Painted furniture - on the way out?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Our bedroom furniture was bought with wedding present money so was waxed pine (as was the fashion at the time). We also have an antique oak tall chest of drawers in the room that was originally a very dark stain but we had stripped and then waxed to a light oak. For a good while, I have been thinking it all looks quite dated, but it's good, solid functional furniture so I'm loath to get rid, especially as we could only afford poorer quality stuff to replace it.

I'm considering painting it, but a little worried the Annie Sloan look is on the way out and it will look just as dated in a couple of years! In fact, maybe waxed pine will have come round again by then. Any thoughts? Or other suggestions? I don't like dark-stained furniture unless the house it's in has the manor-house proportions to set it off (ours doesn't.)

[Chillisauce]

I don't think it's on it's way out. The good thing about painting is if it's a good solid piece you can just repaint if you decide to change your look.

For example. I have a Welsh dresser, it's all shabby chic cream and is 'distressed' I'm going to change it a bit for our next house and go French Grey. Then in 10 years when it all changes all paint it back

[BreakOutTheKaraoke]

I disagree, and think it is on the way out- the market is completely saturated with it. In your shoes though, I would just suck it up and paint, you've got nothing to lose anyway, and can maybe get another year or two out of it.

[SunshineOutdoors]

I hope it's not on the way out, all I can afford is cheaply made flat pack tat or solid wood furniture with scratched, faded, dark veneer/varnish that I then sand and paint to all match. Not shabby chic, distressed style but just a few coats of paint. Have got some lovely furniture stupidly cheap and really well made.

[Namechangearoonie123]

Paint it. It's not on it's way out and even if the brown Furniture miraculously came into fashion in 10 years you could just have it dipped to remove the paint for about the same cost as a pot of paint.

In the last 15 years my dresser has been stencilled, plain white, cottagey cream and now a French Grey. Takes half an hour to paint and costs a fiver.

[Selks]

I think the distressed paint look is very much old hat now, but painted furniture per se is not out of fashion and I can see it being around a good while longer.

[Timeforabiscuit]

More importantly though - what do you actually like?

Maybe it just needs a thorough clean and fresh wax ?

The smell of wax alone would tempt me

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

I actually do like the waxed oak (the pine not so much) but it does scream early nineties to me now, no matter how I paint the room or dress the bed. I also like French grey and cream painted furniture - not distressed but with the matt chalky look, but I'm not sure it's 'me' and does seem to be everywhere I look - there are even several folk selling up cycled painted stuff on FB locally - which in my experience means everyone will be sick of it soon. I don't know how much I care about fashion but I will be mightily hacked off if I sand and paint three chests of drawers, a blanket box, a double bedstead and a wardrobe and have to do the whole lot again in a year or two!

[Namechangearoonie123]

Don't sand, there's no need. I just Annie sloan it and if I can be faffed wax after.

It's really quick and easy.

[Chillisauce]

Have a look on Pinterest, great ideas on there for stuff like this. I'm not great at thinking of design stuff but great at copying!

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Ooh, thanks Namechange, I didn't realise I could paint straight onto it. That definitely sounds quicker and easier than I thought (bitter recollection of sanding garden furniture set which took days and looked lovely for one summer before it rotted and fell to bits!)

[AWombWithoutARoof]

I have a similar dilemma with my house, orangey knotty pine everywhere (skirting, banisters) but I know painting it white would take forever! Pine is awful unless you're building a sauna.

[deepest]

Be brave - paint it a colour YOU like....you dont like pine, you dont like distressed - doesnt sound that you even like French Grey - as you are worried that it will be out of fashion in a few years there is a whole rainbow to explore and all the shades in between if all the bits are in your room tho I would NOT do them all one colour - maybe different tones or contrasting tones - if you like the oak leave it collect a mood board or look at pintrest...

[ShoeWhore]

I've painted a few bits but I just did it in paint colours I like - that whole shabby chic thing doesn't really work with the rest of my furniture anyway - it's a lot less obviously trendy and so I don't think will date so much.

It just looks like lovely bits of old furniture painted in cool colours

eg I have a tall narrow chest of drawers painted in a similar colour to this (I colour matched it to a cushion I loved) and some bookshelves in this colour (much nicer in real life).

My friend has a lovely old chest of drawers painted in the most amazing raspberry pink colour. They look stunning.

[Selks]

I think it's what you do with it that counts. I love this dark blue painted cabinet, for example. The yellow vase and things bring it to life.

[ShoeWhore]

Yes that's exactly the kind of thing I mean selks - it's loads more interesting than the more ubiquitous look, isn't it?

[NotAnotherNewNappy]

I hope not as I spent today painting my dining room chairs & picture frames L&G Dix blue. They look gorgeous and, as it was left over paint from my front door, makes the colours in my house flow better. I'd been procrastinating about doing it for ages, I did the door 2 years ago. Go for it!

[Chillisauce]

Selks that cupboards lovely! I'll be stealing that idea!

[Selks]

Great colour, isn't it? I love a bit of dark blue.

[Fcukfifa]

I'm not sure if painted furniture is going out of fashion as such, I'm thinking it's the more twee cream pretty pretty things that are becoming over popular.

Well I hope it's not too dated, I've done a big sideboard in my living room and have slapped a bit on a table that will be getting a handmade top and some industrial white chairs. (Not sure to keep the blue yet)

I've added a pic but for reason my camera takes blurred pics now, I'll see if I've got a better photo of the sideboard somewhere

[Fcukfifa]

Here's a slightly better photo of the sideboard :)

[minkah]

Painted furniture will never 'go out' because it's practical. It's a cheap way of keeping pieces going, updating them, etc.

So forget the idea that painted furniture is a fashion.

HOW you paint it, what colour etc, is what expresses fashion.

Given that paint is a medium for change...you needn't worry about your paint effect 'going out' because you can update it easily.

If you look on Pinterest at annie sloan pieces you'll see how many are classic, timeless, beautiful.

The curlicued soft white and duck egg stuff has drifted into overkill. But that's just the populist face of chalk paint..the tk maxx version of it.


It's perfectly possible to make your furniture absolutely beautiful. Just do your research into colours and techniques, put your creativity to work and have fun enjoying the freedom of paint!

[Chillisauce]

Fcukfifa that sideboard looks great, nice clock too!

[Chillisauce]

Sorry to jump on the OP's thread but while we are discussing painted furniture. What are people's thoughts on painting wels dresser a dark colour? My dresser is like this in the picture. You don't see too many dark ones though. Like that dark blue. Thoughts?

[TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclinatio]

Annie Sloan is brilliant, it goes over anything - no need to sand, prime or anything. Just paint. The colours mix well, so you can 'make' pretty much any colour you like :) You can wax it to protect it and you can leave it matt or buff it to shine if you prefer. Then, you can paint over the wax if you want to change the colour sometime in the future - easy!

No - I don't sell it, but I probably should