Hand Painted Furniture

The hand painted furniture made by Patina is a particular style of painted furniture that originated first in China some 3500 years ago and came to its ultimate expression in 18th Century Venice. Of particular note in the evolution of this process is the development of gesso, a thick, water-based primer formed of plaster, clay or chalk and bound together with fish glue.

The application of several coats of gesso transforms the wood surface of furniture into a canvas for painting. Thus, paint can be applied and artistic techniques normally reserved for painting on canvas can be used stunningly on a piece of wood furniture.

The creation and application of traditional gesso is an art form in itself. Gesso is thick and sticky. However, the appropriate thickness and stickiness of gesso depends on various conditions, including humidity and air temperature. If gesso is too sticky or the humidity too high, it won't dry. Getting it just right takes time, patience and a feel for how it works.

Once several coats of gesso are applied and the furniture is sanded, our artists apply a base color and carefully hand paint decorations. Patina's standard decorations are classical patterns that evoke the furniture of 18th Century Venice. Decorations include faux marble tops, Chinese figures, oriental flowers, ferns, butterflies, geometric patterns, even traditional fleurs-de-lys. Patina's artists also create custom decorations from samples and specifications provided by customers.

Although Patina's decorations are distinctly Italian and evoke the 18th Century, the furniture itself, of course, is new. See our article on Italian hand painted furniture for the next steps in the Patina furniture process, which include distressing and aging our furniture so that it takes on a 200 year-old patina.

The chest shown here is a Tivoli Nightstand, model number C43/LG/3D/53IV. See our online gallery of furniture, starting with our Introduction to Patina furniture.