5 Things You NEED to Know When Painting Furniture
5 Things to Know When Painting Furniture
If you’re ready to jump onto the furniture painting train, then you’ll want to keep all of these recommendations in mind before you get started. I know it’s tempting to grab a paint color and slap it on, but if you want your paint job to look smooth and to last longer than your new year’s resolutions, follow these 5 tips:
It’s literally all about the sanding.
If you want that buttery smooth finish, you’ve got to sand your piece first! Not only does it remove the old, uneven finish from the surface, sanding will also smooth out the scratches and dings in the wood so you’re starting out fresh. You’ll want to start with 120 grit to remove the old finish, then you’ll prime your piece, then sand again with 220 grit, and then you’ll be ready to paint.
Paint and primer won’t stick to dirty surfaces. So clean clean clean!
Before you do anything else, scrub away to remove any grease or dirt from your piece. If it’s really disgusting (no judging, this is a safe space) then you’ll want to use a degreasing spray. Otherwise, a scouring pad and a bit of dawn dishwashing detergent mixed with water works great. Then, wipe the whole thing down with denatured alcohol to make sure that every last dust particle has been obliterated. Need a bit more info? Read this blog post to get into the nitty gritty.
Yes... you have to prime.
I know you want to jump in and just paint the thing already, but priming your piece first is essential to getting an even and lasting finish that will help your paint bond with the piece. A coat of primer will double down on your sanding job by smoothing out any remaining imperfections, and it will block any stains, knots, or lingering odors! Read my blog post Primer: What's the Deal? for more advice and specific primer recommendations.
Your furniture doesn’t have to be “real” wood.
A beautiful paint finish isn’t only reserved for natural wood! All furniture is worthy of looking and feeling beautiful (just a credo we live by over here…) so if you have an amazing laminate piece in need of love, go for it. Just make sure you thoroughly prep the piece before you go paint-crazy. Fill any gaps with bondo or wood filler, sand that baby down, clean clean clean, and never forget to prime!
If you can’t spray, roll away.
If you’re new here, then maybe you haven’t heard how much I love spray-painting. In fact, I’ve hand-built two spray booths just to keep up with my obsession! You know what they say… “once you spray, you can’t stay away.” However, I know that it isn’t realistic for everyone to have all the tools handy to spray their pieces, so I have a backup plan for you. Instead of wielding a paintbrush, which will leave a textured brush-stroke on your furniture, go pick up a couple of small paint rollers! They will help to apply the paint evenly and smoothly so you still have that buttery finish. You can use that paintbrush to fill any edges or corners that the roller couldn’t reach. I recommend 4” foam rollers, which are available at most hardware stores. Don't forget to sand with 320 grit or higher in between your coats of paint to get that ultra-smooth, factory finish!
Now, go forth and paint great things!
As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to check back here for a new blog posts. Stay tuned into fun updates, resource guides, the blog, and more by subscribing to my email list! Also, make sure you’ve joined the REAL party on Instagram, because I post even more beautiful transformations, tips, behind the scenes, and fun vintage finds almost every day. I’d love to see you over there!
-Austin
