Painted Furniture: Simple Techniques For Fresh, New Looks [Paperback]

Diane Weaver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1996

Bring old furniture to life or transform an inexpensive, unfinished piece into the stunning focal point of a room. All it takes are some easy-to-do but very effective decorative painting techniques: sponge painting, wood graining, faux inlay, lacquer, stenciling, combing, and crackling. With scaled patterns accompanying the 27 fantastic projects, you’ll work magic in no time at all.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It is almost impossible to look through this book and not want to start painting immediately. The colors are delightfully different from what is usually shown in project books for painted furniture. The best part is the project actually turns out like the picture, even if you are trying this craft for the first time.

From Booklist

The rage to paint furniture, for the most part, has centered on re-creating time-honored finishes and decorations, from sponging to imitating malachite, all to a traditional effect. Weaver veers from the tried-and-true as she incorporates both contemporary and old-fashioned techniques very frequently in one piece of furniture or a project. Sponge-painted rockers, for instance, are also the recipients of some folk art^-type freehand motifs. A man's plaid chest, as another example, appears to the manor born but is actually finished with modern-day watercolor pencils. Instructions for each of the 27 projects are fairly comprehensive and include a variety of color photographs, but rank novices had better check first with a primer such as Inne's Paint Magic. Barbara Jacobs --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (June 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806908408
• ISBN-13: 978-0806908403
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Painting & Wallpapering

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous reference for techniques and inspirations, July 30, 2000

By 

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Painted Furniture: Simple Techniques For Fresh, New Looks (Paperback)

If you've ever been to a flea market and seen whimsical painted furniture, you've probably said to yourself, "That is so cute! I wish I could do something like that!" Now you can! Ranging from the country-craft, cheesy look to the artsy-fartsy weird, this book shows you in clear, up-close photos how to prepare either new raw furniture or old beaten-up pieces for glazing and decorative painting.

The book includes step-by-step instructions on how to create your own stencils and despite what your painting ability is, you'd be amazed what you can do.

Projects range from the extremely simple to the highly adventurous, but all are possible to do. A photo spread of tools used and techniques how to use them are shown... even how to remove mildew from old furniture! All the materials found in this book can be acquired at a hardware store, art/hobby store, and many items you have laying around the house.

This book gets right to the point and there is no fluff, just the information you need and detailed, well-shot photographs.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book filled with originality and technique, November 19, 2001

By 

Sarah Bennett (whittier,, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painted Furniture: Simple Techniques For Fresh, New Looks (Paperback)

This is the most useful book I've seen on painting furniture. Though these are not "quickie" projects, each is full of good information. Obviously the author really knows her stuff, and the information on preparing furniture for decoration is solid. I used some of her techniques to start off a piece and it came out wonderfully. Please write some more books, Diane!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good for technique, not so good for inspiration, November 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Painted Furniture: Simple Techniques For Fresh, New Looks (Paperback)

I was looking for some inspiration, but the furniture was pretty
uninteresting. Only the cover piece was at all bold -- everything else pretty predictable.