Painted Furniture Ideas and Inspiration

A cheery white-painted bedroom with a hint of blue-gray, a turquoise bench, and a window with white curtains flanked by turquoise-blue painted dressers with a lamp on each one. A cheery white-painted bedroom with a hint of blue-gray, a turquoise bench, and a window with white curtains flanked by turquoise-blue painted dressers with a lamp on each one.

Painting furniture is a low-effort, high-reward endeavor. In as little as a weekend, you can have a mood-boosting, colorful home accent that’s as good as new.

Looking for a way to make an impact in a room without too much effort? Painting furniture is a fun and cost-effective way to turn any furnishing from wallflower to 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.
Muted red painted chairs, a white table, and a window seat contrast nicely in this bright kitchen with a vaulted wood ceiling and beams, a white wall, and black kitchen cabinets. Muted red painted chairs, a white table, and a window seat contrast nicely in this bright kitchen with a vaulted wood ceiling and beams, a white wall, and black kitchen cabinets.

Painted Furniture: Where to Start

When it comes to painted furniture, step one is 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?

Knowing what vibe you’re going for will help you choose the best colors to paint furniture and make your painting project a success. We love bold hues like Wild Flower 2090-40, Waterbury Green HC-136, and Marblehead Gold HC-11 to turn any furniture—like these kitchen chairs—into an attention-grabbing conversation piece.

A light gray painted cabinet topped with a round box and a carved red cardinal, next to a gray railing in front of a rich blackened teal painted wall. A light gray painted cabinet topped with a round box and a carved red cardinal, next to a gray railing in front of a rich blackened teal painted wall.

The Best Product for Painted Furniture

The best paint for indoor furniture is 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 finish.

The premium quality and performance of Advance makes it the ideal paint for wood or laminate. For specialized projects, like painting wicker or metal furniture, consult the experts at your locally owned Benjamin Moore store or check out our how-to articles.

10 Painted Furniture Ideas

Whether you have sleek laminate furniture or treasured antique pieces, a fresh coat of paint can be as transformative in your space as buying something new. Read on to see our best tips and tricks for choosing color for painted furniture—and get started on your own project now by browsing color samples.

A mossy green-painted gardening stand with clay pots, pink flowers, gardening tools, and baskets adds to a cheery workspace inside a shed. A mossy green-painted gardening stand with clay pots, pink flowers, gardening tools, and baskets adds to a cheery workspace inside a shed.

1. Premium Exterior Paint Brings Indoor Furniture Outside

High-quality exterior paint has the power to give 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—an herbaceous soft green—is the perfect furniture paint color for the job.

Green and peach painted furniture adds to this fun kids’ playroom with an aqua board-and-batten wall and an adjacent white wall with yellow, peach, and aqua painted graphic designs. Green and peach painted furniture adds to this fun kids’ playroom with an aqua board-and-batten wall and an adjacent white wall with yellow, peach, and aqua painted graphic designs.

2. Painted Furniture Colors for Every Room

When it comes to choosing the best paint colors for furniture, “look to other items in the room for inspiration,” says Color and Design expert Sharon Grech. “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.”

A lively space like a kid’s room or playroom is the perfect place to experiment with a bold paint color scheme. Play with textiles and shapes to really amp up the fun—and don’t be afraid to go bright!

Vibrant, happy hues we love:

A white pitcher holding pink and white flowers stands atop a white painted stool in front of a light gray-green wall. A white pitcher holding pink and white flowers stands atop a white painted stool in front of a light gray-green wall.

3. 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-sale finds and thrift-store bargains to that saved-from-the-landfill gem found on the curb, repainting furniture is an easy way to explore self-expression.

Black, gray, or off-white paint colors are easy choices for smaller accent pieces that may be moved from room to room. Onyx 2133-10, Coventry Gray HC-169, and Steam AF-15—shown on the stool here—are timeless shades that go with everything.

A bright entryway with white-painted shiplap walls, a light pink-painted console, pink-painted wall sconces, and rattan mirror. A bright entryway with white-painted shiplap walls, a light pink-painted console, pink-painted wall sconces, and rattan mirror.

4. 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 when choosing the perfect color. Test your options with an 8 oz. color sample, available online or at your locally owned Benjamin Moore store.

Consider your choice of sheen as well, especially when painting older furniture. Lower sheens are ideal for vintage pieces because they help mask blemishes and reflect old-world charm. Higher sheens tend to accentuate imperfections and are better for smooth furniture that can handle a shiny, lacquered look.

A coral pink-painted dresser in front of a white wall with framed mirrors overhead and house plants. A coral pink-painted dresser in front of a white wall with framed mirrors overhead and house plants.

5. Liven Up Quiet Spaces with Vibrant Painted Furniture

Using a more neutral paint color scheme in your home? Try vivid hues to create dramatic focal points. Paint furniture pieces that have solid construction and interesting silhouettes or lines, such as a quirky high-back chair, a four-poster bed, or a statement-making chest, as seen here in eye-catching Coral Gables 2010-40.

“Whether you’re 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?” says Sharon.

Some bold hues we love:

Sunlight shining on a wicker chair and white desk in a corner space with mint green painted walls and a white ceiling. Sunlight shining on a wicker chair and white desk in a corner space with mint green painted walls and a white ceiling.

6. Accent with Off-White Painted Furniture

Much like trim, a coat of white or off-white paint on furniture can create a subtle contrast in more colorful spaces. For a cohesive look, stick with a white paint color that shares an undertone with what’s on the walls.

We love these white colors for painted furniture:

A pretty light-blue painted hutch displaying glass jars and books, and a wood rush chair against a white wall, near an open white door leading to a pale pink back wall. A pretty light-blue painted hutch displaying glass jars and books, and a wood rush chair against a white wall, near an open white door leading to a pale pink back wall.

7. Use Accent Colors on Panels

Painting upcycled furniture means you can get as creative with color as you want. “Try painting the back panel of a display cabinet or the inside of a drawer with your favorite color and see how the piece is instantly transformed,” Sharon suggests.

To get the best results on your painted furniture project, we recommend priming all surfaces prior to painting, even if the item has been painted before. Insl-X® Stix® Waterborne Bonding Primer is a good primer for most challenging surfaces, including nonporous ones such as Formica®, laminate, glossy tile, and more. Consider Insl-X® Prime Lock Plus for stain suppression, or try Fresh Start® High-Hiding All-Purpose Primer, a high-performing primer for most interior and exterior surfaces. After priming, you are ready to paint your indoor furniture.

A bright, open kitchen with an off-white painted vaulted ceiling, white subway tile backsplash, open shelving, a large island with a black-painted base and white countertop, and fun black-and-white wooden bar stools. A bright, open kitchen with an off-white painted vaulted ceiling, white subway tile backsplash, open shelving, a large island with a black-painted base and white countertop, and fun black-and-white wooden bar stools.

8. Eye-Catching Black Painted Furniture

Black paint colors make for a stunning addition to any space, especially when used on painted furniture, accent walls, or kitchen cabinets. To give any space a chic, classic look, pair black painted accents with white walls—just make sure to choose a similar undertone to bring it all together.

Lighting has a major impact on what paint colors look like in real life. If you’re thinking about how to pick the perfect black paint color for your home, sampling your Benjamin Moore color choices is always our top recommendation. Shop online or visit the experts at your locally owned Benjamin Moore store—either way, you’ll be sure to find a hue you love.

A cheerful corner office space with a large orange rectangle overlapping a golden yellow rectangle painted on white walls, with an orange desk and shelves, and a light green swivel chair. A cheerful corner office space with a large orange rectangle overlapping a golden yellow rectangle painted on white walls, with an orange desk and shelves, and a light green swivel chair.

9. Add a Pop of Color to a Room

Adding radiant color to a room does more than just liven up the space. Even if you’re not committed to painting every wall, adding a piece of painted furniture can go a long way in maximizing creativity and boosting your mood.

Have a home office that could benefit from a dose of color? A painted desk, cabinet, or chair can bring a positive vibe to the space, helping you to settle in and focus on the tasks at hand.

Cheery hues we love for painted furniture:

An inviting home entryway with floor-to-ceiling green painted bookshelves, white walls and ceiling, a red-trimmed front door, and a red area rug. An inviting home entryway with floor-to-ceiling green painted bookshelves, white walls and ceiling, a red-trimmed front door, and a red area rug.

10. Add Painted Accents to Bring Out Wood’s Natural Beauty

Painted furniture doesn’t just mean movable items—it can mean built-in pieces too. Cabinetry, bookshelves, and mudroom shelving can all be painted to enhance the natural beauty of your space.

For rooms with lots of wood—flooring, trim, doors—and white painted walls, incorporating painted furniture and accents is a smart way to add fun color pairings, like hues from our New Retro or Eclectic Vintage color palettes.

Here, complementary pairings take center stage with Woodland Hills Green 543 on shelving and Smoldering Red 2007-10 on the door. Other complementary pairings we love:

A cozy white-painted attic bedroom with shiplap walls and ceiling shows off two green twin beds with multi-colored pastel bedding, flanking a window and small pink chest of drawers. A cozy white-painted attic bedroom with shiplap walls and ceiling shows off two green twin beds with multi-colored pastel bedding, flanking a window and small pink chest of drawers.

Everything You Need to Paint Furniture

If you’re 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 in our extensive How-To & Advice section. You can also count on your locally owned Benjamin Moore store for guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions


Q. What type of furniture can be painted?

A. Most types of indoor furniture can be painted. Refer to our helpful how-to articles for the best products to use and the steps to take when painting furniture, including how to refinish wood furniture, how to paint laminate furniture, how to paint metal furniture, and how to stain outdoor wood furniture.



Q. Do I have to prime furniture before painting it?

A. It depends on the type of surface you are painting and whether it has been painted before. Insl-X® Stix® Waterborne Bonding Primer is a good primer for most challenging surfaces, including nonporous ones such as Formica®, laminate, glossy tile, and more. Consider Insl-X® Prime Lock Plus for stain suppression—think dining room tables and coffee tables. Always prime any surface that has not been previously painted. Try Fresh Start® High-Hiding All-Purpose Primer, a high-performing primer for most interior and exterior surfaces. After priming, you are ready to paint your indoor furniture.



Q. How do I choose furniture paint color?

A. When it comes to painted furniture, think about 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? Knowing what vibe you’re going for will help you choose the right color and make your painting project a success.

While you can use any color for painted furniture, some of our favorite hues include Tempest AF-590, Conch Shell 052, and Greenhow Blue CW-655. For more neutral hues, try Revere Pewter HC-172 or Dulce de Leche CSP-250.



Q. What is the best paint to paint furniture?

A. The best paint for furniture is a product that delivers a durable, straight-from-the-factory finish, like Advance® Interior. Advance provides outstanding coverage and hide (great for camouflaging minor imperfections), is easy to apply and clean, and has a high-end, furniture-like finish.

For more specialized projects, like painting wicker or metal furniture, consult the experts at your locally owned Benjamin Moore store to learn which premium products would be best to use.



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

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!

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