How To Get The Best Finish Spray Painting Wood Furniture

Honestly, my husband has the patience of a saint. He never knows what treasure I might find on the side of the road and bring home. Over the years I’ve brought home nightstands, bar stools, a dining room table, and even a dresser. All free and with a little elbow grease and paint I’ve transformed them into unique one of a kind pieces that cost next to nothing. This time I spied a beautiful solid wood roller chair with a free sign taped to it. It’s almost impossible for me to pass up free stuff, but it can’t be junk.

It’s a solid wood roller chair in excellent condition and my only complaint is the color. You may think spray painting a wood chair would produce a cheap looking piece of furniture but I’ve had excellent results with other pieces so I knew I could transform this chair so it would work beautifully with my decor.

Instead of replacing solid wood furniture, transform it and give it new life. Let’s face it, some of the newer furniture is made with inexpensive particle board or MDF wood and won’t hold up nearly as well as some of the older pieces made from solid wood. Older pieces are held together with wooden dowels and dovetailed connections versus being screwed, stapled or nailed together. Not only is it not as well made, it will probably cost you an arm and a leg! For the cost of a sheet of sandpaper and a couple cans of spray paint you can update a well constructed older piece and have it for many years to come for just a few dollars and an afternoon of your time.

I love spray painting just about anything; chairs, lamps, side tables. The trick to making different pieces all work together in your home is to pick a color and use the same color on all your pieces. Even if the styles are different they will work well together when painted the same color. The color unifies everything so that you create an eclectic but cohesive, pulled together look.

Several pieces of furniture in my home have wrought iron embellishments and I found this Anodized Bronze color from Rust-oleum works beautifully with the rich wood tones and wrought iron embellishments in my home. It’s a warm gray color that looks contemporary and updated; not cold, institutional, or harsh.

For the best results you will need to lightly sand the piece. I know, sanding is no fun, but you won’t need to spend hours sanding, you just want to rough up the surface a little so the paint sticks better. Concentrate on the areas that are going to get the most wear and tear, like the seat and the backrest.

Use a damp towel to wipe off any dust and let the piece dry before proceeding.

Tape off any parts that you don’t want to paint with painters tape.

Place the chair on a tarp, upside down.

Spray the piece using thin coats; allowing the paint to dry for at least 30 minutes in between each coat of paint. For a professional finish you want to avoid heavy coats that will produce drips in the finish. Take your time, do 2-3 thin coats instead of one heavy coat until you have full even coverage and no wood tone peeks through.

Flip the piece over and spray paint the top using 2-3 thin coats of paint; allowing each coat to dry before spraying with another coat.

Allow piece to dry completely for a few hours and then remove the painters tape.

I used this same technique to refinish my dining room chairs over 5 years ago, and they’ve held up beautifully. I’ve had no issues with the painted finish flaking off.

I’m so pleased with how this chair turned out. The contemporary color has given this chair a new lease on life. It’s a lovely contrast to the wood desk, looks great with the wrought iron hardware on the drawers and it blends beautifully with the dining room chairs I painted in the same color several years ago.

Instead of tossing out older wood pieces of furniture, give them a new life with a coat of paint. You will be amazed at how paint can absolutely transform a piece. It’s a great way to keep stuff out of our landfills and it will save you a ton of cash refinishing those dated pieces. Give it a try. What have you got to lose other than a few dollars for a couple cans of spray paint and an afternoon of your time?

Did You Try This?

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