Painted Furniture Ideas and Inspiration

A serene, white-painted dining room with wicker chandeliers, sea blue rattan chairs, a wood table, and yellow striped table runner. A serene, white-painted dining room with wicker chandeliers, sea blue rattan chairs, a wood table, and yellow striped table runner.

Painted Furniture Ideas and Inspiration

Painting furniture is a cost-effective and fun way to bring impact to a room without too much effort. Use a solid coat of vivid, bold paint color to turn any furnishing from wall flower to a center stage conversation piece.

Whether it’s an old chair, stool, side table, dresser or decorative item like a large mirror frame, a fresh coat of paint adds a refreshing swath of color—without undertaking a full room transformation.
Learn all you need to know about painting furniture from Color & Design expert Sharon Grech

Your DIY Guide to Update Second-Hand Furniture

In an appearance on Cityline, a popular Canadian daytime show featuring home decor and lifestyle tips, Benjamin Moore Color & Design expert Sharon Grech demonstrates how to transform flea market finds.
"We often need go no further than ‘shopping’ our own homes for the perfect old piece that is ripe for upcycling. So, before you bring it to the curbside, give it a second look and imagine it painted in your favorite color."

Sharon Grech, Color & Design Expert

A silvery white-painted room with a French door, vaulted beamed ceiling, two coral rattan chairs, a black table, tropical décor and beige tile floor.

Painting Furniture: Where to Start

Start with assessing the type of furniture you’re painting and the space it will live in. What is your design style? Do you want to make a strong statement? Or simply give a well-loved piece of furniture a subtle update? Whether you have sleek laminate pieces or treasured antique ones, a fresh coat of paint is transformative.

Pay attention to pieces with solid construction and interesting silhouettes or lines, like these quirky high-back chairs, painted with eye-catching Coral Gables 2010-40. Knowing what vibe you’re going for will help you choose the right color and make your painting project a success.

We love Mysterious AF-565, Waterbury Green HC-136, and Marblehead Gold HC-11, all bold hues that transform any piece of furniture into an attention-grabbing conversation piece.
A mossy green-painted gardening stand with clay pots, pink flowers, gardening tools, and baskets adds to a cheery workspace inside a shed.

Premium Exterior Paint Brings Indoor Furniture Outside

The power of high-quality exterior paint gives beloved indoor pieces a second life in the great outdoors.

Here, an end table was saved from the landfill and transformed into a charming outdoor garden table. Painted in all-weather Element Guard® Exterior paint, this table cheers up an outdoor workspace. High Park 467—a herbaceous soft green—is the perfect paint color for the job.
A welcoming white-painted bedroom with green headboard, green and white bedding, a small wooden side table, and a door open to claw-foot tub in a white bathroom.

Choosing Your Furniture Paint Color

With thousands of paint colors to choose from, how do you select the best color for painted furniture?

“Look to other items in the room or in open, adjacent rooms for inspiration,” says Sharon. “Artwork and textiles are great sources of color inspiration as they often have several hues woven in. On the other hand, painted furniture can become a work of art, so consider this an opportunity to select a fun palette of colors that you might not feel comfortable with on the walls.”

This bedroom, in crisp Paper White OC-55, offers an unexpected pop of color with Cedar Green 2034-40 on the headboard, a stroke of vibrancy in an otherwise quiet space.
A bright entryway with white-painted shiplap walls, a light pink-painted console, pink-painted wall sconces, and rattan mirror.

Lighting, Sheen and Painted Furniture

No matter where your painted furniture will live, the amount of light it gets throughout the day is an important factor in choosing the perfect color.

“Lighting plays a crucial role in color perception,” Sharon says, “so viewing your options in the correct lighting condition will help avoid unwanted color surprises.” Test out your options with an 8 oz. color sample, available online or at your local store.

Consider your choice of sheen as well, especially when painting older furniture. Lower sheens are often selected for vintage pieces because they help mask blemishes and reflect a piece’s old-world charm. Higher sheens tend to accentuate imperfections, and are therefore more appropriate for smooth surfaces that command a shiny, lacquered look.
A welcoming room in neutral hues and gray-painted walls, an elegant tan cabinet, gray sofa, and a woman standing near a window.

The Best Product for Painted Furniture

When it comes to the best paint for furniture, go with a product that delivers a durable, straight-from-the-factory finish. ADVANCE® Interior provides outstanding coverage and hide, and is great for camouflaging minor imperfections. Easy to apply and easy to clean, the result is a high-end, furniture-like finish.

The premium quality and performance of ADVANCE makes it the ideal paint for wood or laminate furniture. For more specialized projects, like painting wicker or metal furniture, consult with a locally owned Benjamin Moore retailer, and check out our list of “how-to” articles below.
A carved bust with jewelry draped over it on a light-gray-painted round table with an open scarlet red-painted interior drawer in front of a white-painted wall.

The Charm of Upcycled Furniture

There’s something inspiring about an older piece of furniture made new again: With a fresh coat of paint, you can make it entirely your own. From estate and thrift store finds to that saved-from-the-landfill gem found curbside, repainted furniture is an easy way to explore self-expression.

“Whether it’s updating the cabinets in your powder room or home office or breathing new life into an old China cabinet, why not take a cue from some of the statement colors in home fashion today and be more daring?” asks Sharon.

“Try painting the back panel of a display cabinet or the inside of a drawer with your favorite bold color and see how it’s instantly transformed.”

Off-white, black or gray are easy choices for smaller accent pieces that frequently move from room to room. Consider Oxford White 869, Onyx 2133-10, and Gray Owl 2137-60 (shown here) for timeless shades that go with everything.
The corner of a pale blue-painted wood bed frame and turquoise bench in front of a white wall.

Everything You Need to Paint Furniture

Ready to start your DIY furniture-painting project? We’re here to help. Browse our guides below, and find even more advice for specific projects, like cabinets, bookshelves, and more in our extensive How To & Advice section.



If you really want to take on your next interior paint project with confidence, count on your locally owned Benjamin Moore retailer for guidance.


Explore More Interior DIY Ideas and Products

A selection of Benjamin Moore paint color samples.

Color Samples

Buy one or more color samples to help finalize your choice of color—and ensure peace of mind.

Advance® Interior Paint

ADVANCE® Interior Paint

Enjoy a high-end finish with a unique waterborne alkyd formula that delivers stunning, long-lasting results.

An entryway with a white-painted table with floral decor, two white chairs, and light blue walls, white trim, and beige wainscoting.

How-To & Advice: How to Paint a Table

Painting a wood table is a great way to bring a beloved piece back to life. Follow our guide to get it done right!