Whimsical Painted Furniture

Home interior decoration can be very challenging, particularly when you are looking for unique pieces of furniture to decorate it. One very good way to add a bit of flair to a room is to choose a piece of whimsical painted furniture. These type of furniture is hand painted by using different painting techniques like sponging and stenciling. Although these furniture pieces are very beautiful to look at, it is not advisable to decorate the entire room with this type of furniture. Just having a single piece of painted furniture in a whimsical pattern is a great way to infuse color and interest to a room. A single coffee table in a whimsical pattern can become a conversation piece in the living room.

Whimsical Hand Painted Furniture

Painted furniture with a whimsical design can be found in specialty furniture stores and thrift stores. If you want a one-of-a-kind piece than scour the flea markets. Flea markets are a great place to find a unique piece at a very affordable price. If you cannot find any whimsical furniture that catches your fancy, then you can try painting a plain piece of furniture yourself. If you have some unfinished wood furniture or old furniture, painting it in a whimsical pattern can give it a completely new look. The correct use of paint can make a modern piece of furniture look antique-like. Choose a pattern that is easy to paint and use different paint textures and painting techniques to create a great piece of painted furniture.

Remember that not all painted furniture qualifies as a whimsical piece of furniture. A whimsical painted furniture is one which has a bright or pastel color scheme and whose patterns are delicate and detailed. A snow white dresser which is painted with trailing ivy in soft and muted colors is an example of whimsical hand painted furniture. Floral patterns, nautical patterns and patterns with clouds, stars, seashells and leaves are great for creating whimsical hand painted furniture. You can also choose from different paint finishes and glazes in these types of furniture.

How to Make Whimsical Painted Furniture

If you want to make painted furniture at home, then you should first choose a plain piece of furniture that has an attractive shape. If there are any splinters in the wood or any rough edges, then repair it before proceeding further. Now clean the furniture thoroughly and sand it with a coarse grit sandpaper. Once you have sanded the furniture down and stripped it of any old paint or glaze, rub the furniture with a wet flannel cloth to get rid of any sawdust and dirt. Allow the furniture to dry thoroughly. Now paint the furniture in a light colored paint like white or apple green. Painting the base coat in a lighter color gives the furniture a softer look.

Now you can make a free hand design on the furniture with a design of your choice. Since free hand painting is a little tricky, it is best to first draw the pattern on a piece of paper and then transfer it to the surface of the furniture. If you are not too comfortable about painting a pattern on the furniture, then use a stencil instead. Stencils can be downloaded for free from many websites and you can use a pattern that you like. For stenciling a whimsical pattern on the furniture, place the stencil over the surface of the furniture and use masking tape to hold it in place. Pour a bit of paint on a shallow dish and dip a sponge into the paint. Now dab the paint over the stencil in small strokes until the whole stencil is covered. When the paint is dry, take off the masking tape and remove the stencil carefully. Use the stencil again for making the pattern over another area of the furniture. Give the furniture a coat of clear glaze and your furniture is ready.

These types of furniture look good in different rooms and can also be used in a nursery or kids bedroom. Whimsical painted children furniture is very popular nowadays and kids love unique patterns in furniture like sea horses and fairies. If you are looking for an exquisite furniture piece then choose a piece of whimsical painted furniture.