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Issue Date: June 24, 2007
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5 things
you need to know
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Spray-painting furniture
1 Prep and prime. Use mild soap and water to clean used furniture, then let it dry. On weathered wood, sand any areas of chipped paint. To remove rust from metal, use a wire brush. For new wood or bare metal, apply a spray-on primer to ensure paint adhesion. "White primer is essential if you are putting a light color over a dark one or if you're trying to hide knots in wood," says Kathy Peterson, author of "Great Outdoor Decorating Makeovers."
2 When and where. Work outdoors, if possible, says George Perez, a professor of furniture design at Savannah College of Art and Design. "Choose a clear day above 55 degrees with low humidity and no wind, or you could have debris sticking to the furniture," he says.
3 Thick and thin. Instead of applying one thick coat of paint, Perez applies two thin coats, which he lets dry between applications. Use a side-to-side motion, overlapping with each pass to avoid lines.
4 Angle and aim. Always keep the spray can upright, with the nozzle at a 75- to 90-degree angle, Peterson says, or paint can clog the nozzle. For open-weave surfaces, such as wicker and rattan, tip the furniture -- not the can -- to get paint into crevices.
5 Special effects. Beverly Hills interior designer Nicole Sassaman has a simple method for creating two-tone patterns: Spray-paint furniture one color and let it dry, then apply round stick-on labels and paint with another hue. "When you remove the labels, you have perfect polka dots in a contrasting shade," she says. For stripes, follow that method, but use painter's masking tape.
-- Mary Forsell
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