How to Paint Wooden Furniture

Whether you’ve moved to a new place or renovating your home, upcycling old furniture is a great way to save money and work on your creative skills. If you have wooden or vintage furniture, don’t throw it away. Instead, consider painting it to match the aesthetic you want. Have a read through the following steps to find out how to do this!

Prep first

Before painting your wooden furniture, make sure you prep it first. If you paint it straight away, it will probably peel. You can prep by giving your furniture a good clean, which is always an ideal first step if it has been in storage for a long time. When you clean it, make sure you use wood cleaner to avoid damaging your furniture.

Sand your furniture

The next step is to sand your furniture, which will remove any glossy finish. By doing this, the paint will be able to settle well onto the surface. When sanding it, make sure you use medium-grit sandpaper and remember not to sand it down to the bare wood. If your furniture doesn’t have a glossy finish, you can skip this step.

Prime your furniture

Once your furniture is clean and dry, coat it with primer. This will help the paint to stick to the furniture better and can also mask any stains and discolouration present. Primers can be painted or sprayed onto your furniture, but oil-based primers are also available.

Sand it again

If you want a professional look and an even finish, make sure you sand your furniture again. When sanding your furniture once more, use fine-grit sandpaper and lightly sand in between every coat of paint. Remember to wipe away any sand dust!

Paint your furniture

After doing the above steps, your furniture is then ready to be painted! According to experts, using interior latex paint in a semi-gloss finish is ideal. If you use paint with a matte finish, it might be harder to clean. It’s easier to clean wooden furniture if it’s glossy.

When painting your furniture, remember to always sand between each coat. You can paint using a brush, roller, paint sprayer or regular spray paint. A good tip to remember is to use a small foam paint roller when painting the main parts of your furniture and a brush to paint any corners. By using a roller, there won’t be visible brush strokes.

Consider sealing it afterwards

Sealing your furniture after it has dried will help to give extra protection to your finish and it will make it easier for you to clean. If you plan to use lighter colour paint, it’s recommended that you avoid using polyurethane to seal it since it can turn yellow as time passes.

For other alternatives, you can also use wood wax, which you can just apply and leave to dry for 10-15 minutes. You can then use a cloth to buff it up until it gets to the shine you want. Once you’re done sealing it, make sure you leave it alone for a day or two.

If you don’t want to seal your furniture, you can just leave it alone and let it cure for around 30 days.

This is how you can paint wooden furniture, which will hopefully make it easier for you! If you need advice, help, or for any enquiries, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our carpentry and joinery experts from our directory here. Alternatively, you can have a chat with our home and furnishing specialists from our directory here. If you’re looking to buy furniture, have a browse through our array of furniture shops here!

If you currently have old wooden furniture that needs restoring and you love DIY, our article on How to Restore Old Wooden Furniture might be a useful read.

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