5 Easy Steps to Paint Furniture

Refinishing furniture can be time consuming and tiresome; it is well worth it when you see the outcome and know that you have created a custom piece of furniture for your home. Although there are many furniture refinishing techniques, today I am going to cover just the absolute basics of painting.

1: PREPARE

Firstly, prepare your piece of furniture. You can’t just put on a coat of paint and call it a day. It will peel and chip and it will not last.

The first thing I do before I paint a piece is to give it a good cleaning, especially if it’s been sitting around in a dusty place or storage space.

Remove all drawers before painting and work on those separately.

2: SAND THE SURFACE

Secondly, sand your furniture and get all of the glossy finish off so that the paint will have a good surface to “grab” onto.

3: PRIMER

Thirdly, after your furniture is dry and dust-free, paint on some primer. This helps your paint stick to the piece better and it also covers any stains or discolorations in the wood.

4: PAINT

Now that the furniture is primed and ready, it’s time to paint. For furniture, I use water based polyurethane paints, usually in a semi-gloss finish. I recommend anything that’s not a flat finish. It will show every fingerprint and flaw and will be harder to clean. The glossier the finish, the easier to clean. I normally recommend paint 2-3 coats total.

Now, there are a few different ways to go about painting. You can use a regular spray paint, a brush, or roller. I usually use a small roller on the main surfaces of the furniture and a brush in the hard-to-reach surfaces. The roller helps prevent visible brush strokes.

5: PROTECT

After your last coat of paint has dried for at least 24 hours, you are ready to seal it. Sealing your furniture provides extra protection for your finish and also creates a wipeable, easy to clean surface.

After you’ve sealed your furniture, I recommend leaving it alone for a day or two before using it or touching it.

Paint has an amazing power to transform any piece.

Hope this tutorial has been helpful for you! If you have any questions about how to paint furniture, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know.