Give tatty furniture destined for landfill a whole new lease of life

t’s amazing what a little colour can do.

A little daub here, a gentle swipe there can transform your hair, brighten your face, or give your outfit the lift it needs to really pop.

When it comes to furniture, a fresh coat of paint can be all the difference between it joining the scrap heap, and reincarnation as a refreshed piece to keep enjoying at home.

Upcycling is nothing new; in fact the make-do-and-mend mentality has been part of the national psyche since WWII. In a world of fast consumption, it can be satisfying to take time to bring something back from the brink or give it a whole new look.

Don’t be daunted by visions of complex upholstery, carpentry or fiddling with terrifying power tools. The easiest changes are often the simplest and paint is up there with the most powerfully transformative (yes, even if you choose a pale shade).

If you’ve got a dusty old bookcase, desk, table or chairs with potential, all you need is a little vision and a steady grip on a paintbrush.

Above all, don’t be nervous - it’s only paint.

Itching to go? We’ve rounded up the best paint to breathe new life into your homeware.

Frenchic’s Instagram account is rammed with inspirational ideas and blink-twice transformations to get you started. Made for rookies and a dream for pros, the Original Artisan Range is self-priming, skipping a lengthy extra step if you’re planning to paint over dark furniture.

The Lazy Range is even better: self-priming and self-levelling so you’ll barely see brush marks on surfaces if you’re a bit heavy-handed.

Both ranges are safe to use on children’s toys but the Lazy is water resistant too, which makes it a fabulous choice for furniture you’ll put in the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom.

Meanwhile the Chalk Wall Paint range is for more than just walls. It’s easy to use on surfaces like woodwork, ceramic wall tiles and wood or concrete floors too - talk about range.

Add figures to your original purchase by painting with Mother Duck Original Artisan, an elegant pale blue that comes in 750ml (£18.95) and 250ml (£9.99) sizes.

Your revamping efforts are but a click away. Homebase stocks a selection of paint colours from trusted-by-the-trade brands like Craig & Rose and Rust-Oleum with finishes ranging from chalky matte, eggshell, satin and high-shine gloss.

Violet has been winning in the fashion stakes for a while now, so why not introduce the shade on a tired piece of furniture? Rust-Oleum’s Violet Macaroon can be applied on a range of surfaces, from wood (both naked and already painted) to stone, plaster, brick, metal and plastics. Simply stir before going in with your paintbrush and your item should be touch dry after an hour.

Need something bigger than 125ml? Get a 750ml tin of the paint here.

Fans of soothing, calming tones can make use of Vintro Paint’s Pebble shade, a warm cream that can be used to stain everything from walls to woodwork and of course, furniture. In fact, the water-based solution is safe enough to use on children’s toys and furniture, useful if you want to give their Little Tykes pedal car a showroom-worthy makeover. Once tried, it’s easy to keep your upcycled project in good nick as it’s washable, making cleaning a breeze top.

It’s not all about covering your old furniture with paint. Distressing, contrary to the name, can be rather appealing. Rust-Oleum offers this metallic gold paint to use on furniture you want to give the appearance of a gilded edge. Like the other paints from the brands, it too comes in a choice of 125ml or 750ml, giving you the freedom to decide how much you’re really going to go for gold.

While most of the colours in this roundup err towards the ‘safer’ side of the spectrum, YesColours specialise in retina-searing shades that trigger joy with every glance, especially the Electric line-up.

Best used on vintage-looking pieces to give them a contemporary feel. Sample pots of 60ml are available for those brave enough to dip a toe in.

Whether it's a scratched up desk or your favourite armchair whose legs have seen better days, bring your old furniture back to new with a fresh coat of paint. This dusky rose shade (official name Albert Bridge) offers fabulous coverage and won't require wax or lacquer to finish it afterwards, saving you an extra step.

While painting with a brush or roller gives you ultimate control, if you’re planning on covering a large area or want a speckled effect, a can of spray paint could be the better option. Rust-Oleum offers paint ready for your project’s transformation in a variety of colours, including Bramwell, a warm moss green. It can be sprayed directly onto cleaned surfaces without the need for a primer coat first, and additional coats will increase its opacity.

Kitchen in dire need of an upgrade? No need to gut it and start from scratch; just reach for a tin of Wilko's quick dry black matt chalkboard paint for an easy, statement look that, once dry, will serve double duty as somewhere to jot down lists or calendar events too. Touch dry in half an hour, it's also a great way to upgrade jars, plant pots and kitchen utensils. Welcome to the dark side.

Wickes’ calming palette of own-brand paint is just the ticket if you’re hoping to make a subtle upgrade to your old furniture. We’re charmed not only by this green hue, but the formula as well: it’s self undercoating, quick drying, washable and durable too. Consider the checklist complete.

As well as bringing your walls to life, you can give last-chance furniture and homewares a new life with Lick paint, as long as its wood. Simply apply a thin coat of paint and let dry before sanding off bumpy sections in preparation of a second coat. Lick’s paints only come in 2.5L tins, so it’s a good purchase if you’re planning to refresh large pieces or want to paint sections of your home in the same colour.