Decor & Renovation
Five minutes with decorator and stylist Michael Penney
Decor & Renovation
Five minutes with decorator and stylist Michael Penney
Michael Penney, decorator, stylist and design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show, sits down with us to chat about furniture flipping and secondhand chic.
Move over, milk paint—there's a new player on the upcycling scene, and it's changing the way tastemakers like Michael Penney revamp their treasures. Designed specifically for use on furniture, Fusion mineral paint is ideally suited for creating distressed looks and makes quick work of updates by providing full coverage—often with a single coat. "It has a flat chalky finish that gives furniture a cottagey feeling," says Penney. "It's an easy, inexpensive way to transform anything into an instant heirloom." Before you grab your paintbrush, though, check out what the Marilyn Denis Show pro had to say about furniture flipping and secondhand chic.
Brett Walther: How can you be sure you're not ruining an antique by painting it?
Michael Penney: Most people overestimate the value of their antique pieces, especially those that are handed down through the family. If it's the difference between you actually enjoying a piece of furniture or pitching it because it looks so outdated, go ahead and paint it. Don't worry about whether you're affecting the value, because the true value is in the usefulness of the piece. Plus, it's reversible: If your tastes change, you can strip it or give it another coat of paint.
BW: What's the secret to the perfect distressed finish?
MP: I like painted furniture to look like I didn't paint it—as though that's how I found it at a flea market or a thrift store. Those kinds of pieces are distressed in a very natural way, showing scuffs and imperfections in the places where they would get wear from being used, like the edges or the knobs. That's what I'm going for.
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