Paint Treatments for Old Furniture

Prepping the Furniture

• The basis for any good paint treatment is a good prep-job. Regardless of what treatment you'll be applying, a well-prepped surface is vital to ensuring the best painting results.

  You'll want to remove any existing paint by applying methylene chloride paint remover with a standard paintbrush, as recommended by the DIY Network. This type of paint remover also will work for removing glossy finishes on unpainted wooden furniture. If you simply paint over the existing layers of color, you won't get as good of paint coverage, and your final paint treatment will not look very appealing. Make sure you work in a well-ventilated area when using paint removers and other paint products capable of producing noxious fumes.

  Scrape the furniture's surface with a putty knife after the methylene chloride paint remover has dissolved the existing layers of paint. Use protective rubber gloves to avoid getting any of the paint remover on your hands.

  With old furniture, another major concern is dings and scratches. You can buff out smaller scuffs with 100 grit sandpaper. For larger gouges, fill the surface using stainable wood filler and a putty knife.

  Finally, a layer of primer finishes your prep work. Paint treatments applied to unprimed surfaces will not show as brightly or last as long.

Treating the Furniture

• Paint treatments vary depending on what sort of look you want to achieve. They all, however, have one obvious similarity. Each treatment utilizes paint and paintbrushes, so stock up before you start.

  For a natural, wood-toned treatment, simply paint on a thin layer of clear coat. HGTV's website explains that many would-be paint projects turn into rustic wood pieces when the do-it-yourselfer sees how beautiful the wood tones are underneath existing paint.

  A simple, monochromatic paint treatment is good for a modern, clean-cut look. The basic concept of this treatment is pretty self-explanatory, involving a single color painted over the entire piece of furniture. Small tweaks to this general idea, however, can add extra visual interest for anybody who enjoys more eclectic furniture. Try painting most of the furniture in one solid color, but then embellish it with small lines of contrasting color near the edges or hardware for a hand-crafted, custom look. If the furniture has carved or engraved elements, consider filling in this detail work with a different color for further contrast.

  For an even bolder look, scenic paint treatments are a great option. Though this type of treatment appears complicated, stencils make it easy for even a novice DIY enthusiast to add a decorative image to an old piece of furniture. Large stencils, available at many crafts stores, allow for relatively complex designs to be easily painted onto large pieces of furniture, such as dressers or bookshelves. Smaller stencils can be used to spice up the seat or backrest of chairs and benches.