How to Repaint a Piece of Furniture
Whether you're resurrecting an old, beat-up wooden table or giving that avocado-colored nightstand a new lease on life, a quick coat of paint can update even the most hopeless furniture.
Up next in Home Repair & DIY (72 videos)
Attention, homeowners: Don't pay another repairman until you check out this video series on simple repairs you can make yourself.
You Will Need
- A piece of furniture in need of repainting
- A well-ventilated place
- Some newspaper or a drop cloth
- A fine-grit sandpaper
- Tack rag or microfiber cloth
- Water-based primer
- Water-based latex paint
- And a paintbrush or foam brush
- A screwdriver (optional)
- A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment (optional)
- Some water-based varnish (optional)
- And a paint roller (optional)
Steps
-
Step 1
Protect floor
Put the piece of furniture on some newspaper or a drop cloth to protect your floor from paint. Make sure you're in a well-ventilated location.
-
Step 2
Remove hardware
If the item has any hardware, unscrew and remove it now.
-
Step 3
Remove grit
Gently rub the surface of the furniture with your fine-grit sandpaper to remove any grit and to help the paint adhere.
-
Step 4
Remove dust
Remove any dust from the piece with a tack rag or a damp microfiber cloth.
-
You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove the dust.
-
Step 5
Apply primer
Apply a thin coat of primer to the entire piece, brushing with the grain of the wood if it's visible.
-
If you're going to use a bright or deep colored paint, mix a little of it into your primer for better coverage.
-
Step 6
Let primer dry
Wait at least an hour or two for the primer to dry completely.
-
Step 7
Apply paint coat
Apply a coat of your paint over the primer, again brushing with the grain of the wood if it's visible.
-
Start painting in the middle of the object, as opposed to the outside. This will avoid paint dripping from the edges.
-
For a very modern look, use a semi- or high-gloss paint with a foam brush for a smooth, shiny finish
-
Step 8
Let paint dry
Wait for the paint to dry completely—the longer you wait, the better, so try to let it dry overnight if you can.
-
Step 9
Paint 2nd coat
If the paint still looks a little spotty, blotchy, or uneven, give the furniture a second coat of paint.
-
Step 10
Apply varnish
If the furniture will be outside or is likely to get scratched or dinged from heavy use, apply a coat of varnish.
-
Step 11
Replace hardware
When the paint is completely dry, put any hardware you removed back on—or replace it with new, updated hardware—and position your renewed piece in a place of honor.
-
Avocado green was the designer color of the 1960s and 1970s—there were avocado refrigerators, avocado countertops, even avocado toilets!
