How to Safely Paint Baby Furniture

Giving furniture a quick paint makeover is an easy way to make your baby's nursery unique, but there are a few things you should know before diving in. Here's a breakdown of the steps to take to make a professional-looking piece, as well as important information about how to safely paint baby furniture. Discover the Lullaby Collection by ECOS Paints, specially designed with your baby’s health in mind.

Safety Considerations

Before beginning your painting project, consider these safety issues:

• Test for lead in paint. Lead is extremely toxic to brain development and there's no known safe level. It's been banned from paint since 1978, so if you're repainting something less than 10 years old, you don't need to worry. (Since we're on the topic of lead,if you live in a home built before 1978, test painted walls, window sills, and door jambs, too with a test kit from your local hardware store.)
• Give your piece of furniture a good shake. If it rattles or wiggles too much, you may need to tighten things up a bit (or find a sturdier piece of furniture).
• The US Consumer Product Safety Commission advises against using cribs more than 10 years old. Visit their website to learn about crib recalls and regulations to ensure your crib is up to code.

Painting Nursery Furniture

Once you’ve identified you have a solid, well–built piece, here’s how to paint baby furniture safely.

Step 1: Prep your space by placing a drop cloth on the ground outside or in a garage. This will ensure you don’t get splatters of unwanted paint.

Step 2: Wipe down all surfaces to remove dust and grime. If it’s a dresser, you may want to vacuum out the drawers.

Step 3: Disassemble the piece and lightly sand all the surfaces you'll be painting. For cribs, you may need to take the entire thing apart, but for dressers, just remove the drawers. We recommend wearing a mask to avoid inhaling the dust. You shouldn’t need to sand off the existing surface, just roughen it up slightly so the new coat of paint adheres properly. If there are any scratches or divots, you may need to use some wood putty to smooth out the surface. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for how long you need to wait for the putty to dry before painting.

Step 4: Wipe the piece down using a tack cloth or damp rag and allow it to dry completely.

Step 5: Using a brush or small roller, apply a coat of non-toxic paint*. Choose a formulation specifically manufactured as a furniture and trim paint as they have more hardeners and are more effective for furniture applications. If you’re covering bare wood or puttied surfaces, you’ll need to prime first. If you’d like to really customize the piece, consider painting your child’s name on it, a quote, stars, polka dots, or any other design you’d like. Allow to dry at least overnight (and preferably 24 hours) between coats.

Step 6: Let the piece dry for 48 hours and re-assemble.

Lullaby Paints by ECOS

ECOS Paints Lullaby Nursery Collection is specially designed without the harsh chemicals found in conventional paints so that you can feel confident that the paint you are using in your child's room is non-toxic and won’t compromise their wellbeing

With curated calming color options, the Lullaby collection is perfect for cribs, play areas, or bedrooms. All Lullaby products are applied just like conventional paints, using a brush, roller, or sprayer, so that you can prepare your baby's nursery or playroom with ease.

Choosing Nursery Furniture Paints

Best Paint Types

Though we can focus more on aesthetics, we should still consider practicality when choosing paint for nursery furniture. First, you want your paints to be non-toxic to ensure that they’re better for your baby. Then, you want to check that they’re durable and easy to clean. Look for VOC-free nursery paints with higher gloss levels, such as semi-gloss or gloss.

Paint Color Ideas

This is where you can allow your imagination to take flight. While there isn’t a “good” or “bad” answer for which colors to choose, here are a few ideas you may consider and their benefits:

• White or beige: As a neutral, white pairs well with many different room aesthetics, making it easy to reuse as your child gets older. You can also hand the space down to your next child. Beige fills the same role. Besides their versatility, their lightness also makes rooms feel bigger and brighter.
• Black or brown: Black and brown are also neutrals that go with almost anything, but these dark hues have the added benefit of concealing stains your nursery might acquire.
• Match the walls: It’s hard to find furniture that matches your chosen wall color. So, the easiest way to get around this is to paint the furniture with the walls in mind. Then, you can be sure they won’t clash.
• Complement the walls: If you choose a color from the color wheel and look directly across from it, you’ll find its complement. When these two hues are together, they make each other stand out energetically. For example, a yellow dresser will pop next to a purple wall.

Tips for Painting Furniture in the Nursery

Start Early

Getting an early start is smart because paint needs time to dry. And if you’ve chosen not to use VOC-free paint, the fumes can potentially linger in the air for months afterward. Even if you use non-toxic varieties, the chore itself can be labor-intensive, especially if you’re painting larger furniture pieces like dressers.

Prepare Your Surfaces

You only have to strip off the paint if the previous paint job is old and cracked. However, you should still wipe down the surfaces to get rid of any dirt or dust. Then, take gentle-grade sandpaper and go over them with it. This will help the paint adhere more easily.

Now that you know how to paint furniture for a baby nursery, you need to find the right paints to use. Whether you focus more on form or function, ECOS Paints wants to equip you with the tools you need for a flawless nursery. That’s why our collection of Lullaby furniture paints is available in countless colors and multiple finishes.

Healthier Homes with ECOS Paints

Think you’ll tackle this DIY? Order some ECOS Paints today! And, when you’re done, we’d love to see pictures of your projects! Share them with us on Instagram or Facebook!

*Conforms to ASTMD-4236, specifically concerning oral toxicity, skin irritation and respiratory effects.