Repainting Painted Furniture – Yes You Can Do This, Here’s How!
One of my rules? No repainting painted furniture! This can be a lot of work, and honestly I just don’t enjoy it very much. But guess what? Like all rules, it is meant to be broken from time to time. This makeover is a perfect example of that, so I want to share the process with you so you know what to expect. And you can decide whether you want to break the rule too!
Why is a previously painted finish different from a wood finish?
So let’s start with why I don’t like repainting painted furniture. Reason one, sometimes the paint can be lead paint, lead paint is extremely difficult to deal with properly. My setup isn’t conducive to removing lead paint safely and I just don’t want to take the risk. Therefore, before getting started I’ll always do a quick lead test.
Reason two, they are just unpredictable. The finished product is only as good as the surface you are starting with so if there are drips, scratches, peeling paint, etc… that all has to be dealt with. And often the best way to deal with them is by using a paint stripper, which is a process I don’t like doing.
However, if I can take a good look at the piece in person and determine the quality of the existing finish, in can figure out if it’s something I’m interested in working on. If the existing finish is in good condition, you don’t need to remove it all, just make sure your prep work is done properly. That’s what happened here!
Steps for repainting painted furniture
Step 1: Test for lead
I always do this on any piece with paint on it. Always. I’ve been surprised before. And have suprised my clients as well – a few years ago I had someone drop off an old painted dresser that they were planning on using in their new babies’ nursery. When testing, I use these testing swabs, which is a quick and easy way to tell.
Step 2: Clean and scuff sand
When you are faced with a piece you didn’t paint yourself, there is no way to really know what products were used. And that can complicate things. With this piece, I was a little worried the existing metallic finish might be a wax of some sort (which is not something new paint will adhere well to) so I used some mineral spirits to check. Mineral spirits will dissolve wax but not cured paint. This was not wax, so I was good to go, but if it had been, I would have cleaned it all off with the mineral spirits. Instead, I cleaned and scuff sanded as I normally do, which is described in more detail in this article.
The sanding was the most labor intensive step. There were a lot of brush strokes and other imperfections in the previous paint job. I wanted to make the existing surface as smooth as possible. The end product is only going to be as good as your prep!
Step 3: Repair any damage
THis piece didn’t need any major repairs, just some filling. I used all purpose Bondo for the bigger areas and Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty for smaller scratches and dings, using these plastic spreaders to apply. This post on repairs talks about some other common repairs you may encounter.
Step 4: Prime
You don’t always need to prime, but I had some areas that were uneven after sanding. Some spots were bare wood, and some were still paint. So I decided to seal everything up with shellac, one coat was enough. If you feel like the existing painted finish is glossy or shiny (even after scuff sanding) you would want to use a bonding primer. Many factors go into when to prime and with what type of primer – info on all things primer can be found here.
Step 5: Repainting and sealing
Finally, I was ready to paint! I used Antique Black by Melange Paints, a beautiful deep charcoal off-black. Then it was time to seal using one of my favorite topcoats, General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Flat. I use this Zibra brush to apply. The combo of these products gives me a smooth and reliable finish.
Step 6: Finishing details
And then it is onto the finishing details. I wanted to freshen up the interior so I used Board and Boot Quenching Balm by Melange Paints on the drawer sides (inside and out) and inside of the cabinet. I then lined the drawer bottoms with a coordinating peel and stick wallpaper. Finally I updated the hardware, both handles and a coordinating knob. The result is a piece that looks amazing – and you can’t tell it was previously painted!
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