I’m so excited about today’s post because I have been wanting to highlight some really amazing and beautiful DIY techniques for revamping furniture with paint. Â I continue to stay amazed by all of the talented bloggers who come up with these techniques and then transform furniture in new amazing ways.
I have four gorgeous finishes/treatments that I’m sharing today, so let’s jump right in!
Flawless Matte Finishes
One of the most popular trends right now for painting furniture are smooth and flawless matte finishes.  I shared a tutorial for how I get my finish here but one of my favorite projects out there is from The Richmond Thrifter.  She transformed this fabulous highboy by simply using standard Behr enamel paint in a flat finish:
Source: The Richmond Thrifter
The finish on this piece is so smooth and it really became extraordinary simply by veering off of the normal semi gloss paint route and trying a flat finish. Â Here is a closeup:
Source: The Richmond Thrifter
This piece looks like she paid a fortune but you really won’t believe what she paid at a thrift store. Â Â You can check out this awesome before and after transformation here at The Richmond Thrifter.
Add a Touch of Gold
Another favorite trend that’s really popular is adding touches of gold to furniture. Â There are so many cool (and easy) ways that I have seen people highlight carved areas or ridges with touches of gold. Â One of my favorite tutorials is from Kate at Centsational Girl where she simply uses a dry brush technique using Rub n Buff to highlight a carved area on a beautiful console that she revamped:
Source: Centsational Girl
Just a touch of gold to highlight a carving or a design in the wood can instantly update a piece.
Linda from the blog Calling It Home had a smart idea to use a gold leaf paint pen to add a touch of gold on the ridge of this beautiful wall table:
Source: Calling It Home
Such a smart idea to use a gold leaf pen! To see Linda’s tutorial for this side table revamp, you can find it here at Calling It Home.
Chalky Finishes Using Homemade Recipes
Chalk paint finishes have been super popular for quite awhile now and it’s been so fun watching this finish really evolve. Â As people master painting with chalk type paints, many have venturing off to manipulate the end finish by mixing their own ingredients/recipes to improve the finish. Â One of my favorite tutorials for a really unique chalky finish and recipe was shared by Rosemary from the blog Villa Barnes. Â Rosemary mixes up an amazing “Gesso Wash” that results in a unbelievable smooth chalky finish:
Source: Villabarnes
When I saw Rosemary’s finish and read the background on this finish and her tutorial, my jaw just dropped to the floor. Â It’s so smooth and old world looking and Rosemary makes it so easy. Â Here it is up close:
Source: Villabarnes
I can’t wait to try this mix and thanks to Rosemary and her thorough instructions and background, this will not be difficult.  You can check out Rosemary’s tutorial and recipe here at Villabarnes.
Magic of Milk Paint
Back in August, I did a whole post on how much I have fallen in love with milk paint and how to use it.  I wanted to learn as much as I could about it because it’s become such a popular paint and technique right now and the more I learn about it, the more I understand why people love are loving it so much:
Marian from the blog Miss Mustard Seed has made this finish and paint so popular and her work is truly so special. Â Marian has a line of milk paint products and has done endless tutorials on her blog sharing the various ways and techniques to using this paint on furniture like this:
Source: Miss Mustard Seed
Marian makes it so easy and has endless guidance on how to use this paint and it’s a great way to turn an old piece of furniture into something really incredible. You can find Marian (aka Miss Mustard Seed) on her blog here.
I could go on and on because there are so many amazing tutorials and techniques floating around Blogland but I think I will stop here for now. Â I try and keep up with these unique finishes and tutorials on my DIY Paint Treatment Board on Pinterest here if you want to find more creative ways to revamp and update a piece furniture.
Thanks for hanging out with me today and if you happened to miss last week’s Paint It Monday, Popular Paint Colors on Pinterest (say that 10 times fast), you can get to it by clicking the image below:
Cheers!
Cyndy
Megan @ Our Pinteresting Family says
I have to give milk paint a try again. I did not have a good experience with it the first time around. I guess the whole mixing it myself threw me off. 🙂
Cyndy says
Yes Megan, it’s a very different consistency than paint and I think that’s where people get thrown off. If you can get it to the consistency of like puree-ing tomatoes, you’re there. It’s really like a liquid stain. Once you get the consistency down and how to layer it, you should love it!
Thanks Megan for stopping by!
Rosemary says
Hi Cyndy. Thanks so much for your compliments, and featuring my gesso tutorial. I hope you give it a try. Remember, have fun with the process.
Cyndy says
Adore you Rosemary and love your gesso tutorial. I certainly will try and thank you so much for all of your inspiration and great projects! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Gretchen says
Thank you so much for your posts about painting furniture. I’m about to take on several furniture painting projects in my own home, and I wouldn’t even know where to begin without your ‘tutorials’. So THANK YOU! I hope they turn out as pretty as yours!