Learn How to Paint Wood Furniture

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Have a piece of furniture in your home that you don’t want to part with but could use an update? Have you painted a few pieces but are struggling a bit? Then you’ve come to the right place – I want to teach you how to paint wood furniture. I’ve been doing this for over 5 years, painting more than 50 pieces a year, mostly hand-brushed. So let’s start by diving into this beginner’s guide!

Get yourself in the right mindset

Painting a piece of furniture can seem scary in the beginning. But it doesn’t have to be. I always recommend to begin with a piece you don’t care about and that is small. You don’t need the added pressure of painting your grandmother’s favorite hutch. Don’t pick a huge bookcase that will use a ton of products to complete. Go to a thrift store and find something small and cheap – side tables are great things to practice on. Experiment and get comfortable with these smaller pieces and then move on to that project inspired you to pick up that brush in the first place.

Also, remember that it’s only paint. Almost anything can be reversed. It might be labor-intensive to fix, but it is usually possible. The worst case is that you have to sand or strip everything off and start over. Every experienced painter, myself included, has had at least one project that needed a complete redo. It happens. Another reason to practice on something you don’t care much about – you can always just toss it and move on.

How to paint furniture in 5 steps

While every piece is different, how you paint furniture can be broken down into 5 basic steps. In this post, I will summarize these 5 steps, with links to more specific information for each.

Step 1: Cleaning and sanding

This first step is the key to a long-lasting finish. A fresh coat of paint is not going to stick well to a piece with lots of dirt and grime. Even if a piece looks clean, it can have a buildup of furniture wax or polish that will affect new paint adherence. It also won’t stick well to a slick or shiny existing finish. For both of these reasons a thorough clean, followed by a good scuff sand creates the best surface for your primer/paint to stick to. Details on exactly how to clean and sand your piece can be found here.

Step 2: Repairs

Next, you need to address any issues with your piece. If it’s older, chances are it will need some love. When just starting, try and work on pieces that don’t need a lot of repairs done to them. Focus on learning how to fix one issue on a piece, and then the next project you choose could need something else. Remember this journey is a process. In fact, I’m still learning new things, which I part of what I love about this work! I’ve covered some basic repairs in this post here, such as gluing and clamping, filling dings and dents, and basic veneer damage.

Step 3: Priming

Priming is a step that is often overlooked. There are many furniture paints out there claiming primer is not necessary when using their product. If only it were that simple! There are times when I skip priming, but more often than not I go ahead and do it. I walk through my decision tree on when to prime and what primer to use in this post.

Step 4: Painting

Now the fun part! You’ve done a good amount of work to get to this step, and this is where your vision all starts to come together. It’s absolutely my favorite part of the process. However, it can be overwhelming to figure out exactly what to use and how to apply it – there are so many options out there. After trying so many different paint brands, brushes, rollers, sprayers, etc… I’ve figured out what works for me and what I suggest to new painters. You can find a detailed description of that here.

Step 5: Sealing/Top Coat

Almost there! Your piece is looking beautiful in the fresh new color you’ve chosen. And now it’s time to protect all of that hard work by sealing the paint. Again, there are a number of paints that have a top coat included, so this step isn’t always necessary. However, I almost always top coat my pieces, even when using these paints and recommend you do the same (in most cases) to give your finished product the most durable finish. I’ve described all of this in more detail here, so be sure to check it out.

In summary

Painting furniture is a great skill to have. It allows you to express your creativity and give new life to the furniture around you. Whether you are only wanting to do a piece or two for your own home as a hobby, or are looking to turn it into a side hustle or business, I hope that this tutorial will help you to get started. Starting can be the scariest part, so just find a piece and jump in. I’m here to answer any questions you may have!