The ultimate guide to choosing the right Furniture Paint

There are so many different types of Furniture Paint.... Which one do I choose ?????

With spring properly here and the weather hopefully getting warmer, you might be thinking about doing something with that lovely Chest of Drawers you have inherited, or you may want just to change the furniture you already have to fit with your new décor!

You may be a little confused about all the different types of furniture paint there are! Choosing the right type of paint can not only be a bit of a minefield but can affect the overall success of your desired finish.

In this blog we will be exploring various types of furniture paint brands, types of paint and when to use them.

Once upon a time …… There was just a basic but fantastic Chalk Paint to use on furniture developed by Annie Sloan, but that has changed drastically and furniture paint has evolved to meet the requirements of ever changing trends, although chalk paint is still very much an important part of the choice we have.

What is Furniture Paint and why should I use it?

There are several reasons here! The main one being that the whole concept of Furniture paint is that it has been specially formulated to adhere to various surfaces, it supposedly needs minimal prep (although I disagree with this. If you want a long lasting finish then good preparation is key!) – It dries and cures fairly quickly (mostly!) and some are fantastic at helping you create a variety of artistic finishes on your furniture.

You could also use Emulsion Paint which is designed for interiors and comes with a variety of finishes – However, I have found that there tends to be a much longer dry and cure time and if using a finishing coat or wax, I would suggest that you need to be sure that these will work with interior paints as they have not been designed to go together and therefore it is potentially riskier.

Also, emulsion paints are designed to be hard wearing and have more acrylic in them, meaning they are not the best choice for creative finishes.

Anyway, in this blog I am concentrating on tried and tested furniture paint!

First up …..

Chalk Paint:

Chalk paint is such versatile option known for being easy to use, great for creating a vintage or distressed look effortlessly. It is made from a mixture of chalk, minerals, and pigments, provides great coverage on surfaces such as wood and metal. For a textured look it is perfect as well as for a variety of other finishes and it can be re-activated on the piece of furniture using water providing it has not been sealed. Chalk paint offers matte finish and can add a rustic or vintage feel to any piece of furniture.

It is important to note that chalk paint must be sealed. This can either be with wax which gives a stunning depth to the chalk paint colour, or a topcoat, as on its own it is not hard wearing, so if you are looking for minimal effort, then this may not be the choice for you.

Milk Paint:

Milk paint has been around for thousands of years, going back to as far as the Egyptians and Greeks. Made from all natural ingredients, it is another great paint for creating a vintage or weathered look and is fabulous for creative finishes. The finish that can be achieved with milk paint is unique but it like chalk paint does need to be finished with a sealer.

Best for:

Creative Finishes – Texture, Distressing, Water Spray, Layering – Just about everything!!

Brands I use:

My go to is

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I also love

Frenchic – The Artisan Range

Mineral Paint:

Generally made up of natural minerals and pigments, Mineral Paint gives a durable, hard-wearing finish since it can soak into porous surfaces. It is breathable allowing moisture to escape and is far more eco-friendly than regular emulsion paint.

It is worth investigating the actual paint brand as whilst ‘mineral paint’ does have a certain amount of versatility in how it can be used, there are so many different brands with different ingredients. Most are self levelling and self sealing, some have added acrylic, they can dry quickly and hard – great for providing a slight sheen and a modern super smooth finish and for those who are time poor as no sealer is required but it is more difficult to use these paints for creative finishes. Having said that, they can be distressed or used for a blended effect, but it is not possible to reactivate most of the ones I am talking about with water once dried – I tend to only use chalk paint when I want to be more creative as I know I won’t run into problems!

Most mineral paints work amazingly with metallics over them and for added protection or another type of decorative finish, these paints can be finished with wax or a liquid sealer, although this is not necessary as there is already a self-sealing element to it.

Best of all, this paint just needs to be wiped clean with a damp cloth to clean!

Best for: A modern super smooth finish, minimal work, – high traffic areas

Brands I use:

Fusion Mineral Paint – Contains acrylic

Sophie James Décor Paint – (I have only recently discovered this paint and I love it!) - Mineral paint that is self priming, contains a built in wax and 3 different resins

Wise Owl – A chalk synthesis paint – clay based

Frenchic Alfresco – Chalk and Mineral paint – Very hard wearing – does not contain acrylic

Frenchic Lazy Range – Chalk and Mineral paint – contains wax – self levelling and self sealing

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Conclusion:

So, to sum up ….. You really do have a huge choice when it comes to choosing furniture paint.

Rest assured that nowadays all these paints are eco-friendly with low or no VOC’s, they are water based, easy to use and there is something for every preferred style.

Hopefully that has helped a bit in terms of thinking about which paint to use on your furniture and I do just have to point out that the brands I have discussed are just the ones that I really enjoy using. There are many other brands out there and I am sure they are all just as good as these ones!

Happy painting!!!