Painting furniture in unexpected ways and adding a twist to classic motifs is a unique and playful way to dress up an old piece and bring color to a room. Using a landscape painting for inspiration, you can treat your old furniture piece like a canvas and create a simple ethereal landscape of your own. The key to making this technique work is to feather the edges of color between each ridgeline. Use an artist's brush to fill in the details and tear several pieces of poster board so each ridge line is different, like a real landscape.

Use satin-finish latex paints to give the piece a protective finish so you won't have to apply a top coat of varnish. But do add extra coats to each section for a solid, even surface that will last a long time.