Why I Use Wise Owl Paint on Furniture Frames

From an upholsterer who restores frames too

If you’ve been around here for a bit, you might know I don’t just upholster furniture, I restore the frames too. I strip them, repair them, refinish them, and then upholster them. It’s more work, yes. But it also means I have full control over how the final piece looks and holds up.

One of the questions I get all the time is what paint I use on frames. My go to is Wise Owl One Hour Enamel, and it has earned its place in my shop.

👉 Shop it here: Wise Owl Paint

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I only recommend products I actually use in my shop.

Why I’ve trusted Wise Owl since 2018

I’ve used Wise Owl paint, and have been a retailer since 2018, after trying just about every furniture paint I could get my hands on.

When you refinish and upholster furniture for a living, you don’t have time for products that only look good in photos. They have to perform in real shop conditions, hold up to upholstery, shipping, and everyday use.

Wise Owl earned its place in my workflow because it does exactly that.

But for me, it’s not just about the product.

I prefer to do business with companies that not only make a great product, but are run by genuinely good people. The kind of people who care about their customers, stand behind what they make, and contribute positively to the creative community.

This company checks both of those boxes.

And that matters to me just as much as durability and finish quality.

Why restoring the frame matters

When you upholster a painted frame, even if you’re careful, tools, staples, and fabric application can leave tiny scuffs or marks. That’s just part of the process.

The benefit of being both the painter and the upholsterer is simple:
I can fix it.

• Tiny scuff? Touch it up
• Staple grazed the rail? Blend the finish
• Need to rework an edge? No problem

Instead of hoping the finish survives upholstery, I build my workflow knowing I can perfect it at the end.

That’s a huge advantage for both my client pieces and the furniture I teach students to restore.

Why durability matters in my shop

I don’t create pieces that just sit in a showroom. I ship chairs all over the country. That means the finish has to survive:

• Packing and transport
• Being moved into a home
• Daily use and handling
• People grabbing the arms and rails regularly when in use

A beautiful finish is meaningless if it can’t handle real life. Wise Owl One Hour Enamel cures to a rock hard surface that holds up during shipping and continues to perform once the piece is in its new home.

Why I choose Wise Owl One Hour Enamel

I’ve tried a lot of paints over the years. Some look beautiful but can’t handle upholstery. Some are durable but take forever to cure. When you’re working on real timelines, that matters.

Wise Owl One Hour Enamel checks the boxes:

• Dries in about an hour
• Cures to a rock hard finish
• Can be glazed shortly after drying
• Can also be upholstered shortly after
• Levels out for a smooth, professional look
• Holds up to shipping, handling, and everyday use

When I’m teaching workshops or working on client furniture, I don’t have the luxury of waiting days for a finish to cure. This enamel lets me keep moving without sacrificing durability.

Chalk style paint has its place (and how to make it durable)

I love chalk style paint for artistic finishes. If I’m going for layered color, distressing, or texture, it’s a great option. There’s more creative freedom with it.

But in an upholstery workflow, chalk paint has tradeoffs.

Chalk style paint:
• Needs a fully cured topcoat to hold up
• More prone to scuffing during upholstery
• Longer wait time before heavy handling

If you love the look of chalk style paint, Wise Owl also offers a Clear One Hour Enamel. This gives you the best of both worlds, the artistic finish of chalk paint with the durability of enamel protection.

Let’s talk about wax (and why I don’t rely on it)

Something I never use on my pieces is wax as the only finish protectant for chalk style paint.

Wax has its place, especially for decorative effects, but here’s the reality:

• Wax takes a very long time to cure
• It needs regular reapplication
• It does not provide high level wear protection on its own

While enamel does not require a topcoat, some people love the feel of wax or want to highlight carved details with colored wax. If that’s you, here’s what I recommend:

👉 Use enamel as your paint or protective topcoat first
👉 Then apply wax over it for the feel and decorative effect

This way you get the durability and protection your furniture needs, with the aesthetic benefits wax can provide.

Don’t sleep on Wise Owl Furniture Salve

If you’ve taken a workshop with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about furniture salve more than once. It’s one of those products that does way more than people expect.

I use it to:

• Finish stained wood
• Condition dried out pieces
• Add a soft topcoat over One House Enamel paint
• Make vintage furniture smell fresh
• Condition leather
• Remove rust from stainless steel
• Get the musty smell out of old furniture

Sometimes I use it purely because it enriches the finish. Sometimes I use it because an old piece needs life brought back into it. And sometimes, if I’m honest, I use it because it makes the piece smell incredible.

👉 You can find it here: Wise Owl Furniture Salve

The real benefit: control over the final piece

Being an upholsterer who also restores frames means more steps, but it also means better results.

I’m not relying on someone else’s finish.
I’m not stuck with scuffs I can’t fix.
I’m not guessing how a product will hold up under upholstery.

I know exactly how the piece will perform because I’ve tested it in real shop conditions, shipping, handling, and everyday use included.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about creating a beautiful piece. It’s about creating furniture that holds up to real life while honoring the craftsmanship behind it.

Want to learn how to restore and paint frames yourself?

If restoring and painting frames feels intimidating, or you’re ready to add it to your upholstery skillset, I teach this step by step inside my Online Western Upholstery Community.

Inside the community you’ll find:

• 200+ video tutorials
• Western style upholstery techniques
• Frame repair and structural fixes
• Stripping, refinishing, and painting frames
• Product guidance and real shop workflows
• Ongoing support from a community that gets it

This isn’t just about making furniture look better. It’s about building the skills and confidence to create pieces that last.

👉 Learn more here: Online Western Upholstery Community