Furniture Painting Guide: Not Just For The Newbie Furniture Painter

I put together the Furniture Painting  Guide 101 just for you guys. I know you want to paint furniture because you tell me you do. And I know you’re scared because you told me that too.

Furniture Painting Guide For The Beginner

I’m going to walk you through your first furniture painting project, giving you the advice you need to get started and see the job all the way through. But this post isn't just for beginners. It's for professionals too. There is always something to learn. 

Taking the first step is always the hardest but it will be worth it. For my first furniture project, I set up in my living room to paint. It worked.

When we moved to Florida, I painted on the tiny, tiny balcony of our two-bedroom apartment. That worked too. I’ve painted furniture outside in extreme heat and in the freezing cold,  and in places you wouldn’t believe. No excuses from you. Let’s do this.

 

1. How To Select Your First Furniture Project

I know you’re thinking you already have your project piece. But you might want to rethink that.

Furniture With Simple Lines 

For your first paint project, you should start with a simple piece. Good candidates are nightstands with straight lines, small chests of drawers with minimal details, and tables where you only paint the tabletop or the drawer fronts. The photo above shows examples of the type of furniture that is easiest to paint. You also don’t need a piece that requires repairs. We’re just talking basic project here.

Furniture With Shelves And Cabinet Doors

Try to steer clear of bookcases, china cabinets, wardrobes, and anything with a lot of shelves or an interior that you are considering painting. The shelves on china cabinets and bookcases have to be painted top and bottom and look at all those corners, whew.

You may have noticed that, as a rule, I normally don’t paint bookcases or china cabinets. It’s just not worth the time and energy. The photos above are all old projects. Once you paint a small piece or two, you will be ready to tackle your china cabinet or bookcase.

2. Selecting The Paint

You probably have heard of chalk paint, chalky finish paint, milk paint, mineral paint....all types of specialty furniture paints. Those are fine. But you don't have to use those paints. Latex paint works great on furniture. Don’t let anyone tell you it doesn’t. I paint with all types and brands of paint, but most of the time, I use good old latex paint.

I recommend latex because you can buy it anywhere and it comes in any color. {read my post on latex paint here} Seriously, just buy a good quality latex paint and it will be just fine.

3. Stay The Paint Color

I suggest starting with a neutral color because they usually have good coverage over any stain or finish. Neutral colors are anything from black to white, to gray, to browns …in various shades. A neutral color works with just about any color palette.

Pinks, reds, and yellows usually require 3 coats of paint or more. At least that’s what I’ve found to be true. Stay away from bold colors for your first project.

4. What About The Paint Sheen?

Let’s talk sheen. Flat paint is low sheen and doesn’t reflect light so it hides imperfections ………..but is the most difficult to clean. Matte is low luster and easy to clean. It also hides imperfections. I’ve never had trouble cleaning the flat or matte paint and I really like the flat look. Plus flat or matte paint will show the least amount of brush marks.

Eggshell  has a soft, velvety sheen and satin has just a little more shine. I would stick with flat, matte, eggshell, or satin for the sheen. Semi-gloss and gloss paints are harder to work with and will show brush marks.

5. Use A Primer

Most latex paint brands do not require a primer but I recommend using one. It will cover any splotches or uneven areas of the furniture finish and give you a good solid color base for your top coat. Have the primer tinted gray. White primer is great…..if you use white paint as a top coat. Gray is easily covered with any color top coat.

Just ask the tech at the paint counter to tint it gray, no certain shade. They may tell you there is no room in the can but they can spoon out a bit of the primer in order to add the gray tint.

6. About The Paint Brush

Why buy quality paint and primer if you are going to skimp on the paint brush. There are a number of good paint brush brands; Purdy, Kilz, Wooster, just to name a few. The  1½  or 2-inch size brushes are a good size for most projects and I also like a sash brush for corners or edges.

Quality Paint Brush

7. Supplies For Painting

Supplies and tools to have on hand before starting a furniture paint project are sandpaper, screwdriver, gloves, painter's tape, plastic wrap, drop cloth, and general cleaning solution or plain old soap and water.

For most projects, you can get by without using power tools or expensive products. Remember, you want to start with a furniture project where you don't need to make repairs.

8. Prep Your Furniture For Painting

Clean your furniture with soap and water or a cleaning solution. Remove any drawer pulls and store them in a plastic bag along with the screws.

Set the furniture on the drop cloth and remove the drawers.

Apply painter's tape on areas where needed, including taping over the hardware screw holes on the inside of the drawer to keep paint from leaking into the drawer.

9. Apply Your Primer

Primer Tinted Gray

Shake or stir the primer to mix well if the primer has been sitting a while before use. Dip the lower half of the brush into the primer to load the brush.

Paint the sides, front and top in that order then paint the drawer fronts. One coat of primer will do the trick. Wash the paint brush well with soap and water.

10. Painting The Furniture

Once the primer is dry, apply the paint using the same process as you did with the primer. Pull the brush easily across the surface. If the bristles spread out or splay then you are applying too much pressure. Apply the paint going with the grain of the wood and make long strokes.

Do not keep going over the same area as it will pull off the paint or the paint will gum up. More than likely you will see some brush marks. Don’t go crazy. They will hardly be noticeable when the piece is finished and in it’s spot in the house.

In between coats of paint wrap the paint brush tightly in plastic wrap or slip your used gloves over the brush wrapping securely. Allow the first coat of paint to dry and apply a second coat of paint. The first coat will usually dry within a couple of hours depending on the environment. The first coat may cover well but I always go with a second coat unless I’m heavy distressing the paint finish.

11. Finish / Clean Up

It’s time to put the knobs or pulls back on the drawers and the drawers back in the nightstand or chest. You may decide to change out the pulls or spray paint the original ones. Either way works unless the holes for the new hardware doesn’t match up with the new….and that’s another blog post entirely.

Latex paint doesn’t require sealing unless the furniture will see heavy use. You should apply a polyacrylic sealer to dining tables and anything that could possibly get damp. Latex paint takes a few weeks to cure completely but you should be able to use the furniture within a few days without having to worry about damaging the paint.

Once you paint your furniture if you want to move on to the easiest paint technique watch my video on how to distress furniture....

How To Distress Painted Furniture

The links below are to basic paint projects you may want to view for information or inspiration.

Click here……The Blond Table.

Click here……..Red Cedar Chest.

Furniture Painting Guide - Click Here For the Free Printable

Pin this post for future reference.

That’s it. I know I forgot a ton of stuff and if you have anything you would like to see addressed in the furniture painting guide please let me know. Please leave a comment with any questions you have. Have a great day and as always thanks for being here, Kathy