couch painting 101

well pinterest, youve done it again.  i found a website all about painting furniture instead of reupholstering.  AND IT WORKED.

loveseat/couch sans cushions

my mom wholly comprehends my need to frequently update decor... and my veeeery limited budget.  so she bought me this $100 loveseat and we hauled the giant futon upstairs. 

basically you need paint, fabric medium, water, a container, and a paintbrush.  a tarp is also very helpful or.. a shitton of towels. 

spritz the couch.  and by spritz i mean drench.  and um... after you vacuum it really well.  i did one coat, let it dry for a few days [cos i ran out of fabric medium] aaaand then had to sand the dried-in cat hair.  yes i sanded a fabric couch.  after i ordered more non-martha brand fabric medium [cheaper larger bottle] i laid out a super cheap plastic painting tarp and started again.  you can see the drippy spots where i actually added enough water and then painted over it.

like the kristy of hypen interiors notes.. it will look worse before it looks better.  no kidding.

 

it's best to have a cat supervise progess.

after the 3rd coat

i painted the wood portions of the couch [unprimed] with undiluted paint.  as its drying a bit unevenly i think ill add another coat later.  the fabric itself has become more vinyl/leatherette feeling and is pliable but has that ever so slight tacky feeling like when the backs of your legs stick to cheap couches in the summer.  ...which is why i plan to recover the cushions in a green/gray microsuede my mom donated to the cause as well.  pictures to come.