Ready to jump into the furniture rehab game? The experts share additional tips:

- Decide whether you want to distress a new piece for a vintage look, or paint an older piece to give it new life.

John Gidding, of "HGTV's $250,000 Challenge," suggests updating old furniture in new ways: For one chair, he painted the legs gunmetal gray and the rest of the chair black.

"It's kind of a very modern way of thinking about wood furniture," Gidding says.

- He advises "going crazy" with color on smaller furniture pieces. A single hallway chair could go orange, teal or purple. But if you paint a chair a lively color, reupholster the fabric seat (if it has one) in a neutral color and pattern.

"It's a very hot look," says Gidding. "It's sexy."

Neil Wertheimer, editor-in-chief of "Fresh Home" magazine, also advises getting creative with color.

"Show your personality. Take more risks," Wertheimer says. "If you don't want to take a risk on your wall paint, take a risk on your smaller furniture."

Jewel tones, such as ruby red or purple amethyst, are popular right now, he says. Metallic paints also may add interest; some come with a sandy texture.

"My wife and I just refinished a classic flea market table using a bronze-colored metallic paint," Wertheimer says. "It came out gorgeous."

Veronica Toney, associate decorating editor at BHG.com, suggests creating textures or adding patterns to your paint job. She advises DIYers to decoupage wood furniture, too. The BHG.com site has "how-to" instructions for several such projects.

- When determining a finish, consider how the furniture will be used and where you'll place it. Use oil-based paint for pieces that will take a beating, such as a nightstand or hallway table. They also may need a protective layer of polyurethane.

Among latex paints, the semi-gloss and high-gloss finishes are more durable and easier to clean than flat finishes; Toney says that's why BHG.com uses high-gloss finishes for furniture. But Wertheimer notes that the glossier finishes also reveal more smudges and wood imperfections; a compromise is to go with a satin or eggshell finish.

"Generally, I recommend people think 'aesthetics' first, durability/cleaning second," Wertheimer said. "Today, all brand-name paints are pretty tough and well made."