Many designers recommend painting old furniture for a new look. And paint can do wonders to unify mismatched pieces, or to help old pieces look fresh. This section will share just a few of the decorative painting and decoupage projects I’ve done to date. Maybe they’ll even inspire ideas for your own home!

 

When I plan to paint furniture, I really do try to find pieces that are either newer, or are vintage but have enough damage to the veneer that paint becomes logical over restoration. I love watching TV home design programs that transform pieces with paint-- but I also love shows like Antiques Roadshow and BBC America’s Cash in the Attic which demonstrate why we should all have a healthy respect for a good wood finish. So I experience anxiety attacks-- shouting futile, desperate warnings at the TV-- when I see designers potentially devaluing antique furniture by slapping the ol’ paint around. Just use paint with restraint: that’s my motto.

 

That said, there are plenty of fine candidates in any thrift store, yard sale or flea market for a good paint job. And the projects featured here were done on either furniture store clearance center items, or vintage pieces that just needed lotsa love. Click a link to learn more about each project.