Painted furniture can provide a beautiful alternative to traditional oak and mahogany stained furniture, especially if you have a modern, contemporary house style. The inspiration for the many examples on sale today comes primarily from the centuries-old designs that originated in parts of Europe and provide some striking examples of style and grace. The origins of hand painted furniture are much earlier than that, however, and it is widely believed that the Chinese used resin lacquers several millenium ago. Germans and Poles were also early practitioners of furniture painting and these communities, after immigrating into the United States, founded the various Shaker communities. This helps explain why much of the Shaker style of furniture is unpainted.
One significant advantage of painted furniture is the large variety of different colors and shades that can be achieved. No matter what your desire, you can conceive a particular color or shade and there is a good chance that it can be made. Such versatility means that you can do so many different things with furniture and some talent with paint. You can stencil it, age it, decorate it and use it to obtain virtually any desired effect. Many artists often choose furniture as a canvas on which to express their skill and individuality.
