Painted furniture is one of the easiest ways to change the style of a room while adding more color and personality without replacing every piece. I love refreshing a piece of furniture that has seen better days and giving it new life with a color that suits the space. Painting also works well on a perfectly functional piece that simply needs a brighter, bolder finish. The new look helps older furniture fit naturally with the colors and style already used throughout your home. It is a practical update that delivers an attractive finish without requiring a lot of time or money.
Selecting Furniture and Colors
You can paint furniture already in your home or look for affordable pieces at vintage shops, estate sales, or flea markets. Real wood is ideal to paint because it holds primer and paint well resulting in a more lasting and higher quality finish, but I have also found good results with painting faux finishes. With a little bit of preparation, both surfaces can turn out beautiful. I like to use Kilz oil based primer on both wood and faux surfaces because it seals the existing finish and creates a reliable base for paint.
Latex wall paint works well for most furniture projects and offers plenty of paint color options. Most of my pieces were painted with Behr paint from Home Depot. I have used multiple finishes – a shinier finish shows more dents, brush marks, and surface imperfections. Before picking a color, pick up plenty of samples to compare and test a small area on the furniture piece if you’d like. Paint samples are also helpful in comparing the color of the furniture piece to the room color.
Prepping to Paint
Begin by wiping the furniture with a damp cloth, then sand it lightly by hand or with a hand sander. Once the original finish has been slightly dulled, wipe away dust particles with tack cloth for a smooth finish. A clean, lightly roughened surface gives the primer and paint a better finish. Use a high-quality brush around corners, edges, trim, and detailed areas, then use a small foam roller across drawer fronts, tabletops, cabinet sides, and other flat areas. Even the best paint will show debris or rough patches underneath, so a little bit of preparation goes a long way. Spray paint works well for hardware, but doesn’t wear well on actual furniture surfaces. Applying a light wax rub after the final coat of paint adds a little protection and creates a soft finish. I have used Minwax Finishing Wax with good results. One coat of primer and two coats of paint create the best coverage finish.
Painted Tables add Pops of Color
I bought a matching pair of nightstands from a used hotel furniture store when I was in college. They were originally gray, and my first update was another fresh coat of gray paint before using them in our guest bedroom. The neutral color made them useful as my style evolved.
As our home and color preferences evolved, I repainted them in a classic grass green and moved them into our sitting room as side tables. The room was otherwise neutral, so the green provided a fresh color palette update without changing the whole space. A nightstand or side table is a low-risk place to try painted furniture because the smaller scale makes a bold color easy to integrate with larger neutral pieces. Small tables are also easy to continue to update in the future. For more colorful decorating ideas, this sitting room decor post shows how the green side tables work with the room’s neutral furniture and finishes.
Painted Dressers for Bedrooms
The old dresser in this project was in my bedroom as a child. Its horizontal shape is timeless and functional for kids because the drawers are easy to reach. I painted it white for our nursery rather than replacing a piece that already offered the right storage and proportions for the space and our needs. This dresser worked so well as a changing table with a pad on top and is still in my daughters room.
Dressers have more visual weight than nightstands or accent tables, so color scheme has a bigger impact on the room. I prefer to keep larger pieces neutral for versatility so that I can move them between rooms. I used a warm white paint to refresh this dresser, while silver paint on the original wood knobs made the finish feel more current without changing its basic style.
Painted Console Tables for Entryways and Living Spaces
This console table began as a faux wood piece from Target. I love the shape and style, but original finish felt a little rustic for the direction my taste was moving. I wanted a bold focal moment, so I painted the old piece a coral red to add color and personality to our entryway. Because the surface was faux wood, a high-quality primer was important for this piece.
Console tables sit in high-visibility areas such as entryways, hallways, dining rooms, or behind sofas, making them great for a fun pop of color. The coral finish gave this pass-through piece more definition without filling the room with extra furniture. Decorative details like lamps, a wall mirror and accessories made the space feel complete.
Vintage Painted Children’s Furniture
An antique rocking chair was another piece I refreshed for my son’s room using the same preparation and painting method. The chair had good bones, was a solid wood piece, and an interesting shape that made it worth updating. A new share of navy blue coordinated with his room while preserving the details that gave it character. I also added a vinyl sticker with his initials to the top of it for a little character.
Older children’s furniture is a strong candidate for paint when the materials are real and the structure remains solid and functional. Look for vintage pieces with good lines, useful proportions, and details that newer furniture often lacks. Using a favorite color adds personality to a personal space while keeping the original form visible.
Selecting Colors for Painted Furniture
When selecting a paint color for a furniture piece, consider the style of the furniture and the way you want the piece to feel in the room. Deeper colors tend to look more classic and traditional, lighter shades soften heavier furniture, and brighter colors add more personality to pieces. The goal is to choose a color that complements the shape and style of the furniture piece itself and move the style of the room being updated in the right direction.
I have used a fresh coat of paint on headboards, desks, an old toy chest, and even an old kitchen table that was later repurposed as a side table. The best results come from focusing on vintage pieces that are not exposed to constant heavy use, since painted surfaces do not hold up as well as professionally finished pieces on something like an everyday kitchen table. Nightstands, dressers, console tables, side tables and children’s furniture have all proven to be fun and useful projects.
Colorful Painted Furniture Makeovers
Painted furniture is a practical way to update old furniture while adding color and personality to a room. The strongest furniture makeovers begin with a functional piece that already has a dedicated place in the room. A thoughtful color choice turns an older item into a beautiful piece at a fraction of the cost of buying something new. Small projects can be completed on a slow Saturday. The best painted furniture projects keep what already works in each piece and update it with a fun and functional finish that makes the whole space feel updated.
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