Besides, “Will you paint my dining table?” “Does lacquer chip pretty easily?” is the most asked question by potential buyers and lacquer-curious peeps.
The answer is “Yes, but not exactly.” I know! I know! You must think…here comes the word salad. You are right.
The oversimplified answer is “Yes,” but the complex explanation is, “Actually, No.”
Lacquer, Unlike Stain, Sits On Top Of The Wood
When people compare lacquer to another finish they are mostly thinking of stained, traditional furniture. Like for example a stained dresser vs. a lacquered dresser.
Lacquer and stain are fundamentally different finishes.
Stain literally means stain….the kind of stain that ruins your white shirt – red wine, for example, works exactly the same as the furniture stain that changes the color of the wood from Birch to Cherry.
Stain penetrates the fiber of the wood and changes its color. From within.
Lacquer, or any painted finish for that matter, literally sits on top of the wood.
Lacquer is basically a layer of pigment on top of a piece of furniture that is held in place by the primer, acting like glue.
Since the stain is deep within the wood, it’s physically impossible to chip it. When you chip a piece of stained furniture, it breaks off a piece of the wood.
Lacquer is sitting on the top, so of course, upon impact, it’s the first thing to break off the piece of furniture.
Where Does Lacquer Chip?
Lacquer is most likely going to chip at the edge of any piece of furniture.
Like this chip on my favorite chair.
But any surface can chip. Like this big gouge on my dining table. I tipped over a vase and chipped my beloved dining table and there you see it.
Every once in a while, you get a chip large enough to understand the anatomy of it.
Like the one below.
Anatomy Of A Perfect Lacquer Chip
Can you see the primer under it? It’s like an eggshell!
Yep, This dresser got damaged in transit and a perfect chip fell off of a joint. The lacquer along with the primer chipped off like the chip of my nail polish.
Most woods, and especially burl wood, have inherent patterns, so they disguise the dings and scratches. The dings eventually get the patina, and then it is called “character.”
Like the top of this vintage chest. The scotches and dings and countless but they don’t scream at you when you walk by them.
A lacquered surface is one, long, solid layer of pigment. There are no patterns to hide the day-to-day wear.
Is Lacquer Especially Chippy?
No. Lacquer, enamel, car paint…all these types of paints form a hard shell of coating on top of a surface. They all are prone to chipping.
Is lacquer more chip-prone than auto paint, yes, for sure, but cars are not made of wood, so the comparison is not exactly apples to apples.
Bottom line
You can’t measure the durability of a “coating,” something that sits on the surface of the wood, with the durability of a “stain,” something that penetrates the wood.
To be honest, you shouldn’t be buying lacquered furniture if stained furniture is your baseline expectation. You will be heartbroken.
Should You Still Buy Lacquered Furniture?
Look, not everything is for everybody.
The chipped lacquer around my house doesn’t bother me even one bit, but I know for a fact that I will not be able to have marble countertops in the kitchen. I will not be able to enjoy them stress free.
I WILL notice every imperfection, every chip, every stain, on my marble countertops every single time. And since I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, I will see it too many times to be able to just roll it off my back.
Can you enjoy your lacquered furniture? If it were to chip a little, will that be the only thing you will always notice?
You need to answer those questions for yourself.
Is It Going To Be Fifty Shades Of Brown?
If the chipping on high end finish bothers you to the point of having no tolerance for it, stained furniture is your only option.
Who wants to live in a home with all brown furniture? I know your grandma did, but you are not your grandma.
Remember what I said, any, ANY higher end tinted finish is prone to chipping. So what are you going to do?
Make Smart Buying Decisions
When buying lacquered furniture, if you are anxious about chipping, choose low traffic areas like a formal dining room or a small butler’s pantry.
Glossy lacquer, because of its sophisticated look, lends itself well into formal, less traffic heavy spaces. Start there! You will get the most bang for your buck.
A lacquered china cabinet or a credenza would be perfect in that space.
Besides, if does chip to due some minor accident, you won’t be walking by it 20 times a day to see it and sigh over it. You know what I mean? Test those pieces/spaces for your lacquer love and then dive off into buying a nursery dresser.
Life is short, don’t let the stuff you own, own you.