Have you always wondered how to paint furniture? Or do you have a piece of furniture that you want to paint but are dreading all the prep work that must be done beforehand? You know, sanding, priming, painting, sanding some more? UGH! It’s enough to make you give up before you’ve even started!
How about if I told you that you can skip ALL of those steps and end up with beautifully painted furniture? That’s right – no sanding, priming and a perfect brushstroke-free finish.
Have you heard about Velvet Finishes yet? It’s a revolutionary new paint line that makes painting furniture a cinch. Like, seriously, it’s completely foolproof, idiot proof….every single time!
Velvet Finishes was created by interior designer Kellie Smith after not finding the finish and color palette she was seeking for a client. There are 21 amazing highly saturated colors in the line and the finish is that of a low matte sheen – like velvet!
The color I chose was handsome which is a dark blue but not quite a navy. And handsome it is. I took an old beat up dresser from this…
to this… in less than two hours
Velvet Finishes patent-pending formula is a DIYer’s dream. If you want to know how to paint furniture the right way, you’ll want to buy this paint!
It’s super easy to use with minimal prep (that means no sanding!!!) and no waxing. I just gave it a quick wipe-down to remove any dust.
The darker colors tend to be thicker than the lighter. If you want to thin the paint simply add water. Apply thin, even coats and allow paint to dry thoroughly before applying another coat. Never apply more than 3 coats in 24 hours.
Instructions are on the website and can be downloaded for printing.
Did I mention you do not need to wax?? WooHoo!!
Kellie had told me that it would not leave any brush marks upon drying, so, despite the (wise) advice of applying thin coats I decided to really test to power of this paint and literally sloshed it on quickly thickly and probably not that evenly. Here’s some video evidence to prove it:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/CNAj-3dUWzE&w=400]
(Yes, the quality is awful. I tried to paint with one hand and record with the other.
It doesn’t work. But you get the idea!)
Even with such aggressive application, the final finish is, well, velvety. There is not a brush stroke in sight:
I picked up some new (and cheap) drawer handles on Ebay. I love how the brass looks against the blue. I also picked up some faux flowers at AC Moore (on sale!). Pink is another amazing color against this shade of blue.
Foolproof Painted Dresser
I really love this paint. If you’ve never painted furniture before, go this route. It’s 100% foolproof and is guaranteed to provide richly-pigmented results in only a couple of coats.
Think this blue is handsome? Some of the 20 other shades are pretty fantastic too. You’re going to be majorly crushing on this line up:
Custom colors are easily achieved with recipes available on the website!
It’s so nice when a quick project can make such a huge transformation. My guest room feels much brighter and fun now!
Which Velvet Finishes paint color is your favorite? What furniture item would you like to makeover in your chosen color?
This fun rocking chair was painted with a custom mix of Velvet Finishes paints. Check out all the details here.
If you found this information helpful, you should download my FREE guide to perfectly painted furniture. It details all the steps I used here as well as other furniture I painted using Velvet Finishes – all in a printer friendly format!
Just enter your email address below and it will be sent right to your inbox.
Mallory says
February 8, 2017 at 1:17 pmHow is the paint holding up? Chips? Dents? I want to try it but don’t want my China cabinet to look bad after a couple of years
Jenna says
February 8, 2017 at 1:47 pmHi Mallory,
It looks the same as the day I painted it! It IS in my guest room, though so it doesn’t get a ton of use. I also painted a coffee table in my living room that gets A LOT of use (and gets wiped down every day). I never even added a coat of poly like I had anticipated doing, since it’s in such a high use area, and it’s still holding up amazingly well! Honestly, most products eventually end up disappointing me but Velvet Finishes really does live up to the hype!
Chris Couch - Empire Services of Ga says
March 27, 2017 at 4:50 amHi Jena!! Does it sand easily? Just as an idea I will try some on a piece of poplar and do three different colors, sand the edges with 180 just to give it an antique look with a smooth finish. I have done this with acrylic urethane. But our product is not for the diy however I believe this would be a better product for an inspirational project for the handy homeowner!!
Jenna says
March 27, 2017 at 10:48 amHi Chris, yes it does sand easily. I distressed the edges of this coffee table painted with VF and it sanded very nicely. I hope that helps!
Jenna
DearCreatives (@DearCreatives) says
November 17, 2016 at 1:16 pmLove the color and how it turned out! Need to grab some for a few projects I have. Thanks for joining the #InspirationSpotlight party. Shared
creativejewishmom/sara says
November 6, 2016 at 2:13 amGorgeous, thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
DearCreatives (@DearCreatives) says
October 27, 2016 at 2:18 amLove the color & how it turned out. Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight party. Shared
Susanne says
October 25, 2016 at 8:02 amI say yes to easy, no prep, and no brush strokes! I love that this paint has these great qualities!! pinning and sharing!! Visiting from Totally Terrific Tuesday No.106 :)
Margarita Nuzum says
September 9, 2016 at 11:33 amHello Jenna: I have a weird question about the Velvet finishes paint. Would it be possible to use it on vinyl floor material? Here is my problem. We moved into an old house that the prior owners used vinyl flooring on the bathroom wall. The flooring from a distance looks like tile. We really can’t afford to strip it off the walls and put up new tile right now. Do you think I could use the paint to make it a bit more attractive? Would I then need to treat it for the moisture that is associated with a bathroom environment? Thanks for your great information.
Jenna says
September 9, 2016 at 1:14 pmHi Margarita,
I would definitely try it! It seems to adhere to pretty much everything. I would definitely use the Prep product first and make sure your floor is completely spotless. When you’re done with the paint, you will need something stronger than the Protect product. You can purchase a polyurethane that’s made specifically for floors and I would recommend three coats of that. Of course, it’s always a good idea to try these things first…maybe go to your local Lowe’s or Home Depot and pick up a piece of vinyl tile and experiment before you commit :-)
Melissa says
August 31, 2016 at 4:31 amHi Jenna!
Ok….I am so new to the DIY group and have never painted furniture before. But, I have a bunch of solid wood furniture that is in good shape, just dated. I am gonna start small with an OAK end table and was thinking of doing it in Bold (yellow). Would that be a big enough contrast to warrant the use of READY? And really…..???? No prep work???
Jenna says
August 31, 2016 at 7:23 amHi Melissa,
With my dresser I literally did NOTHING before putting the paint on and it still looks great to this day. If you’re nervous, go ahead with the ready – but if there’s no sheen on your furniture you’ll be fine without it. I haven’t used Bold but I bet you will need 2 – 3 coats to get the coverage you want. Although, if it’s honey oak, maybe two coats will suffice. I would recommend protecting the finished product with Protect if it will be getting any bit of decent use.
Please let me know if you have any other questions and I’d be glad to help!
Prisilla says
July 20, 2016 at 7:44 pmHello. If I painted a dresser black with the Annie Sloan chalk paint and used the dark wax, will I be able to use one of the lighter colors on top of it?
Jenna says
July 20, 2016 at 8:45 pmHi Prisilla, your best bet is to paint it dark, then add the light coat – using either a dry brush technique or then by sanding down to the darker color. You will want to finish your piece with the wax to protect it.
Carrie says
July 20, 2016 at 8:56 amIs this paint suitable for outdoor furniture? I have an old picnic table that needs some help.
Jenna says
July 20, 2016 at 12:50 pmHi Carrie,
I don’t know how well it would hold up outdoors. You could try it and add a protective coat of Spar Varathane (the protect wouldn’t be enough outdoors).
Melissa says
August 31, 2016 at 4:32 amCarrie – I am curious as to how this turned out??
Val says
May 7, 2016 at 7:43 pmlove how you transformed it! Would you be so kind to let me know what is the color you used for the wall behind the dresser? many thanks!
Jenna says
May 9, 2016 at 3:18 pmHi Val,
It was Natural Gray by Behr :-)
Terry says
April 14, 2016 at 10:27 amOh wow! I love this color! Especially when you bling it up with gold hardware! Very classy! I’m visiting from RoadKill Rescue today! I hope you have an amazing day!
Smiles!
Terry
The Curator’s Collection & Making Broken Beautiful Party (Thursday – Sunday)
Jenna says
April 14, 2016 at 11:31 amThanks for stopping by, Terry!
Theresa says
March 8, 2016 at 3:27 pmHi, Your dresser looks great. I have a couple of questions for you. It sounds like you did not do any prep at all which means you did not use the “Ready” product – correct? How does the paint feel to the touch – like flat, satin, or semi-gloss paint? Thank you?
Jenna says
March 8, 2016 at 4:50 pmHi Theresa, unless the furniture is very shiny (and needs to be deglossed) you do not need to use the Ready product. So yes, I did NO prep at all. The finish is pretty close to satin. If you apply the Protect, it’s closer to a semi-gloss finish. I hope that helps!
Lauren says
March 7, 2016 at 9:55 amI’m painting a vanity and was hoping to use this paint. I’m just wondering if 32oz is enough…. How much did you have to use on the dresser or other projects?
Jenna says
March 7, 2016 at 11:50 amIt goes a long way, Lauren! I used about 20z to paint the entire dresser (2 coats).
kerihouchin says
February 17, 2016 at 11:53 amThis color is fantastic! It really pops against the wall.
Jenna says
February 17, 2016 at 1:41 pmThanks Keri! Navy is my all time favorite color! ;-)
Paula Lemes says
January 21, 2016 at 3:59 pmHi dear. Love it !!! Question: i can not find the drawer handles as you got it. Do you have the store name? I already google so manynways and nothing. Thanks a lot. I appreciate your time.. xo
Jenna says
January 21, 2016 at 5:23 pmHi Paula! You can get them from D.Lawless Hardware. Click here and it will bring you to the correct product :-)
Paula Lemes says
January 25, 2016 at 6:58 pmAmazing ! Thank you so much for your time! I bought on line and I received yesterday! Sending to Brazil. :-)
Jenna says
January 25, 2016 at 7:35 pmSo glad!
Kiki says
November 12, 2015 at 9:48 pmJenna-I’m painting an old dresser and can’t decide between Handsome & Modern. The bedroom it’s going in has low natural lighting. Being that it’s for the master bedroom, for a middle aged couple, which color would you suggest? Would Modern be too bright or trendy? Thanks a million!
Jenna says
November 13, 2015 at 8:04 amKiki, both are beautiful colors. Modern is a very bright modern blue. I would think (and maybe I’m wrong) that it might be too trendy for a middle-aged couple. Handsome is sooo beautiful, a true navy, so you definitely can’t go wrong with it. If you’re in doubt at all, I would stick with the handsome :-)
Kiki says
November 13, 2015 at 9:40 amThanks Jenna, I’ve ordered Handsome and will let you know how the geriatric furniture face lift turns out. I’m so excited!!
Donna says
October 17, 2015 at 1:49 pmJenna I’m a newbie to painting furniture and when I saw this it sounded right up my alley! I do have a question. I want yt? O use the luxurious on my dresser but not sure what glaze to use. I do t want it to be whiney but I do need it to be durable. Any help you can send my way won u ‘s be greatly appreciated!
Jenna says
October 17, 2015 at 2:55 pmHi Donna,
Are you looking for a glaze or for a protective finish? I haven’t used any of the glazes so I can’t speak to those but the Protect protect in the Velvet Finishes line is excellent. A couple of coats and you’ll have a very durable finish.
Donna says
October 17, 2015 at 3:09 pmThanks for getting back tonight me so quickly Jenna. I do want a protective finish so I will try the protect! Thank you! Wish me luck!
Jenna says
October 17, 2015 at 3:11 pmGood luck! I used the Protect product in my guest room so it might be a good idea to read that! Let me know if you have any other questions :-)
Arielle says
September 19, 2015 at 7:12 pmI saw in other comments that you lightly sanded your dresser before painting. Would you recommend that I do the same for my dresser, or would you have preferred to use the Ready product beforehand?
I’m excited to try the Handsome paint on my dresser!
Jenna says
September 19, 2015 at 7:28 pmHi Arielle, now that I’ve used ready I would go with that…so much easier than having to sand (although you don’t need to sand anyway!).
Jenna says
July 14, 2015 at 2:55 pmHi Jenna. Believe it or not, I’m a Jenna too!!!
I was wondering … I fell in love with your dresser on Pinterest and I bought the paint!! … to do a bookcase. I will let you know how it turns out.
But what I was wondering is … where did you get that area rug?? It would be kind of perfect in my room!!!!!
Thanks, the “other” Jenna. :-)
Jenna says
July 14, 2015 at 3:28 pmHi Other Jenna :-)
I’m excited to see how your bookcase turns out!! I’ve had great success with this line of paint, so I hope you do too! I purchased the rug at Target last year – it’s only a small accent rug (4 x 6 maybe). They don’t have it anymore but they do have a ton of other cute options! Also, I’ve bought pretty much all my area rugs from rugs usa. If they don’t have a sale right now wait a couple of weeks for one – you can usually score between 50 – 70% off!
Good luck with your bookcase & thanks for your comment! :-)
Eileen says
June 25, 2015 at 11:36 pmI am unfortunately very disappointed. I bought the color minimalistic, which is a pure white. Painted a tall dresser for my son’s room. It was a medium oak color. Now after 4 coats it is covered in brush strokes, and I’m thinking I am going to need a 5th coat. I was really hoping that this was going to be a no prep, easy to apply, and beautiful application. But now I’m thinking I should have primed the dresser. And I’m stuck with a dresser that has very, very visible brush strokes every where.
Jenna says
June 26, 2015 at 10:29 amEileen, I’m so bummed that you didn’t have a good experience. When there’s a dramatic color change (for instance turning a wooden piece to white) Kellie recommends using the READY product. It’s a deglosser that allows the paint to adhere better and thus gives better coverage for a dramatic color change. With that being said, I’m still surprised that after 4 coats you haven’t achieved good coverage. Now, I’ve only used the Handsome & Exotic colors, not the color you’ve chosen, but I’ve never had any issues with brush strokes. Have you tried reaching out to Kellie? I bet she would love to help. She can be contacted at velvetfinishes@yahoo.com
Christina says
June 23, 2015 at 11:51 amHi! I was wondering if you can give me an idea on how many pieces does the 32oz usually cover? I have 3 medium sized pieces and I’m not sure how many cans I’d need. Thanks!
Jenna says
June 23, 2015 at 12:55 pmHi Christina! I used about half of the 32oz to paint my dresser (two coats). How many coats you need would depend on the color change – whether the piece is dark and you’re painting it dark or light or vice versa. My white nighstands for instance, needed 3 coats for complete coverage. I would get two 32oz containers and that should be plenty!
Sharon says
June 3, 2015 at 4:35 pmHelp! I am not having the glorious success you apparently have been having. I am painting a medium dark breakfront in Rococo which is a French vanilla. I started with a drawer to see how it worked. I used the “Ready” product to prepare the surface. I bought one of their special, expensive brushes to use. I am on the 3rd coat and you can still see the dark peeking through and there are light brush strokes. What am I doing wrong, or is it the product? Unfortunately Kellie is out of the country so I cannot get an answer to my problem. Perhaps you can help save the day!
Jenna says
June 3, 2015 at 5:31 pmHi Sharon! I think because you are going from a dark finish to a light color you may just need more coats of the paint. When I used “exotic” which is a bright coral I needed three coats to get good coverage on a white nightstand. If the next coat doesn’t turn out well let me know!
Ariel says
May 29, 2015 at 7:45 amI love the wall color too! Do you remember what color it is?
Jenna says
May 29, 2015 at 7:47 amAriel, it’s Natural Gray by Behr. It’s one of my all-time faves :-)
Helen says
May 14, 2015 at 7:35 pmwhere can I get this amazing paint? How much does it cost?
Jenna says
May 14, 2015 at 7:58 pmHi Helen. It’s available from VelvetFinishes.com and costs $38 for a 32oz container or $19 for an 8oz.
andi says
February 9, 2015 at 11:42 amDid u have to do any prep like sanding or priming? Did u apply a top/clear coat to seal it in? Did u use an entire 8 or 16oz bottle of paint?
Jenna says
February 9, 2015 at 1:16 pmHi Andi,
I used less than half of a 32oz container (so about 16oz) and no, I didn’t do any prep (apart from giving it a quick wipe down) and I didn’t seal it. If your piece is highly lacquered then I would suggest a sanding it lightly just to rough it up. Because the dresser is in our guest room it doesn’t get used often so I’m not worried about it. The paint appears to be pretty hardy, though! Kellie from Velvet Finishes does now offer a prep and a polyurethane product that I’m going to be reviewing soon!
Anne Welsh says
November 5, 2014 at 7:37 amJenna,
Did you use Protect on this dresser? With opening the drawers every day, I’m wondering if it would be necessary. Thanks, Anne
Jenna says
November 5, 2014 at 8:25 amHi Anne! No I haven’t used anything extra. It is in our guest room though, so the drawers are not opened frequently.
Jennifer Moseley says
July 7, 2014 at 10:46 amHi! I was wondering about durability. I want to paint my builder grade kitchen cabinets and am dreading the prep. I was considering chalk painting them, but I don’t want a distressed finish with brush marks. This could be the answer!
Jenna says
July 7, 2014 at 11:39 amHi Jennifer,
Painting kitchen cabinets is all about the prep unfortunately. I recommend using a high quality primer and then your choice of paint should not be as critical. However, if you want a finish on your cabinets that you can wipe down I’m not sure that this would be your best bet…I don’t know how it does with grease and other kitchen messes. At the very least if you did decide to go this route I would advise sealing the final coat with some sort of poly clear coat.
I painted my kitchen cabinets several years ago and brush marks were not an issue…using a high quality roller specifically for doors and cabinets will avoid that.
I hope that helps!
Jenna
Melissa L. says
May 13, 2014 at 11:59 pmI have a dresser that has a “veneer” on it, and my boyfriend is convinced that it will be impossible to paint. Do you think if i do a quick rough sand that this paint will work with no problems?
Jenna says
May 14, 2014 at 5:54 pmHi Melissa,
I recently painted a veneered Ikea piece and the paint adhered like a dream. Make sure to only lightly sand, you don’t want to sand through the veneer. Let me know how it goes!
Joyce says
April 22, 2014 at 3:10 pmJust found your blog and just received my paint! Perfect timing…did you paint right from the container?? Does it need mixing or stirring. Eager to try this! Thanks.
Jenna says
April 22, 2014 at 3:21 pmJoyce,
I would suggest pouring it into a separate container just so that you don’t contaminate the paint with any dust, debris, etc. I did, however, paint directly from the container because I’m lazy! Before I opened the container I gave it a vigorous shake – that should be enough to mix it. If you find it’s too thick, you can add a few drops of water to thin it out! :-)
Dee says
March 27, 2014 at 11:41 amI just stumbled upon your blog. First, LOVE IT!!!!!! Second, I’m sorry if this question was already posted. I didn’t see it…. I went on the velvet finishes website to buy some paint and thought I’d double check before purchasing. I see it comes in 4 oz and 32oz. Is a 32oz container large enough to do a full dresser. I’m refinishing my sons dressers- a tall 5 drawer and a short/wide 3 drawer in grey or ivory…. and also my daughters 3 drawer dresser, tall book case and nightstand in hot pink w/ zebra print drawers (she’s feisty, lol). How much would you recommend I purchase????? Thanks :)
Jenna says
March 27, 2014 at 4:39 pmThanks Dee! I had the 32oz container and only needed half of it for the entire dresser! It’s quite watery so a little bit goes a long way!
Jena @ Involving Color says
March 27, 2014 at 10:09 amJenna, handsome is such a pretty color! Your dresser turned out beautiful! I especially like the brass hardware with it. I hadn’t heard of this line of paint before, but I’m excited to try it out! I’d love to feature this on Involving Color. Let me know if you’re interested!
Jenna says
March 27, 2014 at 10:14 amThanks Jena! Yeah I randomly stumbled across it and it sounded too good to be true….but it’s not!! I’d love it was featured…I’m sure Kellie would be delighted too!
Jena @ Involving Color says
March 27, 2014 at 3:12 pmGreat! I’ll let you know when it’s up!
Joanna says
March 26, 2014 at 4:38 pmHey Jenna, just stopping by to tell you I really loved your dresser makeover. The color is just amazing. Wondering if they ship it worldwide? Anyhow, great color choice!
Jenna says
March 26, 2014 at 4:41 pmThanks Joanna! And they DO ship worldwide! :-)
Pamela Blanton says
February 1, 2016 at 1:00 amYour dresser looks fabulous! I am going to turn an old dresser into a tv stand and use handsome blue. How much paint was needed for your dresser project? Thank you.
Jenna says
February 1, 2016 at 2:28 pmHi Pamela,
I would say I used about 16oz of paint. I had the 32oz container and probably used about half of it between two coats.
Claire Dawson says
March 26, 2014 at 9:26 amI saw something about a new paint for furniture a few months ago, and then couldn’t find it when I was telling a friend about it. I’m going to be getting a lot of used furniture to start my life over again and was dreading all the prep work needed to “do it right.” Your Pin was on my Pinterest when I logged on this morning, one of the hearts instead of a Pin, and I won’t be forgetting it again. I’m crafty and my sister is artistic, so I look forward to my challenges in creating a very special place for my new life. Thanks.
Jenna says
March 26, 2014 at 9:39 amI hope it all turns out great for you, Claire! Good luck with everything! :-)
Ana Clark says
March 25, 2014 at 6:25 pmDid you sand the dresser before the paint application or did you just go ahead and paint? I have a dresser that really needs some TLC but I’m dreading the sanding.
Jenna says
March 25, 2014 at 6:49 pmAna, I just scratched it up because it had a very shiny surface. It was literally a 5 min sanding, just to dull it a bit.
Lynsey says
March 25, 2014 at 3:23 pmDid you have to sand them down or anything before you painted?
Jenna says
March 26, 2014 at 9:41 amI just scratched up the surface a bit because it was very shiny…nothing more than a 5 minute rub with some fine sand paper!
Amanda says
March 24, 2014 at 10:35 pmIt looks beautiful! The bottle looks small though? How many or how much did your dresser take?
Jenna says
March 25, 2014 at 6:22 amI only needed half the container for the entire dresser!
thecreativityexchange says
March 24, 2014 at 12:56 pmWow Jenna! What a great job you did and that piece, oh my gosh I’m drooling! I am so obsessed with this paint and Kellie really hit it out of the ball park with it. Thanks for sharing and now I can’t wait to try Handsome! Cheers!
Jenna says
March 24, 2014 at 1:05 pmThanks Cindy…all credit must go to the paint though :-)
Sammi @ Every Home is a Castle says
March 22, 2014 at 2:51 pmThat paint is incredible! I wonder if it’s available in the UK? Either way I love the blue with the pink flowers, tres stylish.
Jenna says
March 23, 2014 at 9:22 amThanks Sammi! The website does allow for international shipping! :-)
Cynthia@OrnamentalStyle says
March 21, 2014 at 4:33 pmThanks for the review. I had already seen a review and now with yours I’m convinced. I will be making my first foray into furniture makeovers since I bought a couple of pieces of off Craig’s List–a dresser to turn into a media console and a china cabinet. The color you used is gorgeous. For my projects I want a silver look so maybe one of the grays with a glaze or Rub and Buff.
Jenna says
March 21, 2014 at 5:38 pmOhh I’m sure one of the grays with a glaze would look fab! Good look Cynthia! Let me know how it goes :-)
ksdesignstudio says
March 21, 2014 at 11:48 amThis looks great Jenna. Your video cracked me up! You really did throw the paint on there and it still turned out amazing! Thanks for trying Velvet Finishes!!
Jenna says
March 21, 2014 at 12:11 pmTestament to what a great product it is, Kellie! :-)