PAINTING FOREVER

Not very long ago, when shopping for our home furniture, all we thought about was picking furniture that would make our house look airy and sophisticated. The only look we could imagine would be a minimal one because according to our ideology, minimal is luxury. However, with time minimalism has slowly reduced and people have start getting creative interiors. One of the most appreciated, new introductions is the vintage theme. It has become one of the most used style by our interior designers now a days. Not only is it being used on professional level, but people have also started getting creative at home and have initiated making their own, feasible shabby chic furniture at home.

Shabby Chic furniture painting is an amazing way to give your new piece of furniture an impressive vintage look. Not only this it is more cost effective and allows you to add your own creativity into your interior, and not to mention the satisfaction you get once your work is complete and is in the way you wanted it to be.

PLANNING

Firstly, you need to pick up the appropriate type of furniture that would allow you to get the perfect outcome that you desire. You could opt for a wooden wardrobe cupboard or buy a set of chic chairs. If you decide to buy a new piece, don’t settle for something too expensive. Rather try visiting your nearby local auction house or an outlet that recycles furniture. You’ll definitely find better inexpensive options at such stores.

Next, you will have to pick the colors you want to use for your piece. Typically, people use the nude shades or colors such as grey-whites, duck egg blues and pale green, but it is not always important. You could pick bold colors and create a contrast or just pick a solid simple paint. In the end it is all up to what you want and how you want your work to turn out. . You could also try looking up shabby chic furniture on Pinterest or Google to get inspiration.

REQUIRED MATERIAL

• PAINT AND WOOD WAX

Once you are done with the planning, it’s time to gather all the stuff that you will be needing during this process. The amount required will vary depending on the size of your furniture. You will be required to pick 2 or more colors of either chalk furniture paint, clay paint or emulsion paint. Your choice of the type of paint you will be using will be based on the look you desire.

When using chalk paints, a clear or light wood wax is sometimes used on top to protect and seal the delicate finish of the paint. You could also use colored wax to give your piece a more professional aged look. However, it is not always essential to use it because some paints are more durable than the others and provide a better protection and an enhanced look.

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• ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT

Along with the main painting material, there is some other equipment as well that you require. This will make your project easier and less messy.

1. You may require dustsheets to protect the floors, carpets or other furniture that may be kept in your room where you will be painting.

2. You may also require sugar soap to remove any dirt or former stains that may be present on the furniture.

3. Paint brushes for every color or coat you will be putting to reduce cross coloring or contamination. You may require a buffing brush for the wax if you decide to use it. Make sure the brushes you pick are of good quality.

4. Sand paper is another essential that will be needed to sand the top coats along with a flexible filler knife to correct any mistakes or imperfections.

5. Wear an apron and safety goggles to protect your clothes and eyes from the paint. When sanding your furniture, it is best to wear a mask as well to protect yourself from any dust or old paint as it may contain lead.

HOW TO PAINT A SHABBY CHIC FURNITURE

Once you have decided your color, furniture, whether you will be using varnish and the number of coats you require, you move on to the main part of the process, the painting. Although your method may vary depending on the size and the outcome you desire; here is an easy guide on how you could make your project a success.

1. The first thing that you will need to do is prepare the wood by removing any existing wood finish so that the new paint coat you apply may stick properly. To remove any polish that may be on the furniture, you could use spirit or wire wool, but if it is varnished, sanding would be the best option.

2. To ensure your furniture has a smoother finishing and to make your work a lot easier, it is best to apply a coat of water-based acrylic primer.

3. Next you will need to apply a few thin layers of the paint you may be using. Before adding a second layer, let the first layer dry completely. You could also sand the first layer lightly with a 180 grit to get a smoother finish.

4. If what you require is a simple painted wood, then just coat the paint with acrylic varnish to seal it and jump to the last step. However, if you want to distress your furniture, follow onto the next steps.

5. For distressing, you will follow the first two steps as it is, but instead of using the same color for each coat, you will create a distressed finish of two different colors by removing the second layer in order to expose the layer under. This gives your furniture a natural vintage look.

6. You initiate by applying the first coat and letting it dry properly. Then for the hack part. Using a paint brush or a sponge, apply clear furniture wax by simply dabbing streaks wherever you want the furniture to seem distressed. Apply the second coat over the entire thing including the wax as well. Once the second layer dries, use a cotton cloth to remove the paint from the areas where you had applied the wax. This gives it an amazing, professional look.

7. If the distressing does not look enough, you could scrape the paint off the waxed areas or by using a sand paper, you could cause an equally perfect distressed look. If at any point you think you may have made a mistake, you could paint over that particular area again or could even repeat the wax distressing method.

8. Finally, all you need is a good quality beeswax to polish your furniture to give it a neat finish as well as a protective layer for the paint underneath.

While you are painting, don’t worry too much about messing your work too much. Enjoy the process because it is not quite possible to go wrong with your shabby furniture.

By the end, you will have a furniture piece that looks as if it would have been bought from an expensive interior décor shop.

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