It still helps the paint stick, but its a much cheaper way to get from dark to white quickly. Do not touch wet paint that is drying or it will look gooey. Youd be soooo upset. ), Here are all the things you will find helpful when painting a dress (or any painted piece of furniture, for that matter). Its also classic and will never go out of style. And while youre at it, do the back, too. There arent any noxious fumes to worry about. Required fields are marked *. In my experience, eggshell paint does the best job of covering furniture in the fewest coats. The outcome was pretty! Allow six to eight hours in between coats. BEFORE & AFTER: A DIY Desk Makeover From the 1980s, How to Reupholster Dining Room Chairs with Velvet Fabric, How to Reupholster the Back, Sides, and Outside of a Wingback Chair, Paintbrushes (synthetic or natural bristles), Old clothes you dont mind getting paint on, Roll of brown craft paper (from Home Depot). Overloading your paintbrush will leave your dresser with drips. Theyve got to see this because its the perfect example of howbuying the rightpiece of furnitureand then storing it for obscene amounts of time is totally worth it. Just use the tack cloth! For all other pieces, I like to use 123 primer. Whether you have white paint or a fun color in mind, chalk paint or semi-gloss, you'll want to make sure your project looks as professional as it can by the end to sit pretty on your patio or indoors. Allow 72 hours for it to dry before using; otherwise, it can get sticky. Most brands of furniture paint, like Annie Sloan, Country Chic Paint, and more, will offer a wax as part of their line up of products. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It had a few nicks on top, but for the most part, it was a solid piece that I could have used the way it was. If you want a glossy finish, it will need even more. So how do you avoid that? Idfound this vintage dresser at the thrift storeyears ago. (I use this orbital sander with variable speeds.) Its solid (heavy!!). Heres the truth: as good as most furniture paint is, most of the brands will require you to paint two coats. Same thing if its laminate. Sand with an orbital sander. If you decide to use a roller, get one made for smooth surfaces. Although I try to avoid laminate, a lot of nice pieces have laminate tops. Your email address will not be published. 24 Low-Maintenance Plants for the Lazy Gardener, The Best Michigan Beach Town for a Summer Getaway, Easy, Cheap, 30-Minute (or Faster!) Be sure to check out my post on What is Rub n Buff and 5 Ways to Use It. Last week I FINALLY had time to paint it and make it a pretty place to house a lot of my clothes! Here's How to Paint Furniture, Plus What to Know Before You Start. You can also glue fabric to dresser drawers, as I did with this set of fun bedside nightstands! go show them this post about how to paint a dresser in 10 easy steps. If youve got deep gouges, use a bit of wood filler to fill any gouges or scratches, then sand them smooth when the wood filler dries so it can be painted over. However, using regular wall paint isnt ideal because of all the extra steps required. If youre using the right paint, its nearly impossible to mess up. Dont feel like you have to paint the inside of the bodyIm talking the deep bowels of the dresser. It depends on the furniture. I think home should be affordable. After the primer, it only took 2 coats of paint, with a little touch up here and there. Theres nothing more frustrating than starting a dresser only to find that the old stain is bleeding through the new paint. Dinner Recipes, Dad Jokes To Keep the Whole Family Laughing, 40+ Easy & Inspiring Updates for Every Room of Your Home, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. I have a few in different sizes for different projects. However, if I can tell that its coated in Pledge or if its really dirty, I wash it with, Make any repairs needed, like filling holes with. . Learning how to paint furniture white is a great skill to have if you love rescuing old furniture. However, if you decide to use regular wall paint for painting furniture, be sure to use the flat finish (its less gummy), and try using a product called BB Frosch which is a powder additive that can be mixed with any home improvement flat finish wall paint to create a chalked paint which will not require sanding and priming on good, clean surfaces. LOL. Be sure to let it dry completely in between the two coats. Cute son when he was 3-years-old..priceless . Its also more affordable than expensive furniture paints, which makes it perfect for spraying furniture. That means you can reuse the same knobs and pulls, especially if they suit the dresser, and save a bit of money! Its still a strong finish and doesnt require a top coat. Thrift Diving inspires women to decorate, improve, and maintain their home themselvesusing paint, power tools, and thrift stores! I personally dont care for dark wax, but its definitely something you should have on hand in case youre painting a dresser that has some details you want to use the dark wax for. Just watch the transformation of this one in the video! You can watch this video tutorial on how to glue fabric to wood drawersor you can read the blog post: BEFORE & AFTER: Shabby French Night Stand Makeover. Some spots are really stubborn and even after you paint, they will show up. If you were to apply dark wax directly to a chalk painted dresser, you will essentially stain and ruin the paint. It will leave a smooth, slight satin appearance. FYI..I used this pretty stencil to paint the dresser drawers! Sand wood if needed. I picked them up for about $7 each from a yard sale, and glued some French fabric to the front! With a bit of sanding, then priming, the paint sticks better. Be sure you let the paint dry in between coats. This is my preferred method of painting dressers and other furniture around my house. Priming the furniture before painting will help get the dresser white faster. ! test. We have answers for you! White painted furniture can be tricky! If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. It tends to happen with mahogany stains (from my experience). If the wood is red or yellow in color, seal the wood with shellac to prevent bleeding. If you used latex paint, a top coat isnt necessary. Be careful not to gouge the surface though: You're just looking to rough it up a little so the primer has something to adhere to; you're not trying to strip the surface. Its going to take several coats of paint to completely cover the furniture. I'm a color loving DIYer who believes that a beautiful home is possible, even on a budget. But it doesnt stop with stencils on your dresser. Be sure to start any painting project by sanding your surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. Country Living editors select each product featured. Most furniture paints, however, are at least low VOC, so you dont have to be worried about using them inside or with children nearby. You can use a wax brush, but theyre often pricey (like $30!). This is what I had been using for my clothes: a cheapie from Ikea that we bought 13 years ago. The birds and flowers are beautiful! Here are the things to remember about painting furniture with a brush, though: (I used this pretty stencil on the dresser below). For this dresser, I used BIN primer to avoid any bleed-through. Country Living participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. I am a huge fan of primers for many reasons. Is it bumpy on the surface with old stickers from kids? If youre a newbie to painting furniture, lets address this question because it always comes up. The reason why is because the clear wax creates a barrier between the furniture paint and the dark wax. After compiling all of the most common mistakes witnessed over the years, we are sharing this helpful guide to painting furniturethe way that actually, truly works. If youve got a spouse who complains about the amount of furniture youve got hoarded up in the garage, basement, spare bedroom, etc. Read more, Filed Under: Furniture Makeovers Tagged With: dresser, furniture, makeover, Your email address will not be published. Seriously! But you have toclean it first, or the paint wont stick. Not sure when you posted this or if youll ever see my comment, but Id love to know what stencil you used. Use these 5 printables, checklists, and ebooks to get started! Dont ruin your floors. You might want to change the knobs or handles. (Privacy Policy) *, Im Serena Appiah (rhymes with IKEA). Because one day, youll finally get to it. Generally, I use chalk paint because its so smooth and goes on well in two coats, but Beyond Paint sent me some samples to do this piece (for this dresser, I used Off White and Linen). Many latex-based paints today are low VOC, but check before using them. If youre trying to paint furniture right out of the can that you bought from your local home improvement store, youll definitely need to prime first. If you like furniture makeovers, be sure to check out my ultimate guide to furniture painting. However, if its a tabletop or a piece that will get a lot of wear and tear, err on the side of a topcoat. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Ikealasts that long???). Are you ready to paint furniture white? When the paint is dry, distress the edges if desired. The darker the wood, the more coats you might need. Ill admit something to you: painted furniture can chip. All of your hard work is ruined. You just want to dig in and get started! And as I mentioned: if youre using the chalk paint, the thicker the paint, the more brush strokes youll see on your dresser, which may be the look youre going for. But from what I've learned over the years, sanding is a must. As long as you are the one using the dresser, who cares what others think about making it your own. You want to make sure you go over this coat very lightly with the foam roller to smooth any bubbles that can occur with the foam roller. You can read about how I used BB Frosch on a bathroom vanity, which turned really great! Pay extra attention to visible knots, places where you sanded to bare wood, and anywhere the wood meets another piece of wood (corners.). Please try again. You can do this either by hand or using an orbital sander. Youll need a medium grit sandpaper of 150-grit, followed by a 220-grit fine sandpaper to smooth out the scratches. . Prime dark wood furniture. Tip: Use 80-grit if you are sanding a furnishing with an existing varnish. With all the latest furniture paints out there, they all toot their horns that theres no priming or sanding needed. I'd like to receive the free email course. Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a37b3eb059ce971c384a0a381b59b231" );document.getElementById("d77b09630b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *. So do you have an old dresser youve been wanting to paint? If you mix in a teeny bit of water to thin out the paint, it will go on more smoothly and evenly without as manybrush strokes. You can use it instead of shellac, but you might need more coats for hard to cover spots. It seems to draw out tannins through the paint, despite being water-based. Thanks for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty, I love the way the chest of drawers turned out, especially the drawer fronts!!! It also makes the paint stick better. All the wood haters gonna be hatin on this piece, because it really wasnt in bad condition. I know it sounds very common sense, but I only include this because I have ruined some floors by trying to take the short cut and not cover the floor (ummlaziness??). Youll need to remove the drawers and use a solution of vinegar and water and wipe everything out. Click here for the Semigloss Design disclosures andprivacy policy. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. THE DREADFULBLEED! Scuffing up the surface ensures that your paint sticks well. So for a dresser top, I think 2-3 coats would be fine. The awesome thing about all brands of furniture paint nowadays is that theyreeither no VOC, low VOC, or very low VOC. Then it needs heavier sanding to rough up the surface. BEFORE & AFTER: Shabby French Night Stand Makeover. Paint on the paint working in one direction. Or you can just apply a light coat with a lint-free cloth. Paint another coat of shellac on those spots. My favorite paint finish for white paint is eggshell. Ive done second coats in about 1 hour. There was an error submitting your subscription. Look at the paint in daylight to see if coverage is thorough. Looking to bring new life to an older piece of wood furniture? Cherry, mahogany, and pine are notoriously hard because the wood tannins bleed through light-colored paints. Whatever choice you decide for your dresser, painting it will create a dramatic difference in your room! Clean all the dust off of the furniture and let it dry. Seems like everybody and their mama has come out with furniture paint! You might find that the paint quickly chips and feels off, or that the finish doesn't look as smooth as you'd envisioned. The brand of top coat that I love is called General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat. And what's the best paint to use on wood furniture to do so? A new coat of paint is an easy way to refresh its look and make it into your own custom piece. If you're priming laminate furniture, use Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Base Primer. If youre old enough to remember Danielson from The Karate Kid, you simply paint the fence. LOL. No one will see inside that part :). Plus no top coat is needed. Make sure that the topcoat you use is water-based to avoid yellowing your white paint. For three years its taken up real estate in my garage, annoying my husband with the clutter. If you want to get super creative, you can also decoupage scrapbook paper to the inside of drawers, like I did this gorgeous vanity makeover. You can find a full video tutorial HERE for all of the Steam Machines uses, plus see how I used the steam cleaner to blastthose dirty thrifted file cabinets I used in my basement home office DIY desk. It's clear, so everything shows. To add clear wax, simply wipe on a thin coat, let it dry for a few minutes, and then buff it out. Once you've sanded, be sure to wipe down the surface with a tack cloth to remove any residue. Thereis no getting dark wax off of painted furniture. Prime using a mini foam roller, and use a foam brush to get into any hard-to-reach areas. Beautiful stencil details on the front. The answer to whether you have to sand or prime before paining furniture is that it depends on two things: Does the furniture have lots of chips in the old finish? Let the primer dry according to the instructions on the can of primer. Otherwise, use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer. Leave your comments and questions below and add to the discussion! I fantasize of having a pretty, light, and airy bedroom, not dark and dreary makes-you-want-to-stay-in-bed-depressed. Click to read this guide on applying polycrylic. But if youve ever shopped for knobs or handles, they can get pretty expensive. It can wear down. I used Sherwin Williams for HGTV in Ultra White, a lovely white furniture paint color. If that means skipping that spot and getting it on the next one, thats a better choice than creating brush marks. Try using a steam cleaner (I recommend the HomeRight Steam Machine) to get the deep down gunk out of the dresser. This is my least favorite part of painting a dresser (or any piece of furniture, for that matter). Thats okay! Plus, no one wants to use furniture thats all dirty inside. Painting furniture is the fastest way to update old furniture on a budget. To remove paint drips, smooth them out before they dry. Itsangled bristles are so smooth and wont fall off ontoyour wet finish! Pain in the butt, but it wont last forever. If you answer yes to any of these, then you should sand your furniture before painting it. Play around with it on a sample piece if youre nervous about ruining your good piece. Be sure to wear a dust mask, too. Ill wait. Now, dont get me started on explaining VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The new tack cloth is very important here: You need to remove every speck of lint and dust before applying the Polycrylic Protective Finish in the next step. I love how this piece turned out! Worse case scenario, a project gone awry could have you starting back from the beginning. Be sure to clean the sanding dust. This photo shows the first coat of paint. For laminate pieces, super shiny or pieces that are known to bleed through, I like BIN primer, which is shellac-based. Depends on the look you want. It just makes a piece feel more finished. (It can be soaked in ammonia to clean it.) Be sure to save it on Pinterest! Rust-Oleum Corporation 271009 Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer, 1-Quart, White, Purdy XL Series Cub Angular Trim Paint Brush, 2-1/2 inch, Rust-Oleum Zinsser 304H 1-Quart Bulls Eye Clear Shellac, Emy Flint of Semigloss Design is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, How to Paint Furniture White Without Bleed Through. I like this purdy paint brush, but for pieces with a lot of details or chalk paint, I like this zibra brush. I had planned on painting the mid-century mod dresser white, but when I saw what was happening, I decided to paint it pink to disguise the bleed. Since thats the case, you definitely need to either wax it or add a sealer (also known as a top coat). With white furniture, its even more important. Try plastic drop cloth, towels, or newspaper or something similar. If theyre already dry, lightly sand them smooth after they dry and touch up the paint lightly. However, if youre using paint specially formulated for furniture (such as any of these furniture paints), then you wont necessarily have to prime first. However, with the clear wax coat protecting the paint, once you apply dark wax, if you make a mistake with the dark wax or change your mind, you can simply clean up the dark wax by using the clear wax to help remove the dark wax. You'll often find tutorials out there that claim you don't need to sand, and there are also lots of primers and paints promising that no sanding is necessary. Loved this post? Ill talk more about materials down below. The coverage is spectacular and you still get a nice, matte finish. BEFORE & AFTER: Boys Blue Accent Wall Bedroom Makeover! Believe me, it takes time to build up your stash of DIY supplies and materials! Lighter pieces will take less. You might need more than one coat for stubborn spots. Trust me: Do not use a paper towel, and don't speculate on whether it might be better to use a lint-free cloth. Paint the inside of the drawers, and the sides, too. Try not to touch wet paint that is drying. Yes, it was gorgeous, but a bit too brown.. Then start painting once it fully dries. LOL, And after I consulted my guidelines about when should you NOT paint wood furniture,the dresser passed the Girl, go get your paint brush! Now go check your email for those freebies! If you run into this problem, use an oil-based primer (try KILZ Original spray primer, and be sure to use it outdoorsit stinks) with 2 coats to cover the bleed. Apply clear wax to your painted dresser first, and then apply any dark wax. I find that polycrylic in a matte finish is the best top coat for furniture because its so easy to use, even in high humidity. Thats good for us creatives, but it can also be confusing because you dont know which paintto select. It's important that you sand in between coats if you have any drips or residue on the piece. It's easy for a paint project to not go according to plan though. And when you do, it will be worth the wait! (Are you subscribed to me on YouTube? My rule of thumb is: the more heavily used something will be, the more coats you should add.