How to Paint Your Garden Furniture
Use colour to reinvent an unloved piece of garden furniture this summer. Whether you wish to effortlessly coordinate your patio set with natural surroundings or renew a tired looking bench with a highlight of colour, the Little Greene palette is available in a range of exterior finishes so you can create an inspiring outdoor space.
Our ‘Exterior Paints’ family offer a combination of strength and beauty. ‘Intelligent Exterior Eggshell’ is both weather resistant and completely washable ensuring your newly transformed piece of furniture will look beautiful for years to come. It is touch dry in just 2-4 hours, allowing for a finished project in just one afternoon.
Tips for choosing colour
Choosing the perfect shade for this kind of project may feel daunting so we’ve compiled some tips to make this process a little easier.
Should you wish to completely coordinate your garden furniture with its natural surrounding, be they sprawling gardens or foliage, consider shades which combine well with different hues of green. ‘Normandy Grey’ is an elegant shade of stone grey with natural undertones making it a useful choice for the outside.
Incorporating a green shade into your outdoor scheme will ensure your piece of furniture sits comfortably in the space. Here, the confident ‘Harley Green’ mirrors the outdoor location and looks wonderful against red brickwork and terracotta plant pots.
Smaller projects present the perfect opportunity to be bold and adventurous with colour. Incorporating powerful primary shades such as ‘Atomic Red’ or vibrant yellow ‘Trumpet’ injects personality to your outdoor space and provides a focal point.
The abundance of natural light in your garden makes it the perfect place to experiment with darker tones. Striking grey-green ‘Pompeian Ash’ elegantly adorns this open air, outdoor kitchen, perfect for seasonal entertaining.
Follow our step by step guide to painting garden furniture using Intelligent Exterior Eggshell
Before beginning the project:
- Make sure that the weather provides good conditions for painting.
- The ambient temperature should be above 5o C with no risk of rain during application or drying.
- Try to avoid painting in full sun or on surfaces that are already warm as this will affect the way the paint dries.
A Guide to Painting New Wood Furniture
- Ensure that the surface is cleaned and free of dust and other debris. Rub down smooth planed timber with a medium grade sandpaper.
- Seal any knots in softwood and all hardwoods with Aluminium Wood Primer or knotting compound.
- Proceed with two coats of Little Greene Intelligent Exterior Eggshell. Lightly rub down between coats to remove any dust motes.
A guide to Painting Previously Painted Wooden Furniture
- Ensure the surface is clean, dry and grease free using sugar soap to remove all loose and flaking paintwork then rinse with clean water. Rub down with a medium grade sandpaper, feathering in where paint has been removed.
- Apply a primer coat of Little Greene Intelligent All Surface Primer. Proceed with 2 coats of Little Greene Intelligent Exterior Eggshell. Lightly rub down between coats to remove any dust motes.
A Guide to Painting Metal Garden Furniture
- Remove any surface rust by hand or mechanically.
- Prime surfaces using Intelligent ASP (all surface primer). Non-ferrous metals must be pre-treated or primed with an appropriate proprietary primer.
- Proceed with 2 coats of Little Greene Intelligent Exterior Eggshell. Lightly rub down between coats to remove any dust motes.