Painting furniture is in right now - and for good reason
Recycled interior design is on the rise and renovating used furniture is fashionable and sensible - DIY and repurposing old furniture will never go out of style.
Create your own ideas and repaint your furniture to make it beautiful and modern - with little effort and one can of paint - You don't always have to buy new!
If you've ever thought that chalk paints aren't durable or high quality, then now is the time to try Frenchic!
Feel free to explore our award-winning series and read the best painting tips here, whether your project is big or small.
New features in our paints!
The paints in the Frenchic Paint series are completely different from what you are used to.
Our paints have award-winning, innovative features that you won't find in other series!
Like the great ' Self Levelling ' feature, which means that the paint evens out on its own and the end result is a perfect, even and smooth surface whether you paint with a roller or brush.
Or ' Self Sealing ', which means that the surface seals itself, and there is no need to apply wax or varnish separately to the surface, as with conventional lime paints. The furniture becomes very wear-resistant just by painting it.
' Self Priming ' means that you do not need any special primers or adhesion primers when using Frenchic paints. Frenchic paints have excellent adhesion.
These properties, combined with non-toxicity and powdery matte finishes, have quickly made the Frenchic Paint series the most popular chalk paint series among interior and furniture painters.
When painting with high-quality lime paint intended for furniture painting, there is no need for laborious pre-treatments or lengthy primer work - lime paint is a great choice for various painting techniques, layered painting and wear.
With the Frenchic series of paints, you can easily achieve your own, personal style that suits your home: texture and wear or a modern smooth surface. Read here how to succeed and get inspiration for your own project:
Image: Water green Wedegewood Green shade, from the Original series.
Maybe you have an old chest of drawers that you've been thinking about giving a little makeover or other furniture that needs a new color? In any case, by using chalk paint, you can easily get furniture that suits your style in a new, clean and fresh color - whether your style is Scandinavian modern or boho - or even 'Country Style'-type rustic romantic.
We want to help you get started, check out these easy tips on how to successfully paint your furniture.
Why would I paint my furniture with chalk paint?
Chalk paint gets you started quickly
Frenchic lime paints are non-toxic and water-based paints are pleasant to paint indoors, they dry faster than conventional furniture paints, are odorless and the equipment is easy to clean.
Discover and test
The best option for you and your project can be found by experimenting.
There are many different sets available and the quality varies. If you intend to paint furniture, avoid craft-type chalk paints.
The paints in the Frenchic Paint® series are tested and intended specifically for painting furniture.
That's why the side of the paint can says 'Furniture Paint'. Now is the time to try the Frenchic series!
Composition and shades
Lime paints often have much better pigmentation and coverage than conventional furniture paints - the consistency is also often thicker and non-drip.
The gorgeous matte finish is perfect for both modern interiors and old buildings. The powdery pastel tones are reminiscent of traditional tones and pair well with wooden surfaces or white and grey.
Implement different techniques and make something unique yourself
Chalk Paint furniture painting often involves layers and applying several different techniques to the same project - a style that cannot be achieved with conventional furniture paints. You can mix and match shades and layers - techniques and waxes - and create your own personalized furniture at an affordable price!
Whether your style is modern or romantic, we know how hard it is to find furniture in your favorite colors ready-made in stores! By making it yourself, you can get exactly what you want and usually at a fraction of the price of designer furniture.
Pictured: powdery pink Dusky Blush, from the Al Fresco series.
Do an eco-friendly deed and save your old furniture from the attic and put it back in its original place.
Older furniture is often made of solid wood and built to last - but a yellowed or darkened wooden surface no longer fits into today's interior design as it is. You don't always have to buy new furniture, but with a small amount of paint you can easily renew cabinets, chests of drawers and other small pieces of furniture to make them stylish again - without the price tag of designer furniture!
Make your home your own and use the colors that you like and that make you feel good! Don't hesitate to repaint - you can change the color of the walls, doors or furniture often - your home lives in time and this can also be reflected in the colors - by painting you can easily change the atmosphere of the space.
In addition to furniture, you can start by looking for smaller painting projects in your home.
You can find more small projects on walls, moldings, frames or stairs - a colored floor or a colored area in the shape of an arched window can add a touch of color to a children's room, for example.
You don't have to paint the entire staircase right away, but you can try painting the front boards of the wooden stairs or just the railings.
Come up with an easy-to-implement colorful half-panel-high paint stripe for the hallway wall, a gingerbread-edged half-wall painting, or a dramatic dark rectangle for the bedroom headboard wall!
Powdery and soft Frenchic shades fit beautifully into Scandinavian interiors alongside wood tones, while darker shades suit a bold interior style.
Get inspired by decorating with color and explore over 60 ready-made shades in the Frenchic series!
Image: Denim blue Hornblower, from the Lazy Range series. Gold FrenSheen.
Whether you're thinking of painting furniture for yourself or professionally for sale - a high-quality chalk paint for painting furniture is an excellent option.
Also test shades and instruments
Do you have a larger painting project in mind, such as painting kitchen cabinets or something similar?
If you haven't painted much before, we recommend that you do a small practice project. Get a small piece of furniture with a drawer and a door - like in your kitchen - and try out a few of the shades you had thought about choosing for your larger project.
In this practice piece, you get to try out different tools: sanding sponge, brush and roller - and you'll notice how the paint behaves; dries and covers.
Prepare this small exercise piece of furniture the same way you would a larger one: wash the surfaces with Sugar Soap furniture cleaner , rinse off the detergent and dry the surface - remove the handles and inspect the surface to see if any holes need to be filled. Paint.
Take before and after pictures of yourself!
Pictured: taupe shade, Cool Beans, from the Al Fresco series.
Furniture painting
1. Choose a paint and explore the options
As a rule of thumb, one liter of lime paint is enough for about 13m2. This is roughly the size of a normal-sized chest of drawers or cupboard. The coverage of the Frenchic series paints is about 12.5m2 per large paint container, 750ml.
Due to the strong adhesive properties of lime paint, it can be used on a variety of materials, including metal, wood, glass, concrete, and most textiles.
For most projects, two coats of paint are sufficient, but if you are painting a dark surface with a light shade, you may need to apply more coats.
Tip! When painting from black to white or vice versa - or dark and reddish wood to white: paint the first coat with a gray tone. This will break up the darkness and redness and you will get by with fewer white coats.
Choose a furniture paint that is free of toxins or unpleasant odors - this is important when painting indoors or professionally a lot. You can also choose easy paints for painting furniture that have protective properties already in the paint - 'just paint and go!'
Pictured: emerald green Victory Lane shade, from the Al Fresco series.
For painting furniture or kitchen cabinets indoors Lazy Range
Choose lime paints for furniture painting that do not require adhesion paints (self-priming), paints whose surface levels beautifully on its own (self-levelling), and paints whose surface no longer needs to be protected like conventional lime paints (self-sealing) - Frenchic paints do not require too much effort on your part!
Choosing these eco-friendly and low-maintenance paints is great for our planet, your wallet, and is part of making better use of your time on your painting projects.
Renovating, painting and repurposing old furniture is recycled interior design at its best!
For outdoor and indoor furniture, kitchen cabinets and ceramic tile painting Al Fresco series
Explore the options and choose moisture-resistant lime paint if you are painting garden furniture and a gorgeous full-matte wall paint if you want to easily change the color scheme of your home.
2. Invest in a brush
It is worth investing in a quality brush that is made for furniture whitewashing. Using old, worn and dirty cheap brushes can result in a less than satisfactory result for your painting project.
Image: The best brushes for chalk painting are oval-shaped.
There is a separate blog post about choosing the right brush, read it here.
3. Clean the furniture to be painted
Start by cleaning the surface to be painted. Remove handles and knobs if desired. Wipe off all dirt and grease - always paint on a clean surface. Sugar Soap is the Frenchic series' own paint cleaner for cleaning furniture.
Even furniture that looks clean can still be contaminated with a lot of dirt. The Frenchic series paints have excellent adhesion properties, so make sure to clean carefully to ensure that nothing extra remains between the surface to be painted and the paint.
The high-performance sealer makes it easy to clean surfaces ready for painting. Whatever detergent you use, rinse the used detergent off the surface with clean water afterwards.
4. Fill in holes and surface scratches
Washing the surface to be painted is a good time to inspect the surface for scratches or chips. If desired, use filler to fill in any holes, dents, and scratches - let dry and sand the surface smooth. Clean the surface of sanding dust by wiping it with a damp cloth. Dry the surface.
5. Tape and trim
Tape is a handy way to cut off paint where you don't want it: door handles, knobs, or glass edges. Tape makes the paint borders neat. Choose a high-quality tape when you want really precise borders.
6. Start painting!
Once you've protected the floor under the furniture you want to paint, it's time to paint!
Use your brush from the bottom up with a light hand. Paint with long strokes following the grain of the wood - remember that lime paint dries quickly - paint quickly for the best results.
Don't overwork a paint surface that is already in the process of curing, but let the layers dry first - then go back to spot painting. Too thin layers of paint can leave brush marks clearly visible as the thin layer of paint dries quickly.
The Frenchic series paints have a 'self leveling' property, which levels the paint as it dries. In this case, the layer should not be too thin.
If you are painting dark to light (or vice versa), you may need to apply a few coats to get full and even coverage. A tip for this: paint the first coat with gray, so you can get by with fewer coats.
Luckily, you don't have to wait long, as the chalk paint dries quickly and you can move on. If you want a slightly more worn look, two coats may be enough. With the Frenchic series, you always apply at least two coats.
7. Wear it to look old (if you want)
This step isn't really mandatory, but we're mentioning it because it's such a popular style. The most important thing about wearing is to make it look natural, so it's worth wearing it in places that naturally wear out: around handles and knobs, edges, corners, and maybe a little more here and there.
You can apply abrasions using many different techniques: use a sanding sponge and lightly roughen the surface, or use a damp cloth and rub the paint surface with circular movements - this will give the abrasions a naturally soft edge. After abrasion, wipe the surfaces clean again. Learn how to apply different abrasions and techniques, read the instructions here.
8. Finish with wax if desired
Wax protects the whitewashed surface and adds durability. Wax also deepens the shade of the whitewash and keeps the surface in good condition for years to come.
Once the surface is dry and clean, apply clear wax to the desired surface using a wax brush . Only apply a small amount of furniture wax to the brush at a time, it is very generous and easy to spread. So wax sparingly at first - you can add another thin layer of wax if you wish.
After each waxing, wipe off excess wax with a lint-free cloth. The wax dries quickly to the touch, but hardens for about 21 days at normal room temperature.
Read more about using waxes here.
If you are using Frenchic Lazy Range or Al Fresco paints and do not wear down the paint surface, you can skip this step if you wish.
Of course, you can also wax with these sets while painting - and thus add patina and depth to the furniture.
9. Step back and admire!
Your furniture is ready to sell or put on display in your home. Now you can start thinking about new painting projects !
Furniture painting is possible with high-quality furniture paints, such as Frenchic!
Painting furniture is fun and easy - anyone can do it. Start by choosing your shades and if this is your first time trying Frenchic paints, we recommend the Lazy Range series - these chalk paints have wax already in the paint - how convenient!
The Frenchic series paints are high quality and durable. They are manufactured and tested in England specifically for painting furniture.
The innovative properties of Frenchic paints have earned them fame and awards.
The Frenchic Paint series is now the most popular chalk paint series in Finland and the only chalk paint brand to have been awarded the prestigious 'Queens Award' - a sign of quality and innovation.
Pictured: pearl gray, waxy chalk paint Wolf Whistle.
Whatever your interior painting project is, you're sure to find inspiring example and project photos in the series' own FB group!
Only customers' own, authentic pictures and photo series painted with Frenchic Paint products are published in the Frenchic Paint series' own FB group.
In the group, you can take a peek at international and domestic homes and gardens and ask other group members about their experiences with Frenchic shades or painting projects that interest you.
In the group you can participate in competitions and win Frenchic products - you will be among the first to see new trends in interior painting - in the group you will be the first to hear about new Frenchic products and new shades!
You can share your own Frenchic photos in the group - you will delight other group members who are thinking about implementing their own projects with your photos!
Do you have friends who love colors, decorating, or renovating?
You can easily invite your own skilled and creative friends to the group who you want to introduce to the Frenchic Paint series.
Welcome - click the link below!
Get inspired and admire Frenchic projects in the 'Frenchic Paint Finland' group!
