Vintage Furniture
HOW TO:
Choose the Right Paint for
Your Furniture Project
Got an old armoire or dining room chairs aching for a makeover?
Pick your paint and get to work, whether you’re prep-averse or immune to fumes.
Paint type Prep work
Annie Sloan Chalk
Paint, available at
Sea Rose Cottage,
Bristol, searose
cottage.com,
$36.95 per quart Minimal; no need None
to sand or strip.
A quick dusting
and spot cleaning
will do.
Priming
Water-based paint Stripping, sanding Acrylic primer
and cleaning.
(latex), available
at most hardware
stores and big
boxes.
Oil-based paint,
available at most
hardware stores
and big boxes.
Stripping, sanding Oil-based primer
and cleaning.
(24-hour dry
time)
Painting Finish Biggest pros Biggest cons
Two coats with a
chalk paint brush
or standard brush
(we like Purdy). Optional; use a
wax brush to buff
in a wax topcoat
for a touch of
shine. Very little prep
and quick dry
time for impatient
DIYers. The finish isn’t as
durable, but one
person’s shabby
is another’s chic.
Use a polycrylic
Three or four
coats with a foam protective finish.
roller; sand with a
fine grit between
coats. It’s affordable and
customizable. It’s
also easy to work
with and cleans
up with soap. The extended
cure time; handle
furniture with
care at least
30 days after
painting.
Two coats with a
foam roller.
Use an oil-based
finish.
The finish is super The fumes are
durable and easy hazardous.
to clean.
Messes require
paint thinner to
clean up.
❋ Check out your neighborhood Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStore or Saver’s
for affordable — and often high-quality — furniture for your next paint project.
Did you know?
The Victorian-era furniture in Fall River’s infamous
Lizzie Borden House got a museum-worthy makeover by local upholsterer, Bob Frances
Interiors. Visit rimonthly.com/lizzie-borden-house-revamp to read all about it.
48 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l
MARCH 2020