New Paint Ideas for Redoing Furniture

Try some new refinishing ideas to bring an old table, chair, headboard or bedroom vanity to life. Some of the techniques that have been around for a long time can be approached with new color variations and tools. It's fun to be inventive when you're redoing your furniture. Does this Spark an idea?

Gold Metallic Paint

If you have a carved wood mirror frame, or if you simply like the appearance of gold leaf, apply a look-alike to a wooden frame. Buy some gold metallic paint and apply it to furniture trim, according to the directions. Or, paint the frame black and apply gold metallic paint with an artist's paintbrush to the more prominent carved features. Paint a side table with black paint, and use a small paintbrush to tip the edges with gold metallic paint. Consider painting only the thinnest edge of the table, or apply a small stenciling pattern to the edge and use gold or silver spray paint to create the design.

Faux Denim

It might seem a odd at first, but a faux-denim finish on a chest of drawers, a rustic armoire or a blanket box will capture that comfortable blue jeans look we've come to love. To get the look, apply a pale blue or white base coat, and let it dry. Make a glaze with denim blue colored paint, one part paint to four parts clear glaze. Roll it on, and immediately follow with a painter's brush, creating thread-like streaks. Repeat with the painter's brush in a horizontal fashion. See Resources for more information about this technique.

Copper Patina

Apply a faux copper finish to a coffee table or side table top, or to drawer fronts, as accents. Paint the base in a black or turquoise. Paint the top a deep shade of dark brown or black. Purchase a container of turquoise paint and a container of metallic gold or bronze paint. Pour the turquoise paint into a paint tray. Dip a damp sea sponge into the paint, rub off the excess and apply it to the surface in a random pattern. Allow it to dry. Repeat this process with the gold or bronze metallic paint to create a mottled copper patina finish.

Spray Paint and Paint Pens

Paint your furniture in the color of your choice, and apply free-form designs with decorative paint pens. Paint a phrase calligraphy-style in metallic lettering on black bench, a white vanity mirror, a chair or workbench. Stain a wood chair that has carved detail stain, and let it dry. Lightly spray the carved sections with black spray paint, and quickly wipe the painted areas with a cotton rag, removing the paint from the more prominent features to create an aged, antique look.