TODAY I’M SHARING THE BEST PAINT BRUSHES FOR YOUR FURNITURE MAKEOVERS!
Buying the right paint brush for your furniture makeovers can be intimidating because there are SO MANY to choose from! I’ve been painting and restyling furniture for over 10 years and I’ve used my fair share of brands and there is a difference in how they apply paint and hold up to use. Today I’m sharing my BEST Paint Brushes for Furniture. These brushes will give you a gorgeous brush-free professional finish, last for years, and are versatile enough for faux finishes, waxing, and more!
But before I share my list of favorites, I want to step back in my furniture painting journey with you…
In 2012 when I first started my furniture painting business I was flat broke. I was working as a part-time special needs school bus driver and living on a part-time wage. I’m embarrassed to admit I was so broke that in the dead of winter, I couldn’t afford a new pair of boots. So instead I lined my leaky boots with plastic bags so my feet would stay dry in the slushy wet snow. I had no disposable income. So ALL my furniture finds were curb-shopped and buying quality paintbrushes wasn’t an option. All I could afford were dollar store brushes. FYI I still use dollar store paint brushes for certain applications that I’ll share below. I’m sharing this because if you’re just starting out or have limited funds, I want you to know ‘fancy’ brushes aren’t a pre-requisite for painting furniture! I suggest starting with what you can afford. Then over time, have fun building out your tools of the trade.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
Here’s a list of the 10 Paint Brushes I use on a daily basis — in no particular order.
BEST PAINT BRUSH FOR FURNITURE
3″ Wooster Gold Edge Angle Brush
DBP Mini Angled
2″ Wooster Shortcut
1″ & 1.5″ Purdy
DB Oval Medium
Chip Brushes
Artists Brush Set
Best Dang Brush Round
Dollar Store Paint Brushes (various sizes)
Dixie Belle Synthetic (short and oval)
Here’s more information on each brush including some benefits and why I love using them.
3″ WOOSTER BRUSH GOLD EDGE ANGLE BRUSH
This is 3″ Wooster is a workhorse of a brush that covers large areas. It’s perfect when I’m applying paint to large pieces because it covers a lot of areas quickly and smoothly. It’s also amazing when using a paint wash or feathering paint! It has excellent control and smooth application. It’s a firm brush but soft to the touch and it’s held its shape and bristles even after years of use and washing.
DIXIE BELLE PAINT MINI ANGLE SYNTHETIC BRUSH
Dixie Belle Paint Brushes are high-quality, professional paint brushes that apply paint beautifully. These synthetic brushes are medium/stiff, comfortable to hold and maneuver. Because it’s angled, it allows me to get into tight areas and corners easily. I have more than one of these brushes (which I use for different colors when blending etc) and they’ve all kept their shape after years of use. This DB Mini-Angled is an amazing brush for furniture painting and any DIY project. It’s so amazing that every time Dixie Belle stocks up, it SELLS OUT FAST!
WOOSTER BRUSH 2″ SHORTCUT ANGLE PAINTBRUSH
My favorite alternative to the DB Mini is this Wooster Shortcut Angle Sash Paint Brush. The shergrip 2″ handle is super comfortable has no slide because it’s made out of some sort of soft rubber. It has all the benefits of the DB Paint Mini Angle and it’s easy to find at any Home Depot, Lowes, and online here. I’ve used this brush for painting full pieces, dry brushing, washes, faux marble finishes, and more. It’s very reasonably priced and a great mini to have on hand for any project.
PURDY 1″ and 1.5″ PAINTBRUSH
Purdy Brushes are outstanding regardless of what size you get them in. But I can’t go without my 1″ and 1.5″ Purdy soft. These are super versatile designed for use with all paints and stains on interior or exterior projects. The 1″ and 1.5″ size brushes are perfect for smaller areas, corners, painting spindle feet. The brush is soft so there are no brush marks yet they’ve lasted years and held their shape and bristles. I use both sizes on a ton of projects and with different products. Water-based stains, milk paint, chalk paint, mineral paint, latex, enamel, and metallics! Here’s a chair makeover painted in metallics. Metallics are notorious for brush marking but this soft Purdy Brush did an amazing job!
DB OVAL MEDIUM
If you like using oval brushes, you can’t go wrong with this DB Oval Medium. It holds paint beautifully and applies it evenly and without brush strokes. It’s comfortable to hold and will also work with dry brushing, ( table example here) paint washes, and other faux finishes. It’s also great for blending and gradients. The oval lets you paint faster and more efficiently, helping to reduce the time and effort it takes to complete a project. I have a few of these brushes and they’ve lasted for years so it’s a great investment. Because these Dixie Belle Synthetic Brushes are so popular, they SELL OUT fast so you may have to check on them periodically to get one!
2″ CHIP BRUSH
Chip brushes are super inexpensive (between $1-$2), easy to find in any hardware store or online, and can be used for dry brushing, painting, waxing, glazing, applying stripper, faux techniques like stippling or dragging and even tasks like applying glue to your wood appliques. The downfall of these brushes is they can sometimes lose bristles so it’s best to wash them before use. I grab these in bulk so I always have a good few on hand. Because they are so inexpensive, these brushes are great for one-time use when needed.
ARTIST BRUSHES (VARIOUS SIZES)
When you think of painting a piece of furniture you don’t really think of using small artists’ brushes. But having a set of smaller artists’ brushes like this has come in handy more times than I can count. They are perfect for detail work like to getting into keyholes, freehand painting, adding glaze, or metallics. I like this set here but if you’re just starting out and can’t afford a set like this, pick up a dollar store set.
BEST DANG BRUSH ROUND
This is a new one for me but I absolutely love it. This Best Dang Brush is a multi-utility 2-inch natural blend that is excellent for painting, blending, and waxing. It works with all types of paint and waxes. The handle is a comfy wood grip and it’s designed to pick up paint or wax and dispense uniform amounts of product for quick, even painting. The soft bristles eliminate brush strokes but I have to be honest, I’m loving it for waxing! You can see it in action on this short Pinterest video here. It cleans up nicely with warm water and soap but as a side note, it does have an odor while it’s wet as it’s made from natural bristles. It’s another quality brush from Dixie Belle so I wouldn’t be surprised if it sells out as fast as their others.
DOLLAR STORE BRUSHES
As I mention I still use dollar store brushes and always have different sizes on hand. You can paint entire pieces of furniture with them. If you notice brush marks, I would suggest thinning your paint with a little water for a smooth finish. Where these brushes do shine is for one-time uses for BIN Shellac Based Primer, faux finishes, dry brushing, applying paint strippers or wax shading like on this faux leather chair below.
DIXIE BELLE SYNTHETIC BRUSHES
My two favorites in the DB Synthetic line are the Mini which is similar to the Mini Angled but has a straight edge and as I mentioned above the large oval. That said, ANY brush from DB works beautifully and can be used with ALL BRANDS of paint — NOT just their paint line.
I hope this list is helpful and it encourages you to find and buy the BEST paint brush for YOU!
BONUS TIPS on PAINT BRUSH CARE
- Wrap brushes in plastic wrap in between coats so the paint doesn’t dry in the ferrule and it saves time washing.
- Wash brushes thoroughly when not in use. I like this soap + scrub for my brushes but a drop of Dawn Dish liquid works just as well.
- Rinse Out the excess water and reshape the brush for drying. This keeps the bristles intact and where they’re supposed be.
- Don’t throw brushes away. Retired brushes can be used for waxing or various faux paint effects even if the bristles are wonky.
The last thing I’ll leave you with is something one of my instructors at my Latow Photography club would always say when asked what was the best camera to buy, “It’s not the violin that makes the beautiful music, it’s the violinist.” So whatever brush you use, I hope you paint from the heart and create something beautiful.
I’ll be back this Thursday with my Furniture Fixer Upper Crew and this ReStore Dresser Makeover. See you then!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PAINT BRUSH? IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO ASK OR CHIME IN AND SAY HI. I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
Denise x
Hi Denise , Have you used your techniques on painting kitchen cabinets? If so, what is your recommendation? My concern is seeing brush strokes. Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks
Hi Joy! I need a kitchen makeover badly but I haven’t tackled mine kitchen yet. And I haven’t painted anyone else’s kitchen either so my answer is technical logic rather than experience. But I would seek out self-leveling paint if you’re planning on using a brush. Depending on the paint a little thinning may be beneficial as well. Or using a roller on large flat surfaces could be helpful as well. And a light sanding between coats for a super smooth finish. ๐
Denise, Thanks for taking the time for your thoughts they are appreciated Will let you know how I did. Joy.๐
Oh, can’t wait to see the after make-over photos. Appreciate you sharing these types of brushes, honestly, I never knew there was a lof of them.
There are SO MANY fabulous brushes on the market and thanks Rosalie!
The Dixie Bell brushes are my all time favourite! I’ve been painting for a long time and have used many brushes (I still use dollar store brushes as well) but the DB are my go to brushes!!
Hi Lynda, always nice to see you here! ๐ค They are fabulous, totally agree!
Hi Denise,
Thanks for sharing this info on brushes. It’s always nice to be able to learn from someone else’s experiences. Also, nice to know a fellow former school bus driver. I retired, almost 2 years ago, after 25 years of driving school bus in far upstate New York. Certainly don’t miss getting up at 4:00 am, especially in the bitter cold of winter.
Hi Jill… fellow former school bus driver! I don’t miss waking up so early either. It was 5am for me. Doing those circle checks in the freezing cold – not fun. ๐ I really do miss the kids though. It was a very rewarding job. And just as a side note I’m only a 40 min drive from Buffalo / Upstate NY border!
Brush vs roller?
If you see roller marks on your piece will it help to thin the paint?
Hi Mary! Yes. You can thin with a little water or Flotrol and this will give the paint more time to lay or self-level. Or change rollers. I like the high-density white 4″ rollers. I find they apply paint beautifully. ๐
Thank you for taking the time to post this fabulous information….. Love all your posts and work, btw… but this one is the bomb.
Oh, I’m so glad Florence! I remember what it was like when I was first starting out so I really hope this helps a few people. Have a super day. XO
Thanks for the review. Funny thing I just ordered my first Zibra brushes to try.I will check out some of your recommendations next. Happy painting!
Hi Laura! I’ve used Zibra and they are really good brushes. You won’t be disappointed. ๐
There are so many brushes so thanks for diving into all this with us! ~ Nicki
My pleasure and thanks Nicki! ๐
Do you realize on the left side of the page there are four squares that block your writing.
I did not so thanks for the heads up! I’ll go take a look.
Hi Denise. Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey. I too have been flat broke and appreciate your honesty in best brushed to use. I agree, the best tools are the ones you can afford! You may laugh, but I’ve actually used small (spare or old) make-up brushes on small projects. They worked like a charm;)
Make-up brushes how creative! I wouldn’t have thought of that but I’m sure it worked amazing! I like watching those FB Lives where furniture painters aren’t allowed to use brushes at all. I’ve seen painting with cardboard, fingers etc… all with beautiful results! ๐