Decorating
How Painting One Piece of Furniture Can Transform a Room
Take the sweat out of a whole room revamp: ring the changes by painting one piece of furniture in a bold colour instead
A white or neutral scheme is all well and good, but it can run the risk of being rather bland. However, it does make the perfect blank canvas for splashing on a little colour – ‘little’ being the operative word if you use it on just one piece of furniture. Go for a bold shade to make the biggest impression.
Revamp a chest of drawers
Whether your chest of drawers is a bespoke find like this one, a battered old boot fair buy or a cheap laminated piece that everyone knows you bought in a DIY warehouse, a lick of paint (and, while you’re at it, a set of new knobs or handles) can give it a new lease of life. Deep blue is a great contrast for textured, natural finishes, such as wood or stone.
Whether your chest of drawers is a bespoke find like this one, a battered old boot fair buy or a cheap laminated piece that everyone knows you bought in a DIY warehouse, a lick of paint (and, while you’re at it, a set of new knobs or handles) can give it a new lease of life. Deep blue is a great contrast for textured, natural finishes, such as wood or stone.
Modernise an antique
Antique furniture adds instant character to a space, but lots of it in one room can make it feel fusty. So why not paint one piece in a zingy shade and set it against the backdrop of your muted colour scheme?
Acid tones are perfect for this, with a citrus yellow like this one being an on-trend colour for the year ahead (just Google Pantone’s ‘Meadowlark’ shade for more on this).
Antique furniture adds instant character to a space, but lots of it in one room can make it feel fusty. So why not paint one piece in a zingy shade and set it against the backdrop of your muted colour scheme?
Acid tones are perfect for this, with a citrus yellow like this one being an on-trend colour for the year ahead (just Google Pantone’s ‘Meadowlark’ shade for more on this).
Go eclectic
Considering painting wooden or metal dining chairs? Don’t do all the seats around the table in the same colour. Painting just one or two in a bright shade and leaving the rest natural will give your kitchen-diner a cool vintage vibe. Like the effect? Carry the paint colour through to accent a couple of other elements, too.
Mismatched or matching dining chairs – which would you go for?
Considering painting wooden or metal dining chairs? Don’t do all the seats around the table in the same colour. Painting just one or two in a bright shade and leaving the rest natural will give your kitchen-diner a cool vintage vibe. Like the effect? Carry the paint colour through to accent a couple of other elements, too.
Mismatched or matching dining chairs – which would you go for?
Scale it down
Got half an hour to spare? You needn’t paint big pieces of furniture to make an impression – even a small item, such as this tiny bedside table, painted to tone with the cushions on the bed, can make a big impression –and pull a whole room scheme together. Better still, you’ll only have to buy a sample pot to get the job done.
Got half an hour to spare? You needn’t paint big pieces of furniture to make an impression – even a small item, such as this tiny bedside table, painted to tone with the cushions on the bed, can make a big impression –and pull a whole room scheme together. Better still, you’ll only have to buy a sample pot to get the job done.
Get creative with stencils
If painting furniture is something you’ve become quite adept at, it’s time to get a little more creative with some multi-coloured, patterned or stencilled pieces. Use oil-based paints for a lasting finish, or choose water-based ones (which dry more quickly) and top them off with a tough, low-sheen varnish.
Which type of paint should I use for which job?
If painting furniture is something you’ve become quite adept at, it’s time to get a little more creative with some multi-coloured, patterned or stencilled pieces. Use oil-based paints for a lasting finish, or choose water-based ones (which dry more quickly) and top them off with a tough, low-sheen varnish.
Which type of paint should I use for which job?
Rethink the kitchen
If yours is an all-white, all-cream or all-grey kitchen, painting a unit or two in a bold colour will give the whole room a smart new look.
Choose an elegant, easy-to-live-with shade, such as blue, that complements the style of the units and can easily be carried through to accessories, such as table runners or china.
If yours is an all-white, all-cream or all-grey kitchen, painting a unit or two in a bold colour will give the whole room a smart new look.
Choose an elegant, easy-to-live-with shade, such as blue, that complements the style of the units and can easily be carried through to accessories, such as table runners or china.
Boost the bathroom
A pale, neutral colour scheme makes perfect sense in a bathroom, where good light is a must-have. This means introducing a bold colour needs to be done carefully – and sparingly. So where to put it? The underside of a roll-top bath tub is the perfect place, making the bath the centre of attention.
The rich, elegant red chosen for this bath adds depth and drama without clashing with the grown-up aesthetic of the room. Remember, it’ll be about more than just choosing a complementary colour – think about how to match the mood, too.
A pale, neutral colour scheme makes perfect sense in a bathroom, where good light is a must-have. This means introducing a bold colour needs to be done carefully – and sparingly. So where to put it? The underside of a roll-top bath tub is the perfect place, making the bath the centre of attention.
The rich, elegant red chosen for this bath adds depth and drama without clashing with the grown-up aesthetic of the room. Remember, it’ll be about more than just choosing a complementary colour – think about how to match the mood, too.
Break up fitted wardrobes
A run of all-white or all-wood fitted wardrobes can be monotonous, so why not paint yours to create a feature wall? Here, a sponged, blended effect takes the wardrobes from pale pink through dark pink to a glowing ochre, making the previously all-white bedroom a warm, welcoming space.
A run of all-white or all-wood fitted wardrobes can be monotonous, so why not paint yours to create a feature wall? Here, a sponged, blended effect takes the wardrobes from pale pink through dark pink to a glowing ochre, making the previously all-white bedroom a warm, welcoming space.
Spray a headboard
A plain, cheap pine headboard or an upcycled vintage one like this can be made to look much more sophisticated with a quick paint makeover. For best effect, use a spray paint to reach all the nooks and crannies of a detailed piece like this; for larger, flatter items, apply an oil-based paint with a small sponge roller.
What have you painted in your home and how does it look? Share a photo – or tell us what you might be inspired to paint – in the Comments section.
A plain, cheap pine headboard or an upcycled vintage one like this can be made to look much more sophisticated with a quick paint makeover. For best effect, use a spray paint to reach all the nooks and crannies of a detailed piece like this; for larger, flatter items, apply an oil-based paint with a small sponge roller.
What have you painted in your home and how does it look? Share a photo – or tell us what you might be inspired to paint – in the Comments section.
Repainting a whole table – top and all – takes a lot of elbow grease, paint and upkeep. Painting just the legs makes a big impression, looks much more interesting, and takes half the time. The paint shade you use depends on how formal you want the room to look: choose bold, sunny colours for a breakfast room, while more muted tones may work well for a dining room.