• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • All DIY
  • Tutorials
  • Shop
Petticoat Junktion
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • All DIY
  • Tutorials
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • All DIY
    • Tutorials
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Furniture » How To Paint Office Furniture White

    How To Paint Office Furniture White

    This post may contain affiliate links

    When you paint office furniture white and spray paint the ugly hardware with metallic paint the look is anything but "office". The updated furniture looks like campaign style furniture.

     

    Painting Office Furniture To Use In Your Home

    I always see these cool pieces of furniture online and think if I ever find a similar piece I want to recreate the look.

    campaign style chest from Modern Furniture

    The chest above (photo found at Modern Furniture) is campaign style furniture and similar to the look I was going for.

    how to paint ugly office furniture

     

    How To Paint Office Furniture White

    The piece of furniture I had for the project wasn’t exactly all square. The pieces on the front of the body were not flush with each other where they were put together. I wanted to add the metal details on the corners but that wasn’t possible.

    Today is the Furniture Fixer Upper Tour and my friends have project to share too. The links are at the bottom of the post.

    Project Supplies:

    Metallic Copper Spray Paint

    FolkArt Home Decor Chalk

    FrogTape Painter's Tape

    Behr Paint - Home Depot

    ugly office furniture can be painted

    Find A Great Piece

    This is what I started with. I think it’s office furniture…..at least that’s what I’m calling it. I sure wouldn’t want to use it in my home looking like this.

    I bought it and another larger matching piece at auction for $5. No one else would bid on the two pieces and I felt sorry for Greg (the auctioneer) so I bought them. I didn’t really feel sorry for him but I do want to help support local small businesses.

    Of course $5 was a great price and I knew the pieces would have to look better after I finished updating them.

    How to paint ugly office furniture to use in your home

    The two pieces have a few issues. One being they got damp on the backsides at one time or another. The wood wasn’t rotten, just ugly looking. There is usually a lot of prep work before I can start painting and the chest/table/nightstand needed a lot.

    Prep The Office Furniture

    1. This photo shows the bottom of the chest where there is a bit of water damage. The wood wasn’t flaky or smelly so that was good.

    Clean The Furniture

    2. I first did a general cleaning of the area with Simple Green then went at it with bleach. The black color didn’t come out but at least the bleach will kill any mold that might be lingering in the wood.

    Repair The Office Furniture

    3. and 4. I tightened all the screws in the base. Some were loose and some weren’t

    Use Painter's Tape

    5. After cleaning and sanding the area I used painter’s tape to tape off the ugly damaged area.

    6. Painting over the bottom of the chest inside made it look at lot better and made me feel better. Even though it wasn’t noticeable with the drawers in place I knew it was there and I painted over it.

    how to paint furniture

     

    Prime The Furniture

    With all the prep work done it was time to paint the outside. I used FolkArt Home Décor Chalk Finish in Adirondack for the base coat of paint. I think of chalk paint like I do primer. It covers and sticks to anything.

    Since the primer I had on hand was gray I went with the white chalk paint. I have a big crush on my chalk brush.

    You guys notice I’m painting outside. We have a big workshop but it isn’t air conditioned. The day I was painting it was cloudy and there was a bit of a breeze. I moved everything outside. You can paint anywhere.

    When I first started my painting/blogging journey we lived in an apartment in Pensacola (2006-2009) and it had a small balcony. I painted on that balcony.

    I’ve painted outside on drop cloths, inside where I had to cover up the floor and everything around it, under the carport, and other places. You can find a place that works for you if you really want to paint furniture.

     

    Behr Gloss White Paint

    Paint Office Furniture White

    I choose Behr Interior/Exterior Hi-Gloss Enamel Latex paint for the topcoat. It was on my paint shelf and I’m still trying to use paint I have on hand.

    I don’t know how I accumulated so much paint. Hi-Gloss paint is not the easiest to work with. It tends to show brush strokes even after it dries. The Behr paint wasn’t too bad. The top coat turned out pretty smooth.

    Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint Copper Color for harware

    Paint The Hardware

    And here is my favorite metallic copper paint. I love it so much I painted my mailbox with the copper spray paint (see the mailbox by clicking here).

    I was going to paint the hardware shiny metallic gold but didn’t have the right color on hand. I went with what I had.

    paint furniture drawer pulls and hardware with metallic copper spray paint

     

    The whole time I was painting the chest I was complaining to myself. I thought the tacky office furniture would still look like office furniture and no one would buy it.

    I was kicking myself and wishing I had hauled it to Goodwill instead of painting it. Now I want to keep the piece for myself but have no room in our house where white white painted furniture would work. I guess I’ll be taking it to my booth to sell.

    How to paint office furniture white

     

    Did you know you could paint office furniture white and add a little pizazz with metallic spray paint and have it look like a million bucks (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration).

    how to paint office furniture for your home

    This project just goes to show you can paint anything and make it look good. What have you got that needs painting to make it better?

    Hope you liked the project. Please leave a comment and visit my furniture fixer upper pals. The links to the projects are below the “before” makeover photo collage.

    Furniture Fixer Upper Before Makeovers August 2018

    Console Table Makeover – Girl In The Garage
    Yard Sale Bookcase Makeover – Confessions Of A Serial Diyer
    Vintage Blanket Chest – Prodigal Pieces
    Paint Wood Furniture – Just The Woods
    Raised Stencil Design – The Interior Frugalista

    As always thanks for being here and have a great day, Kathy

    Share this post:

    Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter

    Similar Posts For You....

    • Is painting antique furniture wrong?
      Upcycled Antique Table: Where A Stained Finish And Paint Work Together
    • 13 Wood Cedar Chest Makeovers
      18 Wood Cedar Chest Paint Makeovers
    • antique furniture restored to it's original beauty
      How To Refresh Antique Furniture
    • Paint an old dresser and distress the paint. Favorite painted furniture project of 2022
      Exceptional Painted Furniture Makeovers

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christy James

      August 24, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      Wow this turned out amazing, Kathy! I bet you’re glad you bought it after all now. The metallic paint on the pulls just make it! XOXO

      Reply
    2. Jen @ Girl in the Garage

      August 23, 2018 at 10:58 pm

      Kathy this does look very high end and modern. Beautiful job fixing up this bargain! xo

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 24, 2018 at 9:12 am

        Thanks Jen!

    3. Naomi Shelton

      August 23, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      Looks great, Kathy! I especially like the color of the handles--copper, is it? A bit more interesting than gold or silver because it's kind of unexpected. Good choice.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 24, 2018 at 9:12 am

        Thank you Naomi. I love the metallic copper.

    4. Barbara

      August 23, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      Absolutely love the combination of gloss white with copper. So simple, but so striking. This is a beautiful piece. I'd buy it too. Would also make a great nightstand, I think.

      Reply
    5. Kandice

      August 23, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      Wow what a difference. It looks sooooooo much better!!

      Reply
    6. Marie Blackburn

      August 23, 2018 at 11:37 am

      You're killing me, Kathy ! I've been on the hunt for over a year for two of these for my office. If you lived near me I'd buy them in a heartbeat. Swooning over the copper handles - so pretty, especially paired with high gloss white.

      Reply
    7. Carolyn Alley

      August 23, 2018 at 10:34 am

      I do like the look of the copper on the white.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 10:37 am

        Thank you Carolyn.

    8. Robyn

      August 23, 2018 at 9:34 am

      I love the new look! I would love one for myself! 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 10:37 am

        Thanks Robyn!

    9. Handy Squad

      August 23, 2018 at 8:16 am

      Great article Kathy 🙂 thanks for sharing this!

      I think white goes perfectly well with the copper hardware you have selected.

      It makes such a difference when you are working in office environments that have dynamic furniture in place. I know this has hugely benefited me when I'm at work.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 8:35 am

        Thank you

    10. Nancy

      August 23, 2018 at 7:01 am

      That piece came out great! I always looks forward to your before and after pieces as well as your friends too.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 8:35 am

        Ah, thanks Nancy!

    11. Bobby Gittins

      August 23, 2018 at 6:28 am

      Very fresh, modern and classy. As you say, it needs the right setting, but, once there, becomes quite a statement piece.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 8:36 am

        Yes it would be perfect along with modern white decor.

    12. Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces

      August 23, 2018 at 6:01 am

      Wow! From boring and blah, to hello there!! I love the new look, Kathy. Updated and ready to go.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        August 23, 2018 at 8:36 am

        Thanks Larissa!

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Kathy!

    The creator at Petticoat Junktion and I love decorating my home. My decor is an eclectic mix......

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Weathered furniture with distressed gray paint and a whitewash finish
      How To Weather Furniture: Painted Sideboard Coastal Or Nantucket Style?
    • How to paint fake wood furniture with latex paint.
      How To Paint And Distress Fake Wood Furniture

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home.

    SUBSCRIBE
    • About
    • All DIY
    • Tutorials
    • Shop
    • Crafts
    • Home Decor
    • Painted Furniture
    • Projects

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 · PETTICOAT JUNKTION · PRIVACY POLICY

    Receive my furniture painting tutorials by email free! Sign up below....