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

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