How to Pick the Right Paintbrush for your Furniture Makeover

As you can imagine, I have A LOT of paintbrushes and here’s my guide to the brushes I use in my furniture artistry business and why.  I’ve listed the brands I love but it really is down to personal preference so experiment and find the best ones for you. 

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, just my favourites!

Oval & Round Brushes
-    Give an even spread of paint
-    Can hold a greater volume of paint than a traditional (flat) brush
-    I use Cling On/Staalmeester for a smoother finish/blending
-    I use Annie Sloan natural bristle brushes for creating texture/blending

Flat brushes
-    Good for large flat surfaces
-    Smooth paint finish
-    Great for applying stains, varnishes, glazes and topcoats
-    Small ones good for dry brushing
-    I use a variety of makes Autentico, Annie Sloan, Cling On and Staalmeester

Sash/Chisel Brushes
-    Pointy tip ideal for getting paint or waxes into corners and details
-    Good for cutting in
-    I use Autentico and Aldi

Chip brushes
-    Great for when you don’t want to ruin your expensive brushes
-    I use them for applying paint stripper, hemp oil, saltwash, fresco, etc.
-    If I want more of a grainy/rustic dry brush effect
-    I use the cheapest I can find on Amazon/eBay

Laying off brush
-    I use this when trying to achieve a very smooth, brush stroke free finish with a paint like Fusion after rolling on fresh paint on a flat surface.  Gets rid of the ‘orange peel’ effect
-    I use Hamilton or Staalmester ONE brands

Angled tip brushes
-    Extremely helpful for painting hard to reach and awkward spots
-    I use Cling On

Short-handled brushes
-    Very useful in tight spaces as the handles don’t damage your already painted surfaces
-    I find they fit in my hand perfectly
-    I use the Cling On S50

Wax brushes
-    Their pointy/dome-shaped bristles help you work wax into your paint, especially if you have created texture or have lots of details to get into
-    TIP: if I’m applying wax to a large flat surface then I generally use half a sponge scourer (the sponge side!)
-    I use Annie Sloan

Stencil brushes
-    For dabbing/stippling paint over stencil
-    Make sure to offload most of the paint first as very little is needed
-    I use Annie Sloan

Detail brushes
-    For hand-painted details, eg. flowers, borders, etc.
-    For edges/edging
-    For touching up
-    I use Annie Sloan detail brushes and a selection of artists brushes

Dusting Brush
-    Not for painting but definitely for prepping
-    Great at removing sanding dust
-    Normally natural bristles separated into 3 or 4 ‘rings’ or bunches for extra strength/rigidity
-    I use Hamilton Perfection

Happy painting everyone!
Julia x