How to Dry Brush Furniture

 

Hey guys!

 

Today I bring you a piece that was so fun to transform. I slowly worked on this little washstand during my Tuesday nights LIVE on the Dixie Belle Paint Facebook page.

 

I envisioned adding a lot of character and texture to this little piece, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity for dry brushing.

 

Dry brushing is a painting technique in which the paint brush has very little paint, in fact, it is relatively dry. This technique gives pieces an older and worn look, it adds texture and a scratchy looking finish.

 

 

 

*This post contains affiliate links. You don’t pay any more from ordering from these links but I earn a small commission so I can continue to bring you more fun projects! They also allow me to show you exactly what I use so you know what I’m referring to! * 

 

Material List:

 

• White Lightning Cleaner  
• B.O.S.S. 
• Dixie Belle Mermaid Tail Mineral Paint 
• Dixie Belle Caviar Chalk Mineral Paint   
• Dixie Belle Fluff Mineral Paint
• Dixie Belle Florida Orange Mineral Paint
• Sea Spray 
• Copper Patina Paint
• Blue and Green Activator Patina Spray
• Colonial Black No Pain Gel Stain
• Gator Hide
• Clear Top Coat

 

The painting details 

 

As usual, my first step was to clean my piece with White Lightning cleaner and then gave it a coat of primer in BOSS white.  My recommendation is to always clean your pieces before painting. Primming, on the other hand, isn’t always necessary. However, primming yields better results: it facilitates for the paint to adhere and reduces the chance of bleedings. I prime 99% of my pieces!!

 

Here is a video on how I prep my furniture before painting. I have used this method for years and it has never let me down.

 

 

 

Before I started painting I added mouldings to the piece. You can find all the mouldings I used at the Dixie Belle Page.

 

After the mouldings were firmly glued, I gave it a coat of Caviar followed by a mix of Caviar with Sea Spray for texture.

 

The next steps were way more fun! I applied one coat of Copper Patina Paint and let it dry. Then I applied one more coat of Copper Paint and while it was still wet I sprayed it with both the blue and green activator spray. You don’t have to use both but I like to for a more crusty look. I let it dry.

 

 

On to the next step!! I used these 3 colors: Fluff, Mermaid Tail, and Florida Orange.

I dry brushed these over the whole piece focusing on the edges to give it that multi-dimensional look. I focused on getting those details to stand out!!

 

 

PRO TIP: Dry brushing will not only enhance all the details in your piece, it will also highlight paint drips!! But do freak out, paint drips are a natural part of the painting process, just be ready to sand these areas to achieve a more professional finish.

 

Lastly, I finished the top with Colonial Black Gel Stain and sealed it with Gator Hide. Then I sealed the whole body with Matte Clear Coat!!

 

I kept the top classy…

 

 

But I added some fun details to the drawers, because, who has time for simple?!

 

 

 

I love how this piece turned out.

 

This piece is available for $550 – The dimensions are: 19” Deep-33”Wide-28” Tall. Shipping is available within the continental US. I totally see this as a side table next to a big sofa. Where do you see a piece like this fitting in?

 

This is not the first time I have used dry brushing on a project.  Check out this other video where I used the same technique.

 

Leah

Leah Noell Design Co.