Furniture Painting Tips: how to give furniture new life

I have been refinishing and painting furniture for almost twenty years now. Originally, I painted everything. It all started shortly after I got married. My husband had been gifted a cherry bedroom set, by his parents. I HATED cherry finish at the time, and convinced him to let me paint it.

Being young and frugal, out of necessity, and not totally knowing what I was doing, I went to Walmart and grabbed a few cans of black spray paint. I took each piece outside, and got to work! I remember being so proud of the results and how drastically it changed the entire feel of our bedroom. Man, I wish I would’ve taken pictures.

I’ve learned a lot since then. I taught myself to sand and stain furniture about 10 years ago, and wrote a blog post on some beginner tips here.

Below I’ve compiled a few tips to help you get started if you are new to painting furniture.

Painting Furniture

Paints have come A LONG way since I first started, and I am so grateful! Just do a quick google search on furniture paint and you will find so many brand recommendations. I am kind of a creature of habit and have found two brands that I love, so they are what I use 99% of the time. But I have been scoping out a few new ones to try. 

But first, let’s talk prep work.

I recommend using one of the paint brands that says “no sanding or priming needed,” and doing the following prior to painting:

1) Lightly, and quickly, sand the surface with 220 sand paper. Even if you only have a sandpaper sponge, just run it over the furniture as if you were wiping it down with the sandpaper. I find this helps prep the surface for fresh paint and it also shows you any paint drips or finish buildup from prior finishing. This should take you ten minutes or less.

2) Clean the furniture. Even if you skip step one, don’t skip this step. Furniture tends to collect dust, oils, and all kinds of dirt over the years. So, grab your favorite cleaner or soap and water and just give it a quick scrub.

Now it’s time to paint! The two brands I love are Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Valspar Furniture and Cabinet paint. There are so many other great brands out there, I just love these two and haven’t ventured out much. Or when I have, I’ve regretted it and gone back. You’ll find your favorites though!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 

Once the piece is cleaned, prepped and ready to go, you are going to apply two to three coats of chalk paint, allowing it to dry between each coat. You’ll have to add a protective top coat once you’ve achieved the look you want.

I’ve used both their wax finish and a polyacrylic finish. I don’t use polyurethane because it causes a yellowing of the finish over time. I’ve definitely learned this through trial and error over the years!

For both finishes, you want to let the last coat of paint dry for 24 hours before applying.

Wax finish: apply with either a wax brush or a lint free cloth. I have done both, but I prefer the brush method. You’ll rub in a layer of wax, and then remove the excess. You’ll “buff” the wax 24 hours later, which is basically just rubbing it again with a lint free cloth.

After the wax has been applied, the furniture takes 30 days to fully cure. Curing simply means the paint and finish are fully hardened and bonded with the surface.

Valspar Furniture and Cabinet Paint

Once the piece is cleaned and prepped, you will apply two to three coats of paint, allowing it to dry between each coat. No top coat needed.

This paint fully cures in three days.

Now three days to cure versus 30 days to cure is a huge difference! Plus, no top coat versus needing a top coat? You may be asking yourself why you would ever use chalk paint?! So, here is how I decide which paint to use:

Annie Sloan: if I am painting a piece of furniture that has a very shiny, Ikea-like finish, or it has scratches that I don’t want to mess with filling or sanding, I use Annie Sloan. I also use Annie Sloan if I am going for a distressed, antique look. 

Valspar: every other piece! This is definitely my new favorite of the two paints. It cures faster, you can mix in any color you want, and it’s cheaper. I feel like this paint also gives your furniture a sleeker, more modern look. Unless I have a piece of furniture it just won’t work on, I use Valspar. But I have used Annie Sloan paint on countless pieces over the years and even redid a kitchen for a client once!

There you have it! A couple quick tips to get you started painting furniture. I hope this is helpful, but if I missed something or you have further questions, send me a message! I’d love to hear from you.