Techniques for Painting Bedside Tables

Give that old bedside table a face lift and create a lasting impression with a little paint. Recycling older furniture is quickly becoming a trend in home decorating, allowing you to keep a piece that has great lines and shape, while still making it "new" and more current with your decorated space. Does this Spark an idea?

Paint Covers All Flaws

A good coat of paint will cover just about anything that's a flaw on your bedside tabel, but that doesn't mean you should just slap that paint on and call it finished. Before painting, make sure you scrape off any loose paint that may already be on the piece of furniture. Use sand paper to make sure the entire piece is smooth, then wipe it down with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth to remove any residue and dust. Doing this step before anything else will ensure you get a nice smooth finish.
Decide on the paint you wish to use. A high gloss paint will give you a super shiny finish while a mat or satin will give you a duller finish that you can paint or decorate over.

Paint and Just Paint

There are many techniques that require just paint and nothing else. After you have put a base coat on your piece, try dabbing a sponge dipped in another complementary color over the entire table. Depending upon the pressure you use, you will achieve a marbleized effect. This can be done with rags, sponges or any thing that will make some kind of faint pattern.
Mixing a little glazing medium in your paint will allow you to work it more fully. In this way, you can lightly swirl through your paint with another color, giving another look to your piece.
Consider using the one-stroke painting technique to add some floral designs to your piece after your base coat is dry. After you have finished and your design is dry, cover the entire piece in acrylic clear coat to preserve the effect.

Combine Paint with Another Medium

There's no rule that says you have to paint any table completely. Consider combining paint and decoupage or wallpaper to get the effect you want. Find a wallpaper design that you like and use it to highlight an architectural design on the table. Paint the other sections of the piece. For example, apply wallpaper to the "window" sections of the table and use paint to frame the designs.
The same is true with stenciling or appliques. Apply the designs over the base coat and cover with clear coat to preserve your decorations.