Furniture paint: what you need to know

What defines furniture paint?

Furniture paint is always a lacquer. It doesn’t just give a piece of furniture a new colour, but also protects it against daily wear and tear. With furniture paint, you create an additional layer on your furniture. Ideally, this not only looks great but also protects your furniture against bumps and scratches. After painting, surfaces should be easy to care for, lightfast and durable in every respect.

When should furniture be painted?

There are many reasons to use furniture paint. Painting furniture, for example, is a great option if you’re no longer fond of a piece in its old colour. Perhaps it no longer matches your new wallpaper or wall colour. Or maybe you simply fancy a change. If you have a standard piece of furniture, you might want to create something unique that no one else has and give it a black furniture lacquer for an industrial chic look. Or you might want to give a lovely flea market find an authentic vintage look by painting it with a nostalgic shade. You could use a classic white furniture lacquer for this.

Not all furniture is made of wood; metal and plastic are also commonly used. You might be wondering which paints you can use to revamp a cabinet or chest of drawers with a plastic veneer surface. And whether sanding the surface is necessary before painting. We can reassure you: Yes, you can also paint metal, plastic veneer and even high-gloss surfaces with furniture lacquer. Sanding is not usually required. You should only sand these areas if the old paint is peeling or otherwise damaged. So, nothing stands in the way of a makeover for your IKEA furniture!

Choosing the right furniture colour

Before you start your project, it makes sense to select one of the 4 furniture lacquer qualities offered by MissPompadour. These lacquer variants not only create a different look but also fulfil different requirements. Last but not least, the choice of colours plays a major role – from beige or brown furniture lacquer to turquoise furniture lacquer, any shade is possible.

Chalk paint for furniture: a wide selection at MissPompadour

Chalk paints and chalk lacquers impress with the velvety surfaces they create on your furniture. These matt paints are suitable for indoor furniture.

If you’d like to paint furniture with chalk paint, we recommend our CosyColours chalk paints collection. MissPompadour offers a soft, extremely cosy range of colours. With these furniture paints, you can achieve a velvety, matt, elegant finish. The odourless, water-based furniture paints work on any surface, and the chalk content gives your furniture a slightly rustic touch. This is why this furniture paint is also particularly suitable for shabby chic finishes. The soft colour tones and powdery surfaces are reminiscent of days gone by, when paints weren’t formulated with lots of acrylic and solvents to create a glossy finish.

The chalk paints in the LittlePomp collection, whose qualities and colour tones have been specially developed for children, also have a matt and elegant appearance. Like all MissPompadour products, they are also completely family-safe, meaning that even pregnant women can work with them. These paints are entirely VOC-free, which means they don’t release any harmful vapours into the environment during application and drying. Everything painted with them is saliva-resistant and extremely hard-wearing.

The all-rounder for every project: Easy Eggshell!

The absolute all-rounder at MissPompadour is the furniture lacquer variant Easy Eggshell! from the Just Paint collection. With it, you can achieve soft, silky matt surfaces that are extremely hard-wearing. This furniture paint is weatherproof, so you can also use it on garden furniture. Why not paint your garden bench with a vibrant red furniture lacquer? Indoors, it's particularly suitable for tables, chairs, benches, or kitchen furniture – in other words, any furniture that's subject to heavy use. Easy Eggshell! is colour-coordinated with the MissPompadour wallpaper collection and is also available as wall paint.

Which furniture can I paint or varnish?

Basically, you can paint all furniture. If your furniture is oiled or waxed, it must be sanded thoroughly before painting. Depending on the surface, you may need to prime or seal the painted finish at the end.

Redesigning children's rooms with furniture paint

Have you inherited a pretty cot or cradle, or perhaps found a chest of drawers at a flea market that could be used as a changing table? Then why not grab a brush and paint and give this furniture a new look and your very own style. Perhaps use a neutral yellow or grey furniture lacquer? Or a classic blue or pink furniture lacquer? Anything you like is permitted! All chalk paints from the LittlePomp children's collection are also available as wall paints, so you can create interesting tone-on-tone effects with furniture and walls. Finally, you can give the LittlePomp chalk lacquer an even more durable finish with the help of our colourless wax from the CosyColours Furniture Wax collection.

Lacquer and chalk paint: painting furniture in the kitchen

Kitchen furniture can also be given a completely different look with the furniture paints from MissPompadour. If your kitchen has plastic surfaces, you should always prime them with a primer such as MissPompadour To Bond & Block. This will ensure the furniture paint adheres securely to the smooth surfaces. You can even use it to prepare high-gloss surfaces for a coat of furniture lacquer.

For kitchen furniture, we recommend the particularly hard-wearing furniture lacquer quality Easy Eggshell! However, once you’ve found your perfect shade of CosyColours chalk paint, you can also use it to paint your kitchen cabinets. Seal the paint at the end with MissPompadour To Seal. This provides an additional protective layer that makes it more resistant.

Outdoor furniture: colour for the outdoors

Garden furniture can also often benefit from a new coat of paint. Here, it’s important to use a paint quality that is weatherproof. At MissPompadour, the right quality is Easy Eggshell! Regardless of whether your furniture is made of wood or metal, old paint that is damaged or peeling must be sanded off. You should also always prime outdoor furniture with a primer. Use MissPompadour To Bond & Block, as this will increase the durability of your paint. Perhaps opt for a vibrant colour like orange furniture lacquer instead of the usual green?

Furniture lacquer: a few application tips

It’s always important to clean a piece of furniture thoroughly before painting. All dirt and dust must be removed before you begin. The best way to do this is with MissPompadour To Clean. This mild yet highly effective cleaner works without damaging surfaces or your skin. If your piece of furniture has been waxed or oiled, sand the areas well – otherwise, the lacquer won’t adhere. Stained furniture must be primed to prevent the stain from bleeding through into the paint.

Blogs on furniture painting

Here you’ll find the most important painting instructions, tips, and tricks:

• Painting lacquer for beginners
• Painting wooden furniture
• Painting rustic oak
• Painting kitchen furniture
• Painting high-gloss furniture
• Upcycling IKEA furniture
• Painting garden furniture

Order furniture paint from the MissPompadour Shop

We recommend ordering colour cards first. The Just Paint colour cards, which include Easy Eggshell!, are individually removable and postcard-sized. This means you can easily compare the colours in any light. There are also A6 colour card sets for LittlePomp and CosyColours. Once you’ve found the right paint quality and your perfect shade, order your tools along with the paint. In addition to a brush and paint roller, you’ll always need a paint tray. If you plan to work with wax, don’t forget our wax brush!