Honey, I painted the couch….

There are times I feel for my husband, I think he goes to work and doesn’t know what might be waiting for him when he gets back home. That said, I painted our couch….

We got a couch from my gran when she moved house, a pretty couch that she had bought on auction. The couch has moved around our home while we tried to find ‘that’ spot for it. With it’s heavy floral upholstery, it didn’t seem to work in many spaces and therefore we landed up covering it in a cream throw for a very long time. With renovating, we don’t have the spare cash to reupholster the couch at this moment.

When we added on our veranda extension, I painted the walls a deep green and our wicker chairs a dark blue, with the couch on the veranda, all of the colours matched perfectly. This put my decision to paint the couch on hold for quite a while.

 The couch, mixing well with the wall and wicker chair colours

I have absolutely nothing wrong with florals, I love them in the right space, but I wanted a more versatile coloured couch that I could dress up with cushions and throws. Therefor, the painting option was researched and I decided to go with a chalk paint colour called Provence Grey, which by the way, isn’t grey.

I watered the paint down quite a bit as to not let the paint clump in the fabric but rather sink in.

Please note that the fabrics condition is 100% , there is no aging and thinning in the fabric. Painting fabric will not help in this area.  I painted the couch as a way to update the look of the couch.

I painted three coats on the couch itself as well as the cushions. I also sanded and oiled the legs as they definitely needed some TLC.

Once all the coats of paint were dry, I waxed the couch. This I thought was going to be a nightmare, but it was surprisingly easy with fantastic results.

 Remember to let the wax dry before you polish, the paint will return to its ‘dry’ colour when the wax is dry.

The end result is amazing! It looks and feels like leather and best of all its waterproof. Being on a veranda in Hilton, the mist sometimes makes our outdoor furniture damp, now we won’t have a soggy couch, yay!

Final pictures:

I come from generations of natural designers and I have been designing spaces with my mother and grandmother for as long as I can remember. I delight in upcycling dated and previously loved furniture and fittings and making them work in a space. I am always honoured to help a client turn their home into their unique space that reflects them and their family. A home is an investment that should be enjoyed and lived in to the full.
4 comments
    1. What was your ratio of water to paint?

      1. About three parts paint, one part water.

  1. Fantastic result – very inspiring Robs.

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