Do you want to give a new look to your home in a simple way and without having to make a big investment? If you feel that your home looks old-fashioned and that your furniture seems to have gone out of fashion long ago, in this article we bring you a very interesting option to renovate your home: it is about painting furniture in white.
This color is ideal to give your home a renewed air, as it offers a touch of supermodern style and looks great in different types of decoration. It creates a lot of light and a sense of space.
We tell you how to paint furniture white, what steps to take to achieve one style or another and how to modernize your home with a lot of care, but with little investment.
Painting furniture white: what you need to know before you begin
If you’ve come this far, it’s because you know that white will give you the look you’re looking for in your home. It’s a color that goes great with other living room furniture and accessories, giving you a lot of freedom when it comes to decorating.
In addition, it is perfect to give a feeling of brightness and give more square meters to the environment, bringing a fresh and cheerful style to the rooms. If you live in a small apartment or want to give a light look to a narrow room, white will help you achieve it.
Another positive element of this tone is that it offers an interesting sense of cleanliness to the environment and reduces visual fatigue. Thus, it generates a pleasant impression, making spaces suitable for relaxation.
But, if you’re looking for a modern-looking home that will last over time, don’t be afraid to use white. For, this is a timeless color that always offers a touch of modernity and elegance worthy of any interior design photo. Are you eager to dare with white? Then read on!
Choose the style you want
Before getting down to work, you should think about what aesthetic you want for your home. Whether you choose a Nordic, shaby chic, ethnic or romantic style, white will be the starting point for the entire decor.
And how to achieve this change? The trick is to choose a secondary color to give warmth or freshness, as well as opt for a type of texture to finish giving the specific touch to the room.
Nordic style
When we think of Nordic style, white furniture automatically comes to mind. This color is essential to achieve this style where simplicity, comfort and practicality predominate.
If you opt for this functional and luminous aesthetic, paint the furniture in off-white and combine it with natural elements such as wood. The ideal is a simple matte or lightly lacquered finish.
Romantic style
If you like it sophisticated and sweet at the same time, the romantic style is perfect. To achieve this tone, paint antique furniture in off-white or beige and combine it with other pastel tones and floral prints.
As for the paint finish, you can choose a chalk or chalk paint effect, which will create that air of worn furniture. If you combine it well with other textures and flowers, you will get that elegant aesthetic so typical of the romantic style.

The nautical or navy is ideal for summer environments where to give a fresh and youthful air. To achieve this, combine a very pure white or polar with intense blue, turquoise or even red, although basically the first two should not be missing.
If you are looking for a traditional navy, choose a chalk paint finish and combine it with natural elements such as wood, wicker or rattan.
The shabby chic style is perfect for a very daring romantic air. Choose to paint furniture in white with unfinished effect and combine it with other pastel shades such as pink and mint green for accessories or textiles.
The trick in shabby chic is to mix the antique with the modern and achieve an air of imperfection and wear, because it is in this aspect of used where its beauty lies. You can achieve this look by stripping the white paint after applying it.
Mastering the unfinished effect will serve you well in the ethnic style. You can also use stencils of tribal shapes to achieve this aesthetic in your furniture.
Types of enamel
Choosing the type of enamel is essential for the style you want to achieve. We explain which paint to choose depending on the finish you have opted for.
Acrylic paint
If you have considered a more urban effect or a cleaner finish, choose acrylic paint. It can be ideal for a Nordic style or shabby chic combined with other furniture with a worn look.
Chalk Paint or chalk effect (no pickling required)
The most interesting thing about chalk paint is that it does not require sanding the remains of enamel that the furniture has previously. This means that you will have them ready in no time. Also, it is crucial to achieve an unfinished effect.
Which finish to choose?
Finally, to achieve the desired aesthetics when painting furniture in white, you must choose one finish or another:
- Wax: ideal for creating a worn effect or simply a matte finish.
- Patina or varnish: for a clean and bright result, more urban.
- Decorative paint: choose it for the nautical style or for the tribal or ethnic style.
How to paint your furniture white
Now it’s time to get down to work with the following steps.

- Decarpeting the furniture
If you have not chosen chalk paint, the first thing you have to do is to strip the furniture to remove the remains of old enamel. Use a product to do this and spread it all over the furniture. Leave it to act for half an hour or more – take into account the manufacturer’s instructions – and remove it with a spatula.
- Applying the paint
If you want to achieve a perfect lacquer effect, apply a first coat of paint and sand again lightly. For a chalk paint enamel, you can skip this step and apply the product directly.
- Repainting
Once you have sanded smoothly after the first coat, paint again. This way you will get a more professional result.
- Final finishing
Finally, choose a type of finish for the finish. If you want a glossy effect, choose a varnish and if you prefer a matte finish choose a wax. If you are looking for a worn look, sand gently around the corners or go for a wax of a slightly different shade than the paint. This will create the desired worn look.
To give a renewed style to your home, paint your furniture in white, as this will give them new life. Trends such as navy, shabby chic, ethnic and of course the most classic as the Nordic, are based on the decoration in this color. Do you already have your brush ready?

