Experts warn of ‘sofa painting’ trend with Gen Z updating their sofas at home – saying they’re just ruining an expensive piece of furniture

Experts have warned of a trend where people on social media are trying to renew their sofas with paint.

The trend is trending on TikTok and Instagram reels with over 29.7 million views as creative fans try to save money with their DIY projects.

Videos filmed by TikTokers in the UK show them splashing multiple layers of paint onto their sofas before scrubbing and sanding to achieve an even finish.

But while sofa makeovers may look good at first, experts have warned that they will soon become ‘dry, uneven and crusty’, and people risk ruining an ‘expensive canvas’.

Molly Mackinder, 25, who lives in Essex, shared her sofa makeover in a videoas she changed it from light blue to cream.

Molly mixed four parts water with one part chalk, before spraying the fabric with water and painting on the mixture. She went over it with a sanding sponge to work the paint in and added additional layers before going over it again with sandpaper.

The DIYer said she was ‘happy’ with how it turned out, but admitted the makeover had left it ‘patchy in places’.

She wrote on her TikTok account @mackingahouseahome: ‘Painting a sofa?!! I’m glad I did it because it saved me the purchase of a new couch and I’m happy with how it turned out… but I probably wouldn’t do it again.

“It took SO much paint and took forever waiting for the fabric to dry between each coat!”

Meanwhile, Emma Carberry, from Glasgow, who runs interior design company Form And Balance, said she turned to the sofa painting trend because she wanted a ‘sumptuous sofa’ but only had a second-hand one to work with.

Molly Mackinder, 25, who lives in Essex, shared her sofa makeover in a video, as she changed it from light blue to cream

Emma Carberry from Glasgow chose the sofa painting trend because she wanted a ‘sumptuous sofa’

Emma transformed her gray carriage by using deep olive green (photo left, before and right, after)

She transformed her gray coach using a deep olive green and said a ‘little TLC’ had made it look ‘iconic’ while saving ‘a fortune in soft furnishing costs’.

While people in the comments were clearly convinced – praising the makeovers as ‘stunning’ and ‘so good!’, experts have warned those at home not to rush out to get out their own brushes.

Michael Rolland of The Paint Shed warned that painting is not a ‘simple hack’ and said: ‘DIY sofa painting is all the rage on TikTok with viral videos showing a fun, simple, eco-friendly and affordable way to redesign your furniture.

‘However, this could be one of those trends where what you see is usually not what you get. The only easy thing about painting a sofa is that it’s easy to make big mistakes, which can lead to unnecessary costs.

Leanne Cusack took her followers on her journey as she painted her sofa gray (photo after)

TikTok users were all amazed by the transformations, but paint experts have advised people at home not to rush to get out their brushes

‘People expect their painted sofas to look like real quality pieces, but that is not the case with this trend. Fabric paint, even the good stuff, is unlikely to cover up any wear or imperfections.

‘It’s even less likely to feel like the material of a brand new piece of furniture. Preventing paint from becoming dry, uneven and crusty is much more difficult than Tiktokers show.

“A sofa is a very expensive canvas that you can ruin, and this is almost inevitable without experience or expertise.”

If you still want to update your sofa, Michael advised that there are easier and more cost-effective ways to breathe new life into it.

Less risky options include sewing a removable cover, purchasing a slipcover, or investing in quality pillows.