How to paint your furniture

Real Estate Real-estate | Jun 2, 2023

Few do-it-yourself home improvement projects deliver as much satisfaction for the effort as painting a piece of furniture. Especially if you snagged the furniture at the ReStore or Thrifty Shop — or it's been in the family longer than you have. If you’re new to painting old furniture, you’ll discover that most of the effort is not spent on the painting itself but on prepping, sanding and priming.

Start by removing any and all hardware, drawers and doors, numbering each item and its location on the main piece as you go. This is particularly important on older furniture, whose seemingly identical components may in fact be slightly different and can sit crookedly if re-installed in the wrong place. Set drawers and doors aside to work on separately, and put the hardware in small zip-lock bags to avoid losing any pieces. Wipe down the surfaces with a wood cleaner such as Murphy Oil Soap. Patch dents, scratches and nail holes with wood filler.

Sanding is the most time-consuming part of furniture painting, and the part most likely to make you wish you had just gone to IKEA. An electric sander will make the job go more quickly. A good one for the job — because it is the smallest and lessens the chances that you’ll ding things up — is a palm sander. Alternatively, you can work manually but still move along quickly by using a sanding block, which is basically a rectangular wooden block wrapped in sandpaper.

Whichever method you use, start with 80-grit sandpaper then move to (finer) 120-grit, sanding with the grain. After sanding, remove the dust with a shop vacuum or wipe it clean with a tack cloth, which is a sticky version of cheesecloth.

Another way to speed up paint removal is with liquid deglosser, also known as liquid sandpaper. One drawback is that deglosser is high in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which produce toxic, noxious-smelling fumes and should be worked with only while wearing gloves and a respirator mask.

Primer is a liquid coating that hides stains, smooths porous surfaces and helps the paint stick better. Choose one that is the same type as the paint you’ll use. For instance, use a latex-based primer under latex-based paint. Likewise, white primer should be used under light paint, and darker primer under darker paint. As with paint, primer can be brushed, applied with a foam roller, or sprayed on. It's sometimes possible to save time by using a combination primer/paint, although many experts argue that it's usually better to apply them separately. Drying time will be anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Once dry, sand it lightly with 120-grit sandpaper.

Most furniture paint is either water-based, of which latex and acrylic are the most common, or oil-based, which is often called alkyd based. Oil-based paint is more durable than water-based and doesn't show brush strokes as easily. But the high level of VOCs in oil-based paint and the fact that cleanup requires mineral spirits or paint thinner, which are themselves toxic, usually make water-based paint a better choice for DIY projects. That's especially true if you are working indoors, without adequate ventilation.

Latex paint dries to the touch in about an hour and is ready to take another coat after four hours or so, but may not completely cure for up to 30 days. Acrylic dries and cures in half that time.

You’ll also need to choose the paint's finish, which is measured by its sheen, or shininess. Commonly, it ranges from high gloss, at its shiniest, down through semi-gloss, satin and flat or matte. The higher the paint's sheen, the more durable and easier it is to clean, but also the less effective at concealing imperfections. High gloss, for example, is not good at hiding brush strokes. Flat and matte finishes smudge easily, making them inappropriate for pieces that are frequently opened and closed, such as a bedroom dresser.

When applying paint, use a brush with synthetic (nylon) bristles for water-based paint and natural bristles for oil-based. To eliminate brush strokes or for broad areas of coverage, consider using a foam roller or a sprayer, although sprayers can require a skill level that, for most novices, makes them impractical. Canned spray paint, the most expensive option with the fewest color choices, works on smaller pieces on which streaking is less likely to show. Whatever your method of application, apply paint in two or three thin coats, lightly sanding after each coat with 120-220 grit paper.

If you are short on skills or time, consider using what's known as chalk paint, which, unlike most other furniture paint, can be brushed on just about any surface with little or no preparatory sanding. Essentially a thick latex or acrylic paint with plaster of Paris mixed in, it works well when you want to create a layered, vintage or distressed appearance. Chalk paint is fast-drying, durable, water-based, and very low in VOCs, making it easy and safe to work with. Technically, Chalk Paint is a brand name created by the paint company Annie Sloan, but other chalk-like paints are available from such sources as Home Depot and Lowes, and it's also a favorite of Joanna Gaines.

When painting tables, whether to do the underside is a matter of preference. The general rule is if it shows, paint it. Painting the inside of drawers is a matter of preference, too, but it's important to avoid thick coats that may cause sticking.

Sealing isn't always necessary, especially if you intentionally want to make a surface look distressed. But if durability is key use either water-based polyurethane or slightly less durable polycrylic, both usually available in whichever finish you’ve chosen for your paint. Or, as a final step, simply rub on a layer of furniture wax, buff it when it's dry and you’ll have sealed the deal.