Furniture Paint Types

Want your painted furniture to look more expensive? Start by choosing the paint for the finish you're trying to create.

This guide breaks down the six types of paint I see used on furniture, what each one looks like finished, and which brands I'd reach for in each lane.

One page for each paint type:

• Mineral and chalk-style paint, for a soft, hand-finished look
• Standard acrylic / latex wall paint, for exact designer color
• Waterborne alkyd and acrylic-alkyd hybrids, for a smooth traditional enamel
• Waterbased urethane-modified alkyds, for enamel with extra durability
• Acrylic urethanes, for a crisp, hard-wearing modern finish
• Professional waterborne cabinet coatings, for the most factory-like sprayed finish

Each page covers why it looks high end, what it's best for, how it behaves, the best way to apply it, what to watch out for, whether it needs a topcoat, and the brands to know. It ends with a one-page summary that matches each look to its paint.

Designed to save to your phone and pull up at the paint counter.