A Fresh Coat

Painting furniture to fit into your new space has grown in popularity in the STL area in the past several years. Local St. Louis design professionals give their opinions on whether this trend is a classic or a craze.

Edited by Moe Godat 

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Take an antique chair, table or cabinet and use paint to bring it into whatever style you want. I like painting an antique chair and putting modern or novelty fabric on it. I have repurposed client's inherited pieces that were sitting in their basement collecting dust and turned them into their favorite conversation piece. Linda K. Kusmer, Total Interior Designs.

This is a great way to update a classic piece of furniture! We have done this for many years and even my mother did when I was a child. I don’t think it is a craze, but chosen colors will change over time of course! Kim Taylor West, K Taylor Design Group.

A pop of color is often just the right thing that pulls the room together and makes it perfect without being stuffy or contrived. It can also be very elegant depending on the style. We love painted night stands! They are easy on the eye and always feel appropriate. Dede Fratt, Fratt Bush Home.

Although what color and style the painting is done has changed over time, I think it’s quite fair to say colorfully painted furniture is a mainstay in home decor. The popularity of certain colors changes from year to year, or even season to season. This being the case, some pieces will become classics and some pieces will become sad reminders of a particular passing fad. David Schneider, PURE Home Design.

I see the white on white and gray on gray phase being joyfully replaced with color. I love the jewel tones being represented in many of the pieces right now. I see this trend sticking around but changing with each season's newest colors. What's not to love about keeping an otherwise nice piece of furniture from the landfills and adding a conversation piece into any room? Amena Zamora, Amena Zamora Designs. 

Painting and lacquering furniture is a way to personalize and update an old piece of solid wood furniture that is still in decent shape. While the dark stained cherry wood furniture may be outdated, coating it with a colorful coat of paint and new hardware can dramatically restore it. Emily Koch, JCR Design Group.

I think it is a way to upcycle furniture and give it a new life. I think we are out of the “brown furniture” mode and out of the monochromatic look we have experienced for the past 10-15 years. People want color. We are craving color, electric excitement and more art. D. Scott Tjaden, Tjaden Interiors.

A painted furniture piece is a great way to add a pop of color, to create a focal point or to complement a color palette established with fabric or wallpaper. The manner and style of painted pieces may change, but the practice has proven to be timeless and will stick around for years to come. Diane Mantovani, Owner/Designer Savvy Design Group.

A colorfully painted piece of furniture can transform a space into a stylish room without purchasing something new or adding expensive updates. As we strive to become more environmentally conscious, upcycling furniture is a sustainable and cost-effective way to show our commitment. Georgine O’Donnell, O’Designs.

It's definitely classic, as historical furniture has been in all sorts of shades and colors for decades. Sometimes you can tell the era the furniture came from by the color, details, hardware or jewelry on it. That's what actually is making it classic! I say if it speaks to you, and you love it, do it! Anne Marie Boedges, Anne Marie Design Studio.

It's a great way to add a touch of whimsy to a once boring, dull, sometimes "dated" piece. We love a new way to take a piece we already have and make a statement-piece out of it. You can do it yourself or have it professionally done for amazing results! Teddy Karl, The Great Cover-Up.