How to Paint Furniture Quickly

Here's how to paint furniture the quick way to help you instantly spruce up your home or make a quick sale on eBay or Etsy. I also show you what DIY chalk paint recipe I use, including any tips and tricks I've learnt along the way.

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I used to paint furniture all the time for my old eBay business years ago. In fact, that's how I started getting into DIY and sharing them on my YouTube channel. I've painted furniture with satinwood, eggshell and my favourite, if you're short of time, which is chalk paint. I regularly sold chalk paint furniture pieces, but the older I've got, the wiser I now am about:

• How time = money
• My self worth is more than I thought as I've developed new skills
• How eBay isn't always the best platform to sell restored things to get the value you feel you deserve for your efforts
• Oh, and avoid painting furniture any whacky colours which will probably limit more than half your potential customers.

In the process, I've also mastered how to paint furniture quickly, which is what I'll show you here. I had a lovely Stag Mahogany TV unit that I scored for £20 years ago. But we've since renovated and it's been in the shed for a few months, dangerously taking up space. I tried selling it in its original colour, but no one was interested.

So instead of taking it back to a charity shop, I thought I'd do a speedy paint job for a quick sale. We could all do with a bit of extra cash, can't we? It will no doubt go towards extra tools in my workshop.

HOW TO: CHALK PAINT FURNITURE TIPS

There are various painting methods you could use. It's all down to personal preference and what you feel comfortable with. For quickness, I tend to favour either one or one and a half coats.

If your piece of furniture is in great condition, but the colour just needs updating, then you could even try my whitewash method. This method is the quickest of all, but in my eyes, is barely how to paint furniture. But it has its uses to enhance any extra details.

But if you want the quickest painting furniture, you need to go with the flow. Often, the furniture will dictate your path, throwing you all kinds of obstacles. Such as, bleed through, becoming patchy, etc. (PS, if this happens, you may want to use some stain stop remover).

PAINTING FURNITURE WITH A DISTRESSED LOOK

My absolute favourite furniture painting method is the distressed shabby chic look. This is using my own DIY homemade chalk paint recipe which I'll talk you through shortly.

The reason being is:

• If you knock it over time, it blends in with the rest
• You need very little coats for coverage
• That means it's quick to dry
• If you have any patchy paintwork (ie, the paintbrush removes more while you go over it again, it doesn't matter.
• And chalk paint is non-toxic, water-based with easy cleanup.

If you aim for perfection with full coverage, you can lose hours and get obsessive over your work. Also, if you sell if has non-distressed, you need to store it well to avoid damaging the paint work. So now, I go with the flow.

MY QUICK METHOD FOR HOW TO PAINT FURNITURE

CLEAN YOUR PROJECT

First, there's no escaping it and that is to clean your piece of furniture with soap and water. I do this for the paint to adhere better, last longer and prevent issues later. Then you can either dry with a towel or leave to dry naturally.

USE QUICK SET WOOD FILLER

If you have any dents or holes that you don't think would add character, then I opt for this quick setting wood filler. Simply fill any areas and leave it proud for 30 minutes, then sand it back to be level with the rest of your piece.

Also, you should preferably use filler of the same colour as your piece. If not, you may need to be careful where you distress so the wrong colour doesn't show through. For example, ideally, I would have been better with a darker filler.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHALK PAINT

Making my own chalk paint recipe with emulsion is quicker than nipping to the shops. You can find my recipe here, but you will need a £5 bag of calcium carbonate which has lasted me for years. It's a much cheaper way to get whatever colour you want.

I only ever mix what I need at any one time and recycled takeaway containers are great for this. However, another paint for furniture I've recently discovered, (although is £14 in B&Q for a small tin) is Rustoleum Furniture Paint in Satin Finish.

I painted my DIY treadmill desk in it when time was short and love it. It needs no prep, primer or sealer and hasn't chipped, despite me being the clumsy type. It also gave great coverage with one coat. It's also available in chalk finish.

PAINT THIN COATS WITH A FOAM ROLLER

I only ever paint with a foam roller these days. It allows me to give thin coats that dry quickly and a flawless finish. Don't forget, we'll be sanding this quite soon to create a very smooth finish.

You can, of course, spray paint furniture, but I do find that setting up takes time to prevent overspray. You can buy it in a spray can, but I didn't get on with my Wagner paint sprayer.

Sadly it kept clogging as it dried on the nozzle too quickly. I've since seen filter balls you can place in the reservoir but never tried.

REMOVE HARDWARE BEFORE PAINTING

Chalk painting hardware can look nice, but it's not very hardwearing on things that are used regularly. Also, painting round it can look dodgy, in my case, I had a crystal ball handle.

So, it's best to remove hardware off drawers now, such as handles. Plus, the paint will also dry quicker.

HOW MANY COATS OF FURNITURE PAINT DO I NEED?

When your first coat of paint it wet, it can be difficult to know when to stop with coverage. And you might feel the need to go with 2, 3 or maybe 4 coats.

It might not seem like enough at the time, but the shabby chic paintwork blends well after fine sanding one coat. This could easily be done in an hour.

However, I tend to go with one and a half in some areas as I did the top of this TV unit. You just need to try things for yourself to know and experiment.

METHODS FOR SANDING YOUR CHALK PAINT

If you don't want to wait for your paint to fully dry, you could use wet sandpaper. However, it can leave large patches of distressing and isn't my favourite method.

But what is, is using superfine 0000 plumber's wire wool. It gives a flawless baby's bum feel and love distressing the edges and corners with it. I do suggest wearing a mask, closing any internal doors and opening windows as it's dusty work.

Or you could just use between 120 to 240 grit sandpaper.

SEALING YOUR CHALK PAINT

For the quickest finish, I like to use this clear furniture wax. It prevents marks on your paintwork, but note that it isn't completely hardwearing. Any water that's spilt needs to be wiped off immediately. But there's no waiting to dry. It is, however, more hardwearing when applied on a very smooth paint job.

To apply, I use a white or natural lint free cloth. (A lint-free cloth is a cloth that isn't washed with fabric conditioner and is airdried). I work in circular motions and rub it in to the paint. Also, remove any excess with a clean section of cloth.

For a more hardwearing finish, instead of using wax, you can use a waterbased varnish if desired. But you cannot apply varnish on top of wax. You can, however, wax on top of dry varnish. Also, avoid oil based varnish as it can discolour the paintwork.

So there you go! Hopefully, I've inspired you to save money, time and potentially rescue a piece of furniture that needs an update. Or built your confidence to earn some extra money.

Due to time and space, I now never buy pieces to upcycle, unless absolutely necessary. But it's a very useful skill to have!

Let me know if you give something a go and PLEASE tag me on Instagram so I know I've helped. That would be cool!

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More Furniture Restoration for Beginners

• Oak furniture repair tutorial
• Make cheap homemade chalk paint with calcium carbonate
• Upcycle a drawer into an insect hotel
• Painting furniture for profit
• Repainting a washing machine with enamel paint
• Whitewashing wood painting tutorial
• How to paint a wooden plant stand for indoors
• Using paint stripper to avoid sanding