Rustic Painted Furniture

Looking to add some character and charm to your home decor? A rustic painted dresser is the perfect piece to bring that cozy, vintage feel into any space. With a little bit of creativity, you can transform an old, worn-out piece of furniture into a stylish statement piece.

If you’re ready to tackle your own DIY project, here are some ideas to help inspire your next painted furniture creation!

collage photo of furniture with rustic paint with text overlay

With a rustic painted dresser, you can add a touch of vintage charm to any room, whether it’s your bedroom, living room, or entryway. And with the variety of techniques and finishes available, you can create a look that perfectly suits your personal style.

So why not roll up your sleeves and start creating your own one-of-a-kind painted furniture piece?

First, here are some frequently asked questions, and then we will get to our list of rustic painted furniture ideas!

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Table of Contents

How do you paint furniture to look rustic?

Making your furniture look rustic is a fun project and can bring a cozy, old-timey feel to any room. Here’s a simple guide on how to do it:

Pick Your Paint: Choose a color that makes you think of the great outdoors. Earthy tones like browns, greens, or even off-whites work well. Check out our list of the 10 best painted furniture colors to learn more about some tips on how to choose the right shade for your project.
Prep the Piece: Before you start painting, make sure the surface of your furniture is clean. Use Krud Kutter to clean your furniture. To help the paint stick, lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper, then remove the dust. Then apply one of these best primers for furniture to help your paint stick even better and to make it look as good as possible. Learn the importance of cleaning furniture and sanding before painting furniture here.
First Layer: Apply a base coat of paint. This will be the color that peeks out from beneath the top layer, giving that worn-out, vintage look. This layer can also just be the stained wood that you are painting over.
Second Layer: Once the base coat is dry, apply a second coat in a different color. This will be the main color of your furniture.
Distress Time: After the second coat is dry, it’s time to make the furniture look aged. Using 220 grit sandpaper, gently rub areas where natural wear and tear would occur, like corners and edges.
Seal It Up: To protect your new rustic masterpiece, apply a clear waterbased polyurethane (also known as polycrylic) with this how to apply polycrylic to painted furniture guide. This will keep the paint from scratching or chipping overtime.

And there you go! With these steps, you can transform any piece of furniture into a rustic treasure. For more information about the specifics of how to paint furniture, visit our painting furniture hub.

How to distress painted furniture?

Distressing painted furniture is easy and can help you create a rustic look on your furniture.

Once your paint is dry, simply use some 220 grit sandpaper to remove the paint from edges, details, and flat surfaces directly under handles and knobs, and anywhere where paint would naturally rub off over time because of wear and tear.

It is easiest to distress chalk paint, mineral paint, and acrylic paints. Learn more about specific paints to use in our types of paint for furniture hub.

Remove the dust with a vacuum that has a brush attachment and then wipe away any remaining dust with a tack cloth.

Then seal the paint to make the paint more durable.

For more in depth tricks for distressing painted furniture, or for other ways to distress painted furniture, visit our distressing furniture post.

More Painted Furniture Ideas

If for some reason you don’t find what you’re looking for in our list of rustic painted furniture below, here are some more lists of painted furniture ideas that will definitely give you some inspiration for your next project.