Nothing is worse than seeing your house’s furniture encased in dust and stains after a hard-working day. You know that you have to rejuvenate your decór and chalk paint comes as the most feasible solution. But you have no experience in finding the best chalk paint for furniture?
Terrible situation, we may say. For that reason, we will elaborate on some of the best products so you can make a decision of your own.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Top 5 Best Chalk Paint For Furniture
Best Chalk Paint For Furniture: Comprehensive Reviews of Top 5 Recommend
1. Rust-Oleum 285140
Editor Rating: Technical Details
- Item Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 4.2 x 5 inches
- Size: 30 oz Can
- Finish: Matte
- Material: Water-based
- Coverage: 150 square feet
- Made in: USA
Rust-Oleum is a reputable company developing products that protect surfaces from destructive agents from the environment. One of their famous products – The model 285140 can meet all your working demands.
After drying, the paint will give you some kind of creamy, chalky color, and can be distressed to create a more chippy look, extremely suitable for people who are vintage-style fans. Also, the product is low on odor, excellently durable, giving you the best using experience.
The application can not be any easier and the paint can perfectly cover various surfaces from metal, wood to ceramic, canvas.
Drying time is just 30 minutes and a 30-ounce container can cover up to 150 square feet. Paint the wrong place or accidentally let the paint spill out on your floor? Don’t worry, just wash it with soap and water then your problem is solved!
Pros
- Smooth finish
- Superior coverage
- Trendy Color Palette
Cons
- Indoor use only
2. Folkart Home Decor Chalk Paint
Editor Rating: Technical Details
- Size: 16 ounce
- Volume: 472 ml
- Finish: Matte
- Dimension: 2.8 x 2.8 x 5.7 inches
- Made in: USA
Folkart is a company of Plaid enterprise which has evolved with the craft industry making many trendy products including stenciling, faux finishes, fashion, glass crafts. Folkart chalk paint has also become one of the favorites of many new artists, painters, and crafters all over the world.
Worry about the size of the product? Unlike other brands, Folkart provides you with a variety of sizes from just a 2-ounce container to as big as the 30-ounce one. Therefore, feel free to pick one suitable for your needs. This feature is the reason why people love Folkart!
The paint offers you a creamy consistency, giving out an ultra-matte finish on your project and is totally advisable for blending and shading. What’s more? It’s super easy to distress the paint layer to give your furniture a unique vintage look!
The product is water-based so you won’t be bothered by unpleasant smell and stubborn dirt on your floor after painting works as you can easily clean it with soap and water.
Perfect for many surfaces such as wood, metal, ceramic, plaster, terracotta, canvas and much more!
Pros
- Water-based
- Various sizes
- Applicable for many surfaces
Cons
- Stains and blemishes can show up on the color coat.
3. Renaissance Chalk Paint
Editor Rating: Technical Details
- Weight: 1.7 pounds
- Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 5 inches
- Size: 32 oz
- Finish: Matte
- Material: Chalk paint
- Coverage: 100 square feet
- Made in: USA
Renaissance is famous for making high-quality, non-toxic products that really bang for your bucks.
The product is only made of superior, environmental-friendly materials having no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or CA Prop 65 warnings. It means that your paint does not contain any substance causing emission, cancer, birth defects or any reproductive harm.
You can never go wrong with the application, it’s so easy, even for kids! Just put on 1-2 coats, the color will come out as beautiful, smooth and chalky as you want with thick, even self-leveling coverage and excellent hide and durability.
Specifically designed for wood furniture and cabinets but also suitable for other surfaces like metal or glass. Dry in just 20 minutes, almost giving off no smell, great for those who are allergic to chemicals as it’s hypoallergenic and, lastly, no sanding or primer required for clean surfaces!
Besides that, the producer also introduces Deluxe Starter Kit which is much cheaper than items bought separately, saving your money spent on painting projects!
Pros
- No odor
- Fast drying time
- Excellent hide and durable
- Easy to clean
- Easy to use
- Value for money
Cons
- The starter kit doesn’t not fully satisfy the customers
4. General Finishes Chalk Paint
Editor Rating: Technical Details
- Weight: 1.6 pounds
- Dimensions: 3.3 x 3.3 x 4 inches
- Size: 1 Pint
- Finish: Matte/Satin
- Material: water-based
- Made in: USA
When you try this paint, you will fall in love with it.
The outstanding difference you immediately notice is that on the label, the producer highly recommends sanding or priming before any painting works. This can ensure a better endurability and a smooth finish on the surface, prolonging the color’s life.
General Finishes releases 20 contemporary colors inspired by Scandinavian hues, British tradition and American favorites. Accompanied by other decorations, every color brings a kind of luxury, authentic and vintage looking for your furniture.
The paint is more liquid-like than any similar products on the market but some users prefer watered-down paint as it does not require as much strength as others.
It’s perfectly suitable for use with a spray gun. Just plug it in and let the machine do its work, you will save time for other stuff.
The paint is also recommended to use indoors, but if you don’t care about the de-coloration or you want an aged outlook, feel free to try it outside!
Pros
- More fluid than other products
- Specific instruction from manufacture
Cons
- There have been some problems relevant to shipping that affect the quality of the product.
5. Kilz Tribute Interior Paint
Editor Rating: Technical Details
- Weight: 12.5 pounds
- Dimensions: 6.6 x 6.6 x 7.8
- Size: 1 gallon
- Finish: Matte/Eggshell/Satin/Semi-gloss
- Material: Acrylic-based
- Made: USA
Wanna rejuvenate your bare wood furniture but too lazy to prime it and don’t want to spend too many on painting products?
This product from Kilz will be your answer. Kilz has been making premium primers and paints for at least 40 years, awarded many prestigious prizes, and that is the reason why this brand is very popular among users.
This paint, according to the company, is one of the most technologically advanced products of the company having impressive hide and coverage and excellent durability.
Now, you have paint and primer all in one product, so your remaining work is just coating it with 1-2 layers of paint, your furniture will light up your house, without any bleeding through.
It’s low on VOC and odor so it will definitely please users having any kind of paint allergy. Also, after drying, the coat will come out as a smooth scrubbable, dirt and grime resistant and washable finish so the clean up is no difficulty at all.
Totally work for many surfaces whether it’s in a high-traffic area or where moisture and mildew can be a problem, 100 choices of subtle and luxury colors with four types of sheens will satisfy any aesthetically demanding customers.
Pros
- Can be used on bare wood surface
- Durable, protective finish
- Moisture resistant
- Low on odor and voc
Cons
- Can’t be painted outside
- Some problems with colors
How To Select The Best Chalk Paint For Furniture?
You should ponder over the following things to choose the most suitable chalk paint for your furniture:
Finish And Color
Chalk paint has other finishes aside from Matte such as Eggshell, Semi-gloss or Satin so make sure that the paint you choose has the finish you want. This is the very first thing you have to do before choosing any specific type of paint.
Choosing a color is also one of the must-to-do things. Manufacturers create various colors ranging from white and neutrals, greens to reds, yellows, and oranges. But you have to choose the paint wisely or else it will bring to your house unexpected negative feelings.
Take it as an example, when you paint your bedroom, neutrals or aqua blues will be the best. It gives you relaxing vibes, helps you release all the stress after a hard-working day. By all means, avoid red color as it is likely to create tension.
More: How To Paint Furniture
Your Furniture’s Condition
Check the condition of your furniture before purchasing any products. Basically chalk paint can be painted on most surfaces, even on ones having some imperfections or stains.
But you should remember that for wood furniture containing a high level of tannic acids such as redwood, white and red oak, cherry and walnut, , you need a primer layer or a combined product of primer and paint to stop it from bleeding out.
Price Per Coverage
As you can see, the producer puts it clearly on the label the coverage per gallon or ounce of the product. You can purchase high-quality paint at a more reasonable price just by calculating the coverage. Also, you have to bear this in mind: “ The cheaper is not always the better! ”
Health Concern
Look on the label to see the components of the paint. See the VOC, the material and CA prop 65 warnings if you’re living in California. Read the instructions carefully to find out whether it contains any substances that can cause allergy. It’s never considered excessive when it comes to health.
Drying Time
Most chalk paints have really fast drying time. But you should find out the exact drying time of your product to see if it will be suitable for your project or not.
It’s also crucial for the distressing process. Distressing the paint when it is not dry enough will be the last thing you want to do.
FAQs
If I Am Distressing, Should I Sand It Before Or After The Topcoat?
It depends on your topcoat. If your topcoat is poly, you should sand it first. If you use waxes then basically both after and before topcoat sanding is fine. But we recommend coating before the topcoat because of the following reasons:
- Prevent the damage to the protecting layer and graphics and colors on the item.
- Wax can stick on your sandpaper.
Do I Have To Seal It With Waxes?
You have tons of choices apart from waxes but we think poly is the best choice as wax can not last forever. Technically you can re-wax but it will be very inconvenient as you have to do it after a few months to protect your furniture.
But, waxes are good too, so choose the product suits you best.
Some manufacturers say that you can leave your project unwaxed. However, we don’t recommend it as chalk paint is porous so it can pick up stains and looks like a mess.
Can I Thin The Paint Out?
Yes, you can. A lot of crafters and painters use water to make the paint a little more watered down so the color is lighter and the painting is easier, smoother.
The technique is simple enough. Grab a bucket and pour down the amount of paint you want. Add water and stir well to reach the consistency you need.
How To Maintain My Brushes’ Performance?
Clean it immediately after painting works by using a brush comb to prevent it from deforming.
If possible, always hang it instead of letting it stand on its tip.
Conclusion
After reviewing some of the best products on the market, we can confidently recommend the chalk paint from Kilz for these reasons:
- Superior quality and coverage
- Low odor and VOC
- Diverse palette
- Moisture resistant
But everybody has different working requirements so by following our detailed instructions, we ensure that you can make the right decision of your own.
We hope you enjoy the reading and wish you luck with finding the best chalk paint for furniture!
Peter Levick
ArchitectI am a licensed architect who is passionate about all things home improvement industries, I have been doing DIY painting projects and have developed lots of experience around home improvement over the 10 years.
