How to create a terrazzo inspired paint effect

Save an old piece of furniture from the bin by upcycling it with this terrazzo inspired paint effect.

Looking for a weekend DIY project? This easy terrazzo inspired paint effect will have you falling back in love with that old piece of furniture!

So, what will you need?

- A piece of furniture

- Dust sheet

- White vinyl matt paint

- 5/6 colours of your choice

- 80 grit sandpaper

- soft cloth

- 2 inch synthetic paint brush

- selection of different sized artists brushes

- a pot of water

- And most importantly…. patience!

Step 1

Sand down the surface. Give it a good rub over and make sure it is nice and smooth. You then need to wipe off the dust with a damp cloth. Make sure you put a dust sheet down to protect your flooring.

Step 2

Paint your background colour. Here we have used white so give it two coats of white matt emulsion. Make sure you allow it to fully dry between coats because otherwise the paint might get all sticky and lumpy which means it will drag off the surface.

Step 3

It’s time to add some colour! Start by randomly painting the larger splodges in your chosen colour. Don’t worry if the colour doesn’t look quite opaque enough as you can go back and do a second coat.

Step 4

With different sized brushes, start filling in the gaps. The more random and imperfect the better. Try to keep the sizing consistent though so for example all the smallest splodges were in one colour and all the largest in another.

Step 5

Allow your table to dry- if you are impatient you can give it a bit of a blast with the hair dryer. You can then go back and carefully go over any shapes that need a second coat of paint. The final finish will be a little lumpy and bumpy but this adds to the character of it being hand painted :)

And Ta-Da your brand new table is ready to take centre stage in your room! As we have just used tester pots here, you may want to add additional protection to the surface, depending on what you will use your furniture for. A clear varnish will do the trick.