Wydeven Designs: In Praise of Painted Legs

Wingback in black and white super-pattern with white legs - stunning (link)!!

Wingback with Painted legs - source

In a sea of furniture legs, I love the inclusion of at least one set of "painted legs" to break up the brown monotony. The legs in question can be part of a larger painted unit such as a table or a cabinet and can also be the legs of an upholstered piece of furniture. I have used two methods for painting the legs of the heirloom-quality upholstered furniture I refurbish - spray lacquer-like paint (for a hard and/or shiny finish) and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) - link to website (for flat, distressed, or multi-layered looks).

One of the things I track through "pinterest research" is what is popular and repinned most often - the styles, ideas, and looks that capture imaginations. I find that painted furniture of all types is VERY popular and that even the most traditional settings usually have at least a few pieces that bring in painted surfaces. Some designers express concerns about how long this "fad" might last but it has been around a long time and seems only to be increasing in popularity (think Swedish and Country French styles). So, I think I will continue to add pieces with painted legs to my inventory and home!

It is easy to change out the color of upholstered furniture legs, even after the piece has been professionally reupholstered if you use a hand-applied method such as ASCP. DO NOT use a spray paint at this point - you will not be able to avoid getting residue on the fabric!

Here are additional images to further demonstrate my point including from my inventory - link (note: my website is slightly out-of-date because the computer I need to use to update is currently unavailable because of my lower-level remodeling project - hope it's done soon)!