How to paint upholstered furniture

I know that there are many readers who will find this project interesting. Having previously posted on painting upholstered furniture, and receiving lots of enquiries on this topic, I thought it might be nice to share another painted upholstery project with you.

 

thenorthendloft.com

This hand-me-down chair was in excellent condition but the chair was upholstered in a fabric that was old fashioned. The chair frame and upholstered section of the chair were painted to give it a new look and a new life.

Laurel at north end loft painted the wood and upholstered sections of the chair using acrylic paint., and you can see for yourself how easy painting upholstered furniture can be. If you are bit worried about painting onto fabric, have a scrap piece of fabric on hand and try your technique on this beforehand.

Before painting the wood frame was sanded down to raw wood to remove all the old varnish and polish that had built up over the years. The chair frame was cleaned and then spray painted. It's a good idea to cover the fabric with newspaper and wrap off the edges with masking tape to prevent the fabric becoming stiff.

 

 

GOOD TO KNOW
If you use Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint, before wrapping masking tape onto the painted area to mask off, spray with household furniture polish. This adds a very thin layer of wax polish to the painted finish and prevents it from becoming sticky and bonding with the masking tape.

Three coats of satin acrylic paint were applied to the upholstered section. It is important to note that you need to use a paint that has a low sheen factor, but not quite matt. I have used both tinned acrylic and Rust-Oleum 2X satin spray paint on fabric with good results.

 

Although the fabric will feel stiff once dry - similar to canvas - it should still be comfortable and will soften with use. The chair frame was painted in white and the upholstery in a soft dove grey colour.