Chalky Finish Recipe!

These are great tips! I always get confused about how to use latex paint but your suggestions really help.

Enjoy your break! Merry Christmas to you and yours and everyone of your followers.

Happy and safe new year to everyone too! ??

Great tips! I feel so spoiled with all the chalk and milk paints out there, but latex is always a solid option when you’re looking for that perfect color!

p.s.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! xo

Thanks for the info. I never use Latex because I did not know much about painting furniture with it.

You’re welcome Sherry! Good Luck! Glad to help

Great tips. How do you avoid “roller marks?” Kind of a pattern left by a roller–the equivalent of brush marks from a brush? Also, I find the latex can be very thick… how do you make thin layers with it? Thanks

Hi Jan! Those roller marks can be super annoying! I find using the best quality roller is key. The high-pile ones really work well to distribute the paint more evenly. In terms of making thinner layers – just really work your roller in the tray first and if you’re finding it’s squishy or too saturated, you can always dab it onto a paper plate. The roller should look like it’s almost running out of paint before you put it on your furniture, if that makes sense! Good luck!

With Christmas just around the corner – I wanted to let you know that we are FINALLY taking a break Yes! We are still working behind the scenes, but the plan is to just take a breather from the blog for the next couple of weeks and focus on rest, relaxation and family time I figured the best post to leave you with for the holidays was one that might spark some creative juices We’ll be back with fresh new posts the first week of January and we’ll still be on social media until then.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we do a lot of painting over here Paint is probably the best and most cost efficient way to update a space or a furniture piece. It’s easily accessible, affordable and with a few tricks and tips, you can have a designer-looking piece for next to nothing.

Folks tend to have a lot of questions about paint. We did too when we first started out! And one of the biggest questions is how to paint furniture using latex paint.

Well here you go!

Latex Paint

This is the stuff you buy at the hardware store. Some of the bigger brands include Para Paints, Dulux, Behr, Sico, Benjamin Moore and so on. Latex tends to come in big gallon pails and smaller quart sizes. They range in price from about $17 for a quart right up to $55 or $60 for a gallon of the premium stuff.

Latex paint is perfect for painting walls, ceilings, exterior and interior doors – BUT we also use it sometimes to paint furniture. Why? Because latex paint can be tinted to practically any colour you can imagine and the saturation levels are second to none.

Here are a few examples of the pieces we’ve painted using latex paint.

We have a whole bunch more furniture makeovers here on our Before & After page, so you can check those out too!

How to paint with latex

Make sure you always lightly sand your piece first

Then use a foam brush or foam roller to apply a stain blocking and gripping primer (like this one)

Where possible apply your latex paint using these high pile small rollers

Use thin coats. You will probably need three to get a nice even finish

Use a foam brush to get into the nooks and crannies

Watch for drips because, once dry, latex does not sand down very well

Finish your piece with a protectant in a clear finish. We sometimes use satin or high gloss depending on the finish we want. Apply the finish coat with a synthetic brush.

Don’t put anything on your piece for a few days even after you’re finished it to prevent chips, water marks, or indents.

Benefits of painting with latex paint

The colour selection is amazing. Some hardware stores even offer a colour matching service where they can create a paint to match a piece of fabric or art exactly! How cool is that?

It’s likely best value. 1/3 of a quart is usually enough paint to complete one standard size dresser. It goes a long way.

Other tips for using latex paint

It can be mixed with other mediums to create a different sort of finish. Check out these two makeover posts to find out how we used basic latex paint and made our own chalky finish!

Chalky Finish Recipe! Using Leftover Paint

Don’t let latex paint FREEZE. It will never ever come back. This means don’t store it on the garage floor, on the porch or balcony. You need to store it inside. In fact, this goes for all viscous paint.

So there you go! Any other questions? Ask us in the comments below

Happy painting! And Happy Holidays xoxo

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Original article and pictures take http://www.diypassion.com/2015/12/16/how-to-paint-furniture-using-latex-paint/ site