint, but will turn out better if done right. Good luck!