What is the difference between gray primer and white primer?

We talked about the two main reasons you may need a primer before painting your furniture, you assessed your project and decided that primer would be best, but which color primer do you choose?Does it matter?There are options.Let's break it down.

Clear, White, Gray, and Dark Gray are the colors of the Wise Owl Primer.Choosing the right one can have a huge impact on the ease and outcome of your painting project.You won't destroy your project if you choose the wrong primer.It's possible that you'll need to do some extra work or use more paint, but it won't be the end of the world for your project.

You can get from your current surface color to your chosen paint color with a little more ease with your primer color choice.Take a picture of your current color and your desired color as a set of stairs, with light colors at the top and dark colors on the bottom.If you want to get up that flight of stairs with ease, you need to choose the right primer color.White primer over dark wood will bring you up the stairs and give you a lighter surface for your paint to sit on.Bringing your base color closer to your final color will result in less paint needed for full coverage.If you are going to paint a dark wooden cabinet, you will have to run up to the top of the flight of stairs before you start.This can be avoided with the proper colored primer.

How do you know which primer color is right for your project?Here are my preferences and tips for my projects.

If you plan to paint a piece and then distress areas back down to the wood, then clear primer is for you.While also allowing you to distress back down to the bare wood without having your primer peek through, the clear primer will lock in tannins and give you a great, grippy surface to paint on.choosing the right color primer is helpful but not critical advice is my exception.White or gray primer will show at your distressing spots and change the overall look of your finish.If you are starting from a dark shade and painting to a darker shade, it will be your go-to.You can stay on the bottom stair if you use clear primer.

White primer is your best friend if you are painting white, cream, or beige.Trust me.If you're going to paint a dark piece of furniture, use a coat or two of white primer to cut the amount of paint you need.This is similar to going from the bottom of the staircase to the top.Before you start painting, use white primer to jump up steps.The white primer will not only lighten your base shade, but it will also block in all potential stains and bleeds, giving you a flawless finish.

Are you going to paint it red?Is it bright pink?Is it orange?You will thank me if you use dark gray primer.Gray is the perfect base for any red-toned paints, and it will cut down the number of coats you'll need for your paint.Reds are known for being the most difficult colors to cover with 4 to 6 coats.You won't ever use more than 3 coats of reds if you start using Wise Owl.For real.You can get away with just two coats if you use the dark gray primer underneath your hot pinks.If you are going from a light wood to a dark one, the Dark Gray Primer is perfect.If you throw dark gray primer underneath your navys, grays and blacks you won't have to change your color shade when you start painting.

The same concept as the dark gray primer will apply here.Under lighter pinks and oranges, and any light neutrals with gray undertones, the Gray Primer is perfect.It's a great option to lighten up a dark surface, without going as high as the bright white primer.You can take one or two steps from the top of the staircase.

If you're not sure, just send me a picture and we'll work through it.You can find your Wise Owl Primer here.