10 DIY Ideas to Give Old Furniture New Life Using Paint

When there’s no room in the budget for new furniture, sometimes all you need to give a piece a new lease on life is a can of paint, a brush and some creativity. Whether you’re changing a room’s colour scheme or just want to upcycle a tired table, these 10 ideas are sure to spark your inner DIYer.

White dresser painted with BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint topped with a vase full of yellow, red and orange poppies

Behr: Carousel Red BCP04

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Limited Selection

Just because you’ve picked up your paint brush and chosen a new colour, that doesn’t mean you have to use it everywhere. Limiting what gets a fresh coat is a fresh idea.

Cool child’s bedroom with grey wood paneled walls, a small easel chalkboard, and a bed painted with blue BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint

Behr: May Iris BCP37

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Wax On, Wax On

To achieve the same weathered look as this sweet blue child’s bed, paint a base coat of chalk decorative paint, then apply a wax decorative finish to get the exact effect you want.

Colourful mid-century modern living room with a grey couch, orange egg chair, and a coffee table painted with BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint

Behr: Summer Porch BCP12, Granny Smith Apple BCP16, Surf...

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Triangulating Trends

Turn an unassuming varnished coffee table into a real conversation piece by layering on similar geometric shapes in varying bold shades. For an extra pop, paint the trapezoid created by the intersecting triangles a different vibrant colour.

Chic living room with a red couch, mid-century modern painted coffee table, and BERH Extreme S530-6, Polar Bear 75 + Fashion Gray PPU18-15 on the walls

Behr: Extreme S530-6, Polar Bear 75, Fashion Gray PPU18-15

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Wicker Wonders

Don’t limit your painting to wood furnishings – adding paint to wicker (or other natural fibres) creates a lot of visual interest with its woven texture, while still tying in with the room’s larger colour scheme.

Fun bedroom with four poster bed, bold painted furniture, and walls painted in BEHR New Bamboo PPU10-04 and Pure Turquoise M460-4

Behr: New Bamboo PPU10-04 + Pure Turquoise M460-4

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Bohemian Rhapsody

Don’t be shy: committing to a bold colour can produce beautiful results, especially when using contrasting colours, such as the bright green on the table and hot pink for the mirror.

Beach themed bedroom with a small wall sconce shelf, bed with distressed white headboard painted with BEHR Swiss Coffee 12, and walls painted in BEHR Lunar Surface N460-3

Behr: Lunar Surface N460-3 + Swiss Coffee 12

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Don’t Get Board

In a bedroom, painting a headboard is a simple way to efficiently update the colour scheme. It covers a lot of wall space and instantly changes the feel of a room without too much work.

Lively dining room with green and white painted board walls, green and white table, and two yellow chairs painted with BEHR Chalk Decorate Paint in Summer Porch BCP12

Behr: Summer Porch BCP12 + Ice Water BCP26

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Vintage Advantage

While the painted yellow chairs add a splash of retro colour to this lively dining room, it’s the coat of sea-green paint added to the table, built-in cupboard and lower walls that really brings home the space’s vintage vibe.

Beautiful bedroom vanity painted with BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint in Crème de Mint BCP22 with makeup, a mug and a flower vase on it

Behr: Crème de Mint BCP22

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Two Not of a Kind

Even if two pieces of furniture weren’t built as a set, painting them in a unifying matte colour changes that – just like this vintage vanity and mismatched table mirror.

Bright bedroom with a bed painted in BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint Onyx Gray BCP44 and a dresser in BEHR Memory Lane BCP34

Behr: Onyx Gray BCP44 + Memory Lane BCP34

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Now Lie in It

While painting a whole bed may seem like a daunting task, once you’ve got the hang of the how-to steps of repainting furniture, no task will seem too big to tackle. You may even be inspired to do the dresser next.

Overhead view of a grey couch and a small metal side table painted with BEHR Chalk Decorative Paint in Summer Porch BCP12 + Trellis Gray BCP39

Behr: Summer Porch BCP12 + Trellis Gray BCP39

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It’s the Little Things

Don’t forget about the little things – sometimes a small piece can make a big impact. This industrial side table gets a bright makeover with a top painted out in yellow chalk paint, while the mainframe stays a matte neutral in grey.