To give a new look to your dull and outdated furniture, upholstery painting is a smart, timeless and affordable solution. With upholstery painting, you can transform the whole look of your furniture pieces more fancifully. From rich textured fabrics like velvet to lightweight sheer and cotton fabrics, you can easily paint every furniture upholstery. With no added cost and the hassle of reupholstering, you can follow up on this trend that is meant to make a fabric look visually appealing.
Painting upholstery is a bit tricky process that can give an ideal finishing look to fabric if done correctly. It can enhance the look of and make a dull and faded fabric look fine while restoring its color and feel. If you want to save your bucks for the re-upholstery of your furnishing elements, painting the fabric is the best option to settle for. In this creative piece of writing by Custom Furniture Dubai, you will discover tips and tricks for upholstery painting.
Step By Step Directions For Perfect Upholstery Painting
No matter if it is an upholstered chair or sofa set in your home, you can elevate its style and look without changing the original structure through upholstery painting. If you are planning on DIY upholstery painting, you can get it done appropriately with the tips explained below.
Before You Begin
1. Scrutinize The Piece
The inspection of the furniture piece you are going to paint is the first step to undertake. The first thing to notice is the fabric type of furniture upholstery. For painting, the tighter the weave, the better and smoother the results will be..
Most of the fabrics can be easily painted based on their current condition. The crisp and lightweight fabrics can be painted easily while heavier or rich texture fabrics like velvet are time taking and somewhat arduous to paint.
2. Pick The Paint
Paints for fabrics are available in the market in different types that can be purchased as per the requirements. When choosing paint, you must keep in mind the type of upholstery fabric and the kind of finish you want to achieve.
Acrylic, fabric-dye, oil-based, alcohol-based, and latex paint are widely used for the upholstery fabrics. Besides, there are other forms of painting equipment, such as markers that are best for writing, line work, and fine detailing. While liquid paints are ideal for silk screening and block painting. Additionally, sprays are the best picks when it comes to covering large areas like painting upholstery or stenciling. Highly pigmented chalk paints are used by experienced crafters that give a uniform tone and fine texture appeal to the fabric.
3. Gather Supplies
The supplies for painting depend on the type of paint you picked for the fabric. For the spray painting of your sofa or chair upholstery, you will need to gather the spray paints, mask, gloves, a drop cloth or newspaper, painter’s tape, sanding sponge, and airbrush.
While if you choose acrylic paint, there is no need to gather all the supplies mentioned above. All you need is paint, a paintbrush, masking tape, and a fabric medium. Liquid patina and sealing wax will be required after the paint on the fabric is dried completely for top coating.
4. Work With Water & Do A Test Run
When painting, it is important to dampen the fabric a little so that it can absorb the paint and spread smoothly. Water will also be needed to get the right consistency of the paint. To practice your technique and check whether the paint works well with the intended fabric material, you can test the paint over any hidden area or underside of cushion fabric.
If it seems too stiff to touch the fabric, dilute it for accurate consistency. Using this approach will create a more fine surface. When you are ready to update the upholstery of your furniture piece, follow up the instructions mentioned below.
Instructions For Upholstery Painting
After you get to know the results of the patch test, move towards preparing the fabric.
1. Prep the Piece
Do a detailed cleaning of the furniture item and take off every removable element. For cleaning, an upholstery attachment can be used and if necessary, you can spot-clean the fabric before starting and allow it to dry completely.
Use the painter’s tape to cover the areas that need to be covered or should not receive paint. Prepare the area by covering it with a piece of cloth or newspaper so that it doesn’t get affected by the paint drops and splashes.
2. Mix The Paint
For chalk paint, you can use one part of the paint and two parts of water. While the ratio for the latex paint must be one part fabric medium and double part of paint.
Take a small paint container and pour the paint into it. Mix the paint in the container and stir it well.
3. Apply in Small Sections
When applying paint over the fabric, take a small portion of the fabric and make sure that part is damp. Apply paint while working in a circular motion and work on the fabric while also reaching the deep nooks and crevices.
Apply thin coats based on the type of fabric. To create a better and smooth look, you can apply several thin coats that will produce better results.
4. Sand Between Coats
While you are painting the fabric and it is still wet, you will need to sand the fabric gently. To let the paint penetrate deeply through the fabric, sanding is the necessary measure to take.
5. Seal If Desired
After you achieve the desired color, depth, and coverage that is needed, let the fabric dry completely. Next comes the wax coating and liquid patina application step that can be used for sealing the paint perfectly. Although it is not necessary it can be considered to give a smooth finish to the furniture. Leave the piece to air dry completely.
To Sum Up
Upholstery painting is the finest and the most cost-effective way to freshen up the look of your furniture elements. For upholstery fabrics, there are different types of paints including fabric, latex, chalk, oil, and acrylic. Airbrush paint is a good choice to opt for when it comes to painting furniture upholstery. Using the right materials and supplies and preparing the fabric, you can easily achieve desired outcomes.
Acrylic paint is the best choice to go for but alcohol, water, and oil-based paints can also be used for this purpose. After the cleanup of furniture and upholstery fabric with a vacuum, you can apply paint in small sections and can sand and seal them after. You can personalize your furniture piece in this way.