Posted by Frenchic Admin
How to paint IKEA furniture successfully – 3 tips
Painting IKEA furniture and other pieces is an easy way to add personality to your home.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect paint shade, a striking statement piece, or want to give an old piece of furniture a makeover, a little paint can work wonders. You can choose a color for painting your furniture from any Frenchic range!
The Ivar cabinet in the picture is painted in the Victory Lane shade.
Before you pick up a paintbrush, check out these tips for a professional finish
1. Careful preparation ensures success
The importance of preparation cannot be overstated. Although IKEA furniture often looks neat straight out of the box, its surface is usually smooth and even slightly waxy, so paint won’t adhere without proper preparation. Without cleaning and sanding, the paint can easily chip and peel off.
Start by cleaning the furniture thoroughly.
Frenchic Sugar Soap cleaner is perfect for this, as it effectively removes dust, grease, and fingerprints. Even if the furniture is new, cleaning is an important step.
When the furniture is dry, lightly sand the surface with 120-grit sandpaper. The aim is not to remove the old finish, but to create a rough surface that the paint will adhere to better. So avoid sanding too much. Finally, remove the dust with a damp cloth.
2. Less is more: “regular” coats of paint: test first
When painting, remember to test both the paint and your tools first, so you can get a feel for them and achieve the result you want.
Frenchic paints do not need to be thinned. Coats that are too thin dry too quickly, while coats that are too thick dry slowly. Less is more. A coat that is too thick can cause drips, streaks, and visible brush marks. You’ll get a better result with normal, even coats of paint.
The result rewards you with its smoothness and polished appearance.
3. Lightly sand between coats
A perfectly smooth, flawless finish is achieved by sanding between coats. Use fine-grit sandpaper, for example 240-grit, and lightly sand the surface by hand. This removes any unevenness and provides a good surface for the next coat to adhere to.
Remember to remove the dust with a damp cloth before the next coat of paint (only once the previous coat is completely dry).
Although this step may feel like extra work, it has a significant impact on the final result.
The Kallax shelf in the picture is painted in the shade Last Dance, as is the wall.
With these three tips, you can turn IKEA furniture into striking, unique interior design pieces
Read more about painting laminate furniture here.
So remember: thorough preparation, thin coats of paint, and light sanding between coats.
The result is worth the effort and gives your old furniture a new lease on life!
