TODAY I’M SHARING 7 TIPS FOR A SMOOTH AND FLAWLESS PAINT BLEND ON YOUR PAINTED FURNITURE!
Hi sweet SI family! Creating a beautiful and flawless blend on your furniture can feel intimidating – I know because I’ve been there! So today I’m sharing 7 Tips For Blending Paint on Furniture! I’m also showcasing 7 different pieces I’ve used these blending tips and techniques on. I hope these tips help build your confidence to give this gorgeous paint technique a try. And I promise, with a little practice, you’ll be painting the softest and smoothest blended transitions in no time!
Also, thank you to ALL who participated in last week’s giveaway post. We have three lucky winners that I’m announcing at the bottom of today’s post!
7 TIPS FOR BLENDING PAINT
1. CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAINT
The first consideration is the paint you use to get that gorgeous blended look. Although ANY water-based paint can be blended, I find using a good quality chalky type paint works the VERY best. Why? Because although many brands of chalky paints are on the thicker side, they thin and blend really nicely when a little water is added. They are self-leveling and highly pigmented which creates gorgeous color blends. They are also very forgiving! If you make a mistake, it’s easy to give your paint a light sanding or even wipe it off with a wet cloth and start over again.
2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT BRUSH
Using a good quality synthetic paint brush makes blending your paint easy. Using a natural bristle brush, chip brush, or low-quality dollar store brush will make a gradual transition difficult to achieve as these may leave brush strokes. I have a list of my favorite paintbrushes here. Also having a few paint brushes on hand for the separate colors is also helpful. And keeping one brush specific for blending the blend works nicely as well.
Here are a few paintbrush tips when blending…
- Don’t overload your brush with too much paint
- Use a separate brush for each color
- Use a third neutral brush specifically for blending the blended color(s)
- Dollar store brushes, chip brushes, or natural fiber brushes may leave brush strokes so avoid using them
- Misting your brush with water keeps the paint moving/blending nicely
3. WATER IS YOUR FRIEND
If you’re trying to get a smooth blend, this water misting bottle is a must-have tool! Water misting bottles do exactly as they say – they mist the water gently – they don’t shoot out streams of water. This is important when painting a blend because you can control exactly how much water you are adding without it ruining your wet paint/blend. I use these two water mister bottles which you can find here and here.
Here are a few tips when using your water mister bottle…
- Use room temperature water – not too hot or cold
- Keep your water mister bottles within reach when blending
- Mist your paintbrush before dipping it into the paint
- Mist your paint once it’s applied to your furniture and then blend
4. WORK WITH SIMILAR SHADES
I always thought working with ‘complimentary’ colors would work the best when blending but the opposite is true. The definition of complementary colors (on the color wheel) is ‘opposite colors’. For instance, red-green, yellow-purple, and blue-orange are complementary colors. When these colors are blended they create bold NEW colors. Red and green create brown for instance. Working with SIMILAR SHADES (especially when you are first starting out on your blending journey) makes blending so much easier! Blending white or creams into soft yellows, green, blues and pinks work really nicely. Or try blending the same colors in different shades. A light green into a darker green for example.
Here’s a post on 10 Winning Color Combos I love to pair together.
5. WORK IN SECTIONS
I work in sections when blending paint on my furniture and I like to start on the SIDES of my furniture before tackling the front. This gives me time to get a ‘feel’ for the colors and how they blend together. I gain some confidence while working on the sides and then I move onto the face forward working in small sections once again ie, drawers, top, etc.
6. FEATHER YOUR BRUSHSTROKES
Feathering your brushstrokes is a fancy way of saying keep your brushstrokes LIGHT. You don’t want or need to push down hard on your brush when blending paint. In fact, the softer your hand, the more blended your paint will look. You can brush up or down, sideways, or from side to side depending on which direction you want your blend to go, but always make sure they are light feathery brushstrokes to get the best results!
7. HAVE FUN AND PRACTICE
Practice is key to getting better and more comfortable at anything! Have fun when playing around. Try different color combos and see what you like the looks of. I like experimenting on curb-shopped furniture but you could also use a scrap piece of board before tackling your grandmother’s china cabinet. The more you play around with these techniques the more confident you’ll become!
Here are a few blended pieces I’ve painted over the years. I’ve included the link to the products I’ve used and a full step-by-step tutorial in the title. I hope it inspires you to give this gorgeous paint technique a try!
HOW TO BLEND PAINT | DRESSER
BLUEBERRY BLEND PAINTED DRESSER
SUNFLOWER DRESSER MAKEOVER
FLORAL ROMANCE BLENDED DRESSER
FRENCH LINEN HEADBOARD
REBEL-YELLOW CURB SHOPPED DRESSER
BLENDED FLORAL CHINA CABINET
And now for the three lucky winners of last week’s Amazon + Book Giveaway! A HUGE thank you to all of you who participated!
THE LUCKY WINNERS OF LAST WEEK’S AMAZON+BOOK GIVEAWAY ARE…
$100 KAREN. K
$50 ALEXIS
$50 GAYLE. S
I really hope you enjoyed these tips and it gives you a starting point when blending your furniture! I’ll be back this Thursday with my Furniture Fixer Upper Crew and this curb-shopped settee makeover… bird droppings and all! 🐦 😂
LET ME KNOW WHICH PIECE IS YOUR FAVORITE OR FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN WITH ANY BLENDING TECHNIQUES THAT WORK WELL FOR YOU! … OR FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂
Happy furniture painting friends!
Denise x
Hi Denise! You have painted some amazing pieces. Some romantic, some boho and colorful and some very classy. I have learned a lot from you over the years. Thank you!!
I have to keep you guessing, right?!😉 You’re super sweet Cheryl, thank YOU! XOXO
These are all so beautiful! I think my favorite is the floral romance dresser because it is so different! I love those colors too! Hope your foot is feeling much better! XOXO
Hi Cecilia! I really like that one as well! And the foot is getting a little better day by day thanks! XOXO
This is a wonderful post, so full of helpful info, thanks so much for sharing. I have done up lots of furniture in my time, but these gorgeous pieces of yours really take the cake. I wish I was younger and could start over when I see todays look. Beautiful.x
Oh, I’m so happy you’ve found it helpful Janette! And thank youuuu! XOXO
Hi Denise. Great, easy to follow tips for blending paint. You explain things so well. I can’t choose a favorite piece, so I’m going to say ALL of them! Teehee. They really all are beautiful.
ALL of them for the win…hehe. Thanks so much Monique! XOXO
Blending tips so appreciated. Now to practice.
Your pieces are amazing. Each unique.
I have 2 favorites- The Fluff and sand bar dresser.
and the French linen headboard. They’re exquisite!
So glad you find the tips helpful Joanne! And those are two of my faves as well 😉
Denise, you make it impossible to choose just one favorite piece! With other similar bloggers, it wouldn’t be such a challenge. You are the creme de la creme!!!
By the way, how’s your foot healing and when do you get to wear a regular shoe? Sure hope the pineapple is mending those bones.
Cheers!
Aw, thanks so much Caye! And I had a specialist appointment yesterday. He said another 4 weeks in this boot and then possibly physio. I have to say, it feels a little stronger every day though. Thanks for asking!