Primitive Furniture Painting Ideas

Milk Paint

• Although today it is made and sold commercially by paint manufacturers, milk paint was originally made and used by people who had no access to commercial paint, and so made their own out of soured milk, lime and earth pigment. Milk paint typically has a matte finish and a slightly gritty texture, and these days is available in many colors. Whatever color you choose, make sure it looks muted, weathered and sun-faded.

Stenciling

• Applying a simple folk art stencil to your piece dresses it up without giving it an overly formal or fussy look. Simple Americana-style stencils of fruits, flowers, farm animals and farm houses add color and design, yet still look authentic. Use muted, weathered colors to give your piece the appearance of having been used for years. Once the paint has dried, very lightly sand or rub it to take the newness off.

Distressing

• Distressing is the act of making a new piece of furniture look worn and slightly banged up, as if it has been used for generations. There are numerous ways to achieve this look, including sanding edges, adding intentional nail holes, banging a piece with a hammer or chain, wiping or rubbing antiquing gel into nooks and crannies and applying crackle glaze to give paint a cracked, chipped look. Distressed pieces take on a more authentic look when you first give them two or more coats of paint in different colors, as the distressing allows the base coat to peek through in places.

Whitewashing

• Whitewashing is coating raw wood with a translucent white finish that allows some of the wood's grain and natural color to show through. Whitewashing originally involved crushing lime, mixing it with water and heating it to form a mixture that hardened once it was applied and cooled. Today, most people whitewash furniture by applying white latex paint that has been diluted with water, or by applying clear stain to which white pigment has been added.