How Well Does Painted Upholstery Hold Up

Earlier we talk about how to paint upholstery, let's beginning talk nigh if nosotros should paint upholstery.

Nosotros have a big one-time fabric chair, and this question was on my mind for almost a yr. I feared all the possible failures of painting upholstered furniture:

our chair would exist as uncomfortable as a pile of crusty baguettes.
our chair would look like the ghostly confront of Johnny Depp in a Tim Burton flick…
if I fail, I would not simply ruin a nonetheless-decent chair, but also make a big mess and waste a ton of fourth dimension.

In the end, lots of research plus the lure of a bright and happy white fabric chair helped me overcome all the fears and merely do it! I am and then happy with the upshot!

* Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here .

No wonder we all love white slip-covered sofas or white textile chairs. They are the perfect starting points for and so many creative decor styles! I can't help but playing with another color philharmonic!

In this step past pace tutorial, I will share everything I have learned almost how to paint upholstery –

which paints and fabrics give proficient results, and which materials to avoid
secrets to make your painted upholstery soft and comfortable to sit in
the pros and cons of painting upholstery vs other methods to makeover onetime furniture

Let'southward start with the most important step:

Step 1: Make up one's mind if your piece is suitable for painting, and choosing the right materials.

Material types:

Smooth cotton wool or poly blends are the most suitable type of fabrics when it comes t painting upholstery.

I highly recommend practicing on a slice of fabric very similar to or the same as your piece ( maybe a matching pillow, a swatch, etc) first. This way you get familiar with the whole process and the feel of the finished fabric. ( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure hither. )

Fabrics with a lot of texture such as velvet or thick woven fabrics are much more challenging to paint over. It is super important to exercise a test on a scrap piece that is aforementioned or similar, try using a liquid dye such as this to tint the cloth instead of paint, or consider slip cover instead!

Choosing paints:

I tested both Martha Steward fabric medium and Folk Art material medium mixed with acrylic paints vs acrylic latex paints. I don't recollect the material medium made the material feel any softer. ( I will share the undercover to that later!)

In this projection, I used Sherwin Williams Emerald Latex paint in Dover White satin finish, which is such a cute soft shade of white. I really similar this pigment because it meets the well-nigh stringent VOC regulations, and has anti-microbial agents inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the pigment surface.

Fabrics with a lot of texture such as velvet or thick woven fabrics are much more challenging to pigment over, because paint tends to class a thick crust subsequently soaking into the textured fibers. If your piece is fabricated of such fabrics, consider using a liquid dye such as this, instead of paint. The fabric dye is transparent, then this method works best if you are tinting a calorie-free colored fabric into a darker colored i.

Step ii: Prepare your piece for the start glaze of paint.

Vacuum the nooks and crannies. Wipe off whatsoever dust on the surface of the fabric.

Spot clean stains and then they don't dissolve in the paint and discolor the area. Just practise the best you can, no need to be perfect.

Record the legs and any parts you want to protect from the paint.

Spray water on your textile chair or sofa until the fabric is damp. This will aid the kickoff coat of paint to soak into the material. You can use a spray bottle or a paint sprayer (more than nearly that in next step).

Step 3: Employ the kickoff coat of paint.

While the fabric is even so damp, apply the first glaze of paint.

I of the keys to keeping the fabric soft is to use diluted pigment, and paint multiple coats.

I diluted the Sherwin Williams acrylic latex paint in the following ratio: iii cups of pigment to 2 cups of water.

I decided on this ratio after doing some tests on scrap fabrics similar to the fabric on our chair . If y'all are using different paint, dilute the paint to a consistency similar to crepe or pancake concoction.

Use a brush or a pigment sprayer to utilize the commencement coat of paint while the fabric is still damp.

I used the HomeRight Stop Max Fine Finish Sprayer which I received every bit a gift. ( Thank you Homeright!) I really similar this sprayer: it sprays beautifully, is piece of cake to make clean, and saves a lot of time!

Important: if you are using a sprayer, make sure to wear a respirator mask and work in a well ventilated place. Utilize a spray shelter or draperies to comprise the fine mist / paint particles!

Use a pigment brush to reach the areas where the fabric folds. After applying the starting time coat of paint, take a piece of rag or sponge and rub the painted surface to aid the paint soak into the fabric. You lot only have to practice this for the kickoff glaze.

At that place will exist areas where y'all cannot completely cover with paint, for instance: where the seat cushion turns vertically to meet the side arms. Merely reach down and pigment these areas with a paint brush so when no one is sitting on the chair, you won't see the original fabric. Don't use too much paint or these areas could stick.

Pace four: Sand the first glaze of pigment.

Let the kickoff coat dry.

You might think your piece is looking awful correct now. Don't panic! It volition expect significantly improve with each coat of paint!

Take a piece of 320 grit to 400 grit extra fine sand paper, and sand the painted areas.

Sanding between each coat with extra fine sand paper is some other key to keeping the fabric soft to the touch. Y'all will discover such a big deviation. The fabric will feel like synthetic leather instead of dry paint!

Related post: How to reupholster a fabric chair – footstep by pace tutorial.

How to reupholster a fabric chair – step by stride tutorial.

Step 5: Repeat with the painting and sanding process.

Employ the second coat of paint. Let dry. Sand the painted areas.

Repeat this procedure with more layers of paint until you are happy with the result. I did a total of iv coats of pigment. It took a couple of days because I had to wait for the pigment to dry between layers.

What a divergence it makes! Now our room feels so much brighter and airier!

If you love that indigo fabric or pillow, here's a tutorial on how to make your own indigo tie dye fabrics and pillow covers.

Detailed tutorial on 3 beautiful tie dye techniques to create your own glorious Indigo Shibori textiles for home decor or fashion projects! - A Piece Of Rainbow

Make envelope throw pillows in less than 10 minutes using re-purposed fabrics such as canvas drop cloth : super easy, no sewing skill required! A Piece Of Rainbow

How to make your own indigo tie dye fabrics and pillow covers.

Helpful tips:

Starting time decide if your upholstered chair or sofa is suitable for painting. Avoid fabrics with thick textures. Do some tests on scrap fabrics or smaller pieces.
Fabrics with a lot of texture such as velvet or thick woven fabrics are much more challenging to paint over, because paint tends to course a thick chaff after soaking into the textured fibers. If your piece is made of such fabrics, consider using a liquid dye such equally this, instead of pigment. The fabric dye is transparent, and so this method works best if you are tinting a lite colored cloth into a darker colored one. Information technology will not piece of work the other fashion.
Secrets to keeping the fabric soft to the impact: use diluted paint, and paint multiple coats. Sand with extra fin sand paper between coats.
Employ smaller paint brushes to affect upwards the difficult to reach areas. If you take a tufted chair or sofa like ours, paint the areas where cloth is bunched up with a thin coat of paint so they don't stick together and harden.
Habiliment gloves! As you lot can see I learned my lesson after the first twenty-four hour period!

The pros and cons of painting upholstery vs other methods to makeover old upholstered furniture.

Pros:

Painting upholstery is much faster and easier than reupholstering or making slipcovers.
Painted upholstery is a lot easier to continue clean considering paint is waterproof: just wipe off any dirty areas with a damp cloth.
It is piece of cake to repair whatsoever surface scratches: just touch up with paint!

Cons:

Non all fabrics are suitable for painting. In those cases, reupholstering or making slipcovers are the only options to refresh a piece. Same applies if the fabric surface is damaged.
Painted upholstery feels similar synthetic leather. Fabrics are softer. I am one of those who always prefer fabric seats to leather seats. The chair is still very comfortable, and we add pillows and blankets when nosotros desire actress coziness.

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