apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

If you want to paint it, you can use regular craft acrylic paints. No need to use "fabric" paint. Good luck.

I agree with fastkat, and also think that simply painting could turn out to be better than changing the fabric.

Wow. You're right -- up close that fabric looks like it's almost burlap or something.

I think that painting it could be tricky, because the wetness of the paint could make the fabric sag and then be saggy-looking and yet permanently stiffly so. If you must, then try some gesso, which is not really all that cheap, but it's what artist's canvases are primed with.

Can you see how it's attached at the back? Are the hinges easily removable so the doors can come down? Is the fabric stapled on? I think I'd rather see you completely take it all off, and then attached something you like better in some kind of solid color. Since I don't see the rest of your room, I don't know what color to tell you, but it's not hard to imagine how the rest of your stuff might NOT go with what's there!

Anyway... if you CAN take the doors down and if you CAN take staples (?) out, then cut the new fabric (something similarly sturdy) a little bigger that the whole thing and wrap it past the edges and using a staple gun on the back edges, begin from the middles of each side, and go one-by-one to the corners, so that you don't have any buckling.

Melanie - I agree with fastkat. All you should need is acrylic paint. If you want to go the extra mile you can use screen printing paint, which you can get at an art store. This is a more permanent solution with less chance of cracking. Painting it white, and then allowing some of the pattern to faintly show through would look neat. Also, you can tea stain it to give it an aged look. Boil several bags of black tea, let it brew for several minutes, and then gently apply the tea water to the fabric with a brush. Make sure to not use too much water on the fabric because you don't want to damage the wood underneath. You might also need several applications of the tea water to make your desired shade/effect. Good luck!!

How about painting it with black ink? I'm thinking the pattern might still show through and look interesting. If it looks crappy, then you can paint over it.

Thanks for your responses so far!

From what I can see the fabric isn't stapled, it seems to be glued on the entire surface so taking it off is not possible.

Melanie

remove the fabric, find something more suited for your space. if you want to paint, remove the fabric and paint the wood.
good luck

Martha Stewart Living had a recent article on 'over-dying'. You changed the colors of the fabric by bleaching and then using a dye. It looked pretty good. But I am thinking you would need to take down the fabric and put it back up to do this.

If you do do any of these suggestions, please post an after pick and let us know how it goes...

I painted a fabric/cardboard chest of drawers that lives in my bathroom. I used the same wall paint - added some snazzy knobs, and it's looked great for years.

Curtis is, of course, absolutely right about the dangers of painting that kind of loose-weave fabric. (Curtis is always right about paint -- ignore him at your peril!)

The fabric is almost certainly attached with a water-based glue. Run a damp sponge all over it a few times, and it should pull right off. Let the surface dry, and you can glue on new fabric.

Paint it gesso designed for prepping artist's canvases. But I'd also hit it with a stain-fighting primer first (like Kilz) to prevent color bleed-through

But first, maybe do a little digging to make sure it is not a Marimekko archive print or something you'll regret painting over.

I'd actually try to remove/replace the whole panel, as is.

You can also staple new fabric right over the existing fabric.

I agree with Wende and Curtis- DO NOT PAINT! I had a similar problem (on a much smaller scale, mind you) and painting turned out to be a disaster.

I would definitely follow Wende's advice and find a way to take that fabric off and replace it with something new. It may take a bit more effort on your part initially, but you will be SO much happier in the long run.

If you do try to paint (which I don't suggest) also remember this kind of fabric will soak of tons of paint, and will require multiple coats to avoid a blotchy look.

I would recommend covering over the existing fabric with one that suits your decor better. It should be a quick job with a staple gun.

If you are able to get the fabric off however, even better, then you can sell it on E-bay/Craigslist, since it is definitely vintage fabric. I know many a designer who would love to get their hands on that fabric.

As Curtis, Wende and others said DONT PAINT THIS FABRIC. Either take it off and paint the wood or take another approach.

Approach 1 would be to attach a different fabric by stapling on (or less ideal by attaching fabric with starch)

Approach 2 would be adding curtain rods to the doors and side. Then put on floor to ceiling curtains. I prefer this option better as it will be quite dramatic and then you will be easily able to switch out curtains. Also that fabric is fabulous and at some point in the future someone could design around that fabric to a super funky effect.

When my parents moved into our house 35 years ago, one living room wall was paneled in awful wood paneling. They put burlap over the whole wall and then painted it. This was before I was born, so I don't know how they attached the burlap or what kind of paint they used; it seemed like normal latex wall paint to me. There was no sagging, no blotching; just a cool, textured wall. It was up there for at least 15 or 20 years and survived several repaintings before they finally redid the wall with wallboard.

I loved it as a kid--the nubby texture seemed so interesting and different and the stiff feeling of it was great to run your hand over, and it was only noticeably different from a normal wall from up close.

Rip it, and buy a new wardrobe that doesn't clash with anything else you've got there. That way (if you REALLY are worried about looks, 'cause after looking at that horrible thing I'd think otherwise) you can customize your space slightly more, if you don't want to rearrange furniture later on.

That fabric is beautiful. I would want it for a headboard.

Hope you can get it off in one piece!