7 Fresh Furniture Painting Ideas

Over the years I have painted more pieces of furniture than I ever dreamed I would. In fact, if you come to my house on any given day, I am sure you will find something being painted at our house. Paint is such an inexpensive way to add new life to furniture!

Just to illustrate my point, here are two pieces that I just did for our bedroom. I loved the bones of these dressers, but hated the light pine color. I painted these white, slightly distressed them, spray painted the hardware, and and then sealed them. Isn’t it amazing how even a simple can of white paint can do so much for an old piece?

Today I wanted to share some ways that you can add a fresh new look on a furniture piece from Goodwill. Often when we see pieces, we can’t see the true potential in them if they are dated, mismatched, or distressed. It can be challenging to look at each piece as something full of possibilities.

Here are some great ways to bring tired furniture to life, to create the optical illusion of sets of furniture, and some really great new ways I have found to experiment with new painting techniques.

Create a Set With Paint

When you visit the store you may find that you can only find one or two of an item which can be a challenge when you are looking for multiples of something, like seating. Consider painting all of the items in one color to create the illusion of a set that is both unique and whimsical. I love this set of beautiful yellow chairs that were showcased on A Beautiful Mess as a perfect example of mismatched fun brought cohesively together with one paint color.

Try Painting Upholstery

Did you know that you can even paint an upholstered chair with fabric paint? Over on Pinterest Addict you can see how Tulip Spray Paint can transform an upholstered chair. Although this project cost $35 in supplies, the cost is far less than it would be to have the chair reupholstered and you can update the arms and legs of the chair with a couple of coats of fresh & shiny paint. I absolutely love this fabulous teal chair and wish I could put it in my house! 

Dip Them in Metallics

If there is one trend I am really loving it is the mix of metallics and the effect of paint dipped legs on chairs and tables. Honeybear Lane shows how she combined these two trends and refreshed a pair of tired barstools into a thing of beauty with a bright raspberry paint & beautiful gold spray paint.  Those before pictures really show how much paint can bring an old or dated piece to life.

Try Stripping Your Furniture

Stripping furniture can be a time-consuming process, but worth it if you want that beautiful natural wood to pull through on a design. Liz Marie shows off a beautiful piece (you must peek at her before pictures) that she wanted to create by painting just the outline of the dresser and leaving those drawers in their natural wood state. The deep rich stain makes this a very show worthy piece!

Add an Embossed Detail

Stenciling is back and better than ever with modern and edgy designs. Embossing is a technique that I have tried with paper crafts, but never knew that you could do the same thing on a piece of furniture. As Tiny Sidekick illustrates in her embossing furniture tutorial, the trick is to keep moving that heat to help keep the paint job underneath intact.

I am so inspired by this that I can’t wait to give it a try in our house!

Try A Fresh Coat of Spray Paint

Spray painting furniture can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. The nice thing about spray paint is the quick coverage you can do with it and the distressing that can be done after so that you don’t have a one-dimensional finish. I experimented with spray paint and a dark stain on a side table and loved the results. With a little distressing, no one would ever guess how you painted it. Refresh Restyle shows you how to apply paint with a sprayer and then adds a little distressing to her dining chairs. The speed of this project really appeals to me!

See The Potential In EVERYTHING

Sometimes it is hard to see the potential in pieces and we give them away or pass on them when we see them in the store. This beautiful mid century modern dresser on Sunflower Hugs showcases a piece that had been kicked to the curb that she was able to make brand new again with a little paint and hardware updating. Now this looks like a piece that you purchase from the West Elm catalog with just a little elbow-grease and a vision for what to do with something no one else wanted.

I hope that this article inspires you to start hunting for new pieces for your space and that you can begin seeing the potential in things you have never noticed before! 

8 Fun Dresser Makeover Ideas

I have so much fun gathering up ideas for repurposing items on the Goodwill Tips Blog and look forward to showcasing these ideas for you each month. Today’s post is all about a furniture staple…the dresser. I have gathered 8 fun ways you can you can makeover a Goodwill dresser that I know you will want to run right out and find this thrift store gem to create a new fun piece in your home. In fact, I can’t wait to snag a dresser myself so I can implement these ideas in my own home.

Create a Unique Kitchen Island

Kitchen islands can be quite pricey, but they don’t need to be. A dresser can be made over into the perfect kitchen island for your home with a fresh coat of paint. A kitchen island made from a dresser offers ample storage for table linens and silverware as well as a generous top for a cutting board, fruit bowl, or cake stand. I love this beautiful mint green kitchen island made from a dresser by You’re So Martha

Make a Cute Dog Bed from a Drawer

As we showed off last month in our suitcase makeover piece, cute dog and kitty beds are all the rage and can be styled to match the interior of your home. DIY Show Off takes it to another level with an adorable detachable parasol that offers your pooch shade in the summer months. If you spy a dresser that isn’t in the best of shape at Goodwill,  don’t dismiss the piece. Dresser drawers are just as valuable for fun DIY projects. Dare I say, in fact, sometimes even more fun than finishing an entire dresser piece?  I adore this DIY dog bed and the adorable details for your fashionable 4-legged friends. 

Make a DIY Costume Closet

Who knew girls came with so many costumes? When my daughter was small, our dress-up clothes resided in a drawer in her room that often exploded all over her floor. I love the idea of creating a space just for these outfits and Rambling Renovators made a DIY Costume Closet out of an old dresser that is just too adorable for words. I particularly love that there is a mirror on the side for a quick costume check and that there is storage for jewels and footwear. The floral wrapping paper interior also adds a special girly touch that any little girl would flip for. This is a DIY-must for moms of girls!

Create a Planting Station

Although I was not blessed with a green thumb, I do have an appreciation for beautiful pieces that add beauty & function to our outdoor living. Although I couldn’t find the source for this image, I just had to share this fun idea for a way you could transform a mirrored dresser into a planting station.  
By adding peg board to the mirror stand, you now have the perfect storage for your gardening tools. The top is the perfect stop for planting, or even for decorating outdoors. The drawers make ideal storage for items like seed packets, small pots, gardening gloves, and your gardening cushion. 

Turn It Into a Vanity 

As we have found with our sixties home, bathroom renovations can be expensive even with the most basic of remodels. Have you ever considered a dresser the perfect source for a vanity? I know I hadn’t until I saw this incredible DIY Vanity made from a thrift store dresser from An Oregon Cottage
The best part is that you can customize this to the size of your home, add a splash of color (or not), and a scratched-up tabletop basically disappears once you insert your sink. How fabulous is that? 

Create Unique Storage 

Storage is always something I am thinking about and I love the idea of using dresser drawers for storage particularly in a guest room. Liz Marie shows off her two beautiful drawers that have been stenciled with numbers as storage underneath the bed. I can picture spare linens in here, a few basic toiletries, or even reading material for a rainy day. Again, look at the bones of the pieces and find what is in the best condition and most valuable to you for your project needs. This is a perfect example of an element you can use from a furniture piece. 

Put a Number On It

Numbering things continues to be a trend and one simple addition that you can add to a dresser is numbering whether it is stenciled, applying house numbers, or getting creative with paint. I love this modern dresser makeover with fresh white paint and modern numbers on each drawer from Cozy.Cottage.Cute.
Speaking of numbers, I am also madly in love with this numbered dresser that your child’s date of birth on it. I found this adorable idea on To London With Love and it makes me want to do this adorable idea on a dresser for my kids. What kid wouldn’t love to see his birthday everyday and what mom wouldn’t feel nostalgic every time she went into her child’s room. I adore this! 

Add Unique Hardware

For today’s final idea, I love the idea of looking for unique hardware made from other items you might find at Goodwill. merrythought showcases a beautiful masculine detail on this dresser makeover utilizing leather belts for drawer pulls. The same idea could be used with leather pieces from purses or purse straps too. I love that this is such a simple detail, but can transform a dresser into a real showpiece.

Have you ever made over a dresser from Goodwill? We’d love to hear about it!