Isn’t it amazing the things they come up with nowadays? Many years ago, if you got bored with the pattern on your upholstered furniture you had to live with it or start saving the money for that expensive upholstery job. Then there was the matter of having the furniture removed from the house, kept for a period of time – maybe weeks – then brought back into the home. What a hassle! Not anymore, though. Now you can simply spray paint your upholstery! Not with ordinary spray paints, of course, but with paints made especially for dying your furniture. The spray paint can help you change the look of most any upholstery with ease.
Just as with most any thing you spray paint there are a few things you might need to know. For example, if you spray the paint to close to the object the paint can run or appear much darker than in other areas. If you hold the paint too far away while spraying you’ll end up with a dry-looking paint that likely won’t give you the coverage you want. In addition, some things are harder to paint than others. Plastics need particular paints made just for plastic; metals require a special primer and paint made just for metals. When spray painting upholstery some fabrics will take the paint much better than other material.
Painting furniture covered in vinyl, leather or similar materials is nearly impossible. Although you absolutely can paint the pieces the paint simply won’t stay on the material. Slick materials can be tricky as well. Paint tends to run when it comes to satiny fabrics if you get too close with the paint. Most fabrics, though, will accept the paint well. However, dark material will take extra effort to cover with light paints. Some patterns are also more difficult to paint and will need more than one coat. For the absolute best results paint dark material with dark colors. Light upholstery can be painted with light or dark colors.
It’s important that you start with upholstery that is as clean as it can possibly be. For best results shampoo the upholstery a couple of days or more before painting it. If you are unable to do that you will at least need to clean the couch or chair. Remove the cushions and pillows then vacuum well. Vacuum the entire couch making sure to get the arms, back, seat, outer pieces and skirt. Pay close attention to the area beneath the welt. Pull the welt to one side, vacuum along that side, then push the welt to the opposite side and vacuum in that area.
Cushions and pillows can be done first or last. However, they should be separated from the rest of the couch or chair. Lay lots of newspaper or plastic down to protect the surroundings. It’s best to take the furniture outside for painting, but if that’s impossible, open the windows, use fans and otherwise ventilate the room. Start by painting the skirt. Look below for further instructions on painting the skirt. Do the inside back next. Since the seat – without the cushions – is an optional part of the painting process you can paint it or cover it with plastic or newspaper. Most seats do not match the rest of the furniture because a particular type of cloth is normally used to make the seat. Paint the inside arms, then the outside arms, then the outside back.
The skirt can take a little more time than the rest of the piece. If it’s a box skirt, tape the skirt itself to the band just above the skirt. So, the right side of the skirt will be against the right side of the furniture just above the skirt. Paint the corner pieces of the skirt and allow the to dry completely. Lower the skirt and paint it. Move on to paint the band or area above the skirt.
For the very best paint job you can do make sure you pay close attention to the welt. It’s necessary to lean the welt one way, paint underneath it, lean it the opposite way, and paint under that side. One good thing is, after painting under the welt, it’s not necessary to hold the welt away from the fresh paint; just let go of the welt and the underside will dry just fine. Use gloves to keep from getting the paint on your hands as you move the welt around. You might find it easiest to paint under the arm by using a foam paint brush. Spray the paint onto a small foam brush and move it along the underside of the welt.
Since some furniture paints are different than others check the label for instructions on how far to hold the can from the piece as well as information about drying time. You might also find a guide that helps you decide how much paint to purchased for the job you have in mind. If you’ve never painted furniture before don’t worry! It’s really easy to do and turns out looking much nicer than you’d ever think!
Reference:
- Purchase upholstery paint here: www.simplyspray.com
