Turn Forgotten Furniture into Stunning Focal Points with Paint

    Painted furniture is a wonderful option for those with little money who desperately want to update their spaces. To discover how with a little pocket change and a few supplies you can turn an old forgotten piece of furniture into a stunning piece of art, I visited artist Heidi Shannon's studio.
    Heidi specializes in finding old and forgotten furniture and turning it into a stunning focal point. Her pieces typically start as furniture costing $20 or less, and I'm not kidding.
    "You can get really great stuff out there, and you do not have to spend a lot of money," Heidi said.
    To find good pieces of furniture perfect for painting, visit thrift stores, second-hand furniture stores, garage sales and estate sales. Heidi also suggests going to naked furniture stores, but only if you're in a time crunch. The pieces from naked furniture stores will typically cost more.
    While shopping, here's what Heidi suggests to look for:

• Find wood furniture. Don't buy anything that is made of laminate.
• Open all drawers to make sure they work right. If the furniture doesn't function properly, it will need much more work than a fresh coat of paint.
• Ignore the knobs. You can easily change those, and if you want to make some extra cash sell the ones from the piece on Ebay.
• Look at the shape and architectural details of the furniture. If the furniture has too many details, paint a simple design and use calmer colors. If the furniture has few architectural details, you can go a bit wilder in your color and pattern selection.
• Check for scratches. If the furniture has very deep scratches and you don't want a distressed look, then it isn't right for you.

Beyond the Basic Color

    Painted furniture has been used as decoration for centuries, and while we typically think of it in terms of solid colors, painted furniture was often adorned with beautifully painted patterns. The paintings on the furniture drew attention to the pieces, and turned them into a focal point. Today artists continue the tradition of painting patterns on furniture, and the patterns you find range anywhere from traditional to contemporary. You can achieve those same results at home. The key is to be creative, and if you don't trust your artistic skills, stencils will quickly become your best friend.
    For painted furniture decorating ideas beyond the paint, here are some Heidi uses when creating her pieces:

• Mix Stain and Paint. Don't be afraid to paint only some parts of the furniture, while leaving other areas stained. Heidi often stains the top of her tables or dressers and paints the rest of the piece. Sometimes she'll keep the drawer stained too.
• Use Markers. Paintbrushes can be hard too control at times - especially when you want straight lines. So instead Heidi sometimes uses a paint marker, which can make drawing easier.
• Nix Ugly Knobs. Changing the knobs on a piece of old furniture can give it an entirely new feel. Knobs and drawer pulls are the jewelry on painted furniture. So when Heidi paints a piece of furniture, she always makes sure to choose knobs that accent the piece - and typically they're incredibly fun.
• Adorn the Feet. Heidi brings attention to the feet of her painted furniture by attaching decorative doorknobs to the bottom of the legs. The doorknobs add a nice, unexpected sparkle to the piece.
• Decorate the Inside. To a bit of punch to her painted furniture, Heidi will put wallpaper inside of the drawers - which is an easy way to add color and pattern.

    To discover how to paint furniture, get the Painted Furniture Checklist or watch the Painting Kitchen Cabinets Video. The technique used to paint cabinets is the same as that used to paint wood furniture.