This post has been a long time coming. Â I really haven’t had a great furniture piece to use as an example for this post/finish until recently. Â Over the years, it has really bothered me to hear from so many of you that you really want to try and paint an old piece of furniture but you’re just too nervous to give it a try. Â I know many of you love seeing all of the gorgeous furniture transformations out there but you sit on the sidelines because you worry you’ll mess it up. Â Well, this furniture painting basics post is just for you!
With so many painting techniques out there and thousands of different paint products to use, I know it’s confusing and intimidating for someone who has never painted furniture before.  There is one very basic technique that you really can’t mess up and I wanted to go into really great detail today because if you follow each of the steps, you are pretty much guaranteed an amazingly beautiful matte finish like this:
My goal today is to convince you sideliner’s to finally paint your first piece of furniture. I’m making it easy for you by walking you through each step and I have included every little detail in this post including what the piece should look like at each step and what products work best.  This finish is the perfect technique for painting furniture for the first time.
The piece I’m sharing today as an example is a hutch and it’s a typical old piece of furniture that is perfect for transforming with paint. Â My friend Rita had this piece in storage for years and we painted it for her daughter Taylor, who recently graduated from nursing school.
So this is what the piece looked like before we revamped it:
We decided on a the color that we wanted (Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams) and Rita wanted a beautiful painted matte finish. Rita also wanted to do the revamp with me so that she could learn this basic paint technique because she has other pieces in storage that she is interested in trying on her own.
So directly below are my step by step instructions. Â I have listed the instructions like an outline so that you can print this page out and have it with you when you pick up your paint supplies. Â If you decide give it a try, I would love to see pictures of your finished project. Â I really hope this helps someone to finally give it a try!
So let’s jump right in.
Instructions;
Prep
1. The first thing you want to do when getting ready to paint a piece of furniture is to look over the piece for any problems. Â For instance, Rita’s hutch had a small decorative wood piece missing off of the top and she happened to have saved the little piece. Â We glued it back in place with wood glue and let it dry. Â If something is loose on your piece, just use a little wood glue underneath it to secure.
2) Next, you will want to lightly sand your piece.  This will only take about 10-30  minutes depending on the size of your piece.  I think the thought of having to sand a piece before painting scares people from painting a piece of furniture.  You do not have to sand off a finish down to raw wood or anything like that, you just want to slightly rough up the finish and ensure that any residue from old polyurethane or sealant (very top sealant coat) is off.  If the piece has been previously painted, you just want to smooth and rough up the old paint.
The most important thing to know when you sand a piece for painting is that you need to use fine grit sanding sponge. Â Anything with more grit will leave lines in your wood or old paint that you will see on your final finish. Â The sanding sponge is my little trick for light sanding at high speed because you can get into tiny areas and arch the sponge around furniture legs, etc..
Below is a picture of the sanding sponge that I like. Â I pulled off the label so you could see what the sponge looks like:
You can find sanding sponges right next to the sand paper at the store and it will say right on the front what grit it is. Â Notice my label says “Fine”.
Again, all you want to do is slightly rough up your piece and just make sure that it’s smooth.
3) Wipe down the piece thoroughly with a slightly damp old t-shirt or lint free towel (cut in big squares).  You want to be sure an get any dust and sanding residue off of the piece before you paint.  After using a slightly damp towel (you don’t want your piece to be too wet), go behind it with a dry towel to make sure the piece is completely dry.
4) Tape off any edges along glass. Â Remove any hardware.
Priming
1) When it comes to priming a piece of furniture, regardless of whether it’s been painted before or not, I prefer to use Kilz Original Primer:
I personally think Kilz Original is the best stain blocking primer on the market.  Even though it’s oil based and contrary to what people say, you can paint latex paint over an oil based stain blocking primer.  The confusion is because you should not paint latex paint over oil-based paint (not a primer).  I prefer an oil based primer because it helps seal and product the wood, thoroughly blocks any stains from bleeding through and it lays the best foundation for a flawless finish.
A lot of primer goes along way! Â I used about 1/3rd of a quart for this hutch.
2) When it comes to priming a piece of furniture, you want to use an old cheap paint brush that you can either throw away when your done or clean up with mineral spirits. Because Kilz is oil-based, you cannot clean the brush with water. Â I usually just pour some mineral spirits in a plastic container and soak my brush overnight and then swirl around until the paint is off the brush. Â I wipe it with an old t-shirt.
3) Next, brush on a coat of primer. Â I am fairly generous when I paint on primer but I don’t paint it on too thick. Â I just basically cover the piece like this:
You can get an idea about how much coverage you need by looking at the image above. Â I just brushed on enough piece to cover the piece.
You don’t have to worry terribly about even brush strokes when brushing on primer because you will lightly sand the primer ridges after it dries.
4) Allow the primer to completely dry for at least 24 hours. Â Some people only wait a few hours but I completely disagree and always wait a full 24 hours. Â If the primer is not completely dry, the primer will gum up and will not sand evenly.
5) Next, lightly sand the dried primer with fine grit sanding sponge. Â This should only take a few minutes and you basically want to make sure the surface of your primer is smooth. Â You do not want to sand off the primer, your just making sure its smooth and you can feel the difference before and after lightly going over it. Â This makes all of the difference in the smoothness of your end paint finish! Unfortunately, so many people do not sand their primer and they think the are seeing paint brush strokes in a final paint finish. Â However, primer leaves ridges/brush marks that need to be lightly sanded.
6) Wipe down the piece thoroughly with a slightly damp old t-shirt or lint free towel (cut in big squares).  You want to be sure an get any sanding residue off of the piece before you paint so the surface is smooth.  After using a slightly damp towel (you don’t want your piece to be too wet), go behind it with a dry towel to make sure the piece is completely dry.
Painting
1) For the paint itself, I like to use a premium latex paint in a satin (matte) sheen. Â I don’t recommend scrimping on paint when it comes to painting furniture because premium paints are thicker and cover more and you really get what you pay for in a finish. It doesn’t really matter where you get your paint, I just always ask the paint store which paint is their premium paint. Â I also always tell the guys what I’m doing and say that I want the best (or close to the best) paint and they always point me in the right direction.
I also always use an extender and this is very important and helps to ensure a flawless smooth paint finish. A paint extender is an additive that you add to your paint that “extends” the open time for painting. Â In other words, it slows down the drying time to allow you more time to paint and even out your brush strokes. Â The other thing an extender does is that helps spread/level out the paint. Â Think of paint like honey and an extender is like adding oil to it. Â Honey doesn’t really spread or level out well but if you add oil to it, it will spread and your brush marks will spread out and disappear. Â I never paint without an extender and it ensures a smooth fiish!
My favorite extender is Floetrol:
2) When you paint a piece of furniture, just know that you are always going to need two coats of paint. Â The other thing is, your first coat is going to look terrible and you’re going to think you have done something wrong. Â Just know this going into it. Â Do not panic! Â First coats just always look bad. Â They look really bad! Got it?
For our hutch, I used up about 3/4ths of a quart of paint. Â If your piece of furniture is about the same size of the hutch, you will only need a quart. Â If it’s a little larger, a quart will still probably be all you need. Â Anything larger, you will need two quarts, which is still cheaper than a gallon of paint.
Keep in mind too that you’re going to need a really good brush. Â I use a smaller brush for little hard to reach areas and a really wide brush for more coverage. Â Because I use an extender, I don’t get the top of the line brushes but I don’t buy the cheapest brush either. Medium priced is best.
3) I always begin by stirring my paint thoroughly and then I pour it into a plastic measuring paint cup that I get at the paint store. I believe they hold about 3-4 cups of paint. Â I fill it about 2/3rds full of paint and then I add two cap fulls of my extender. Â (It doesn’t take much) and then I mix again.
4) I brush on my paint with medium coverage; not too thin and not too thick. Â I do not worry so much about my brush strokes because I’m using an extender. However!! A word of warning*** When you use an extender, after about 10 minutes, your paint will start looking like its drying funny and uneven. Â Do not worry, it’s just the extender doing its job and it will be gone when its completely dry. Â In some cases because the extender helps make the paint spread, you may start seeing your paint begin to run slightly in areas. Â Just make sure to go back after about 10-15 minutes (that’s when the extenders really start to work) and brush over these areas again. Â Again, extenders do not work immediately, so be sure and go back and look after 10-15 minutes.
5) Allow your first coat to dry completely overnight. Remember, your first coat is going to look like your dog painted it! Â Don’t think you’ve done something wrong. It’s completely normal!
6) For your second coat (the next day), do the exact same thing as your first coat. Â Pour your paint into a paint measuring cup and add two cap fulls of extender, stir and brush on. Â For the second coat, I use more medium to thick coverage but not too thick that my paint will run. Â Your extender will do the same weird thing and look funny drying and may run. Â Check your brushed areas after 10 minutes for drips or the paint running.
When your piece completely dries, your finish should look something like this:
Let me just say, that it’s impossible to get this beautiful and smooth of a finish without an extender. Â An extender makes all the difference and as you can see, not a brush mark to be found. Â What’s amazing is that this piece was also beat up. Â It had a lot of scratches and and uneven wood but you would never know it now!
Rita wanted to a very light glaze on the finish after we were done and we simply did a dry brush technique over the piece after it dried. Â We used Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams and swiped over the piece with a dry brush in certain areas. Â Dry brush is where you dip your brush in paint and then try and get as much paint off of the brush with a towel as possible. Â Then you very lightly swipe the piece of furniture. Â This is what the piece looked like when we were finished:
I know it seems like a lot here but I have been wanting to write an extremely detailed post specifically for beginners. You know that piece that’s been in the corner of your garage for years that you’ve always wanted to paint? Â Let’s paint it! Â You can do it!!
If you want to read more about the different types of paint techniques that I have shared on the blog, I shared my all-time top 10 paint projects here.
I’ll be back on Wednesday with a fun project!
Cheers!
Cyndy
Linda Owens says
Interesting….never heard of this extender before… I have my Grandmas sewing cabinet I want to re-do and now I think I’m going too!!!!!
Thanks
Cyndy says
I am so excited to hear that you’re thinking about doing your Grandma’s sewing cabinet! That’s awesome! Yes, the extender is a guarantee that your finish will be gorgeous! You will be amazed by how smooth and flawless it looks. Ok Linda, you gotta keep me posted! Please send me a picture if you decide to do it!
Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says
Great instructions and a beautiful piece!
Loretta says
Another beautiful piece!! Love your Blog!!! Loretta
Heather says
I’m wondering what sort of technique you used on the interior of the piece. Wallpaper or stencil? I love it!
Cyndy says
Yes Heather, I used wallpaper in the back of the hutch. I used this beautiful paper in metallic silver called “Malaga”. You can see it here:http://www.laylagrayce.com/Products/Malaga-Silver-Wallpaper__SCH5005932.aspx
Thanks so much Heather!
Yvonne Welsh says
I want to paint my whitewashed red oak kitchen cabinets (that look pink!) a creamy white color but do not want brush marks. Would extender in the paint be better than having the cabinets sprayed? Would it be durable for a kitchen? Would I use the same steps you outlined for painting old furniture on the cabinets? Thanks for your advice.
Cyndy says
Absolutely! In fact, extenders are ideal for cabinets because it takes so long to even out brush marks when painting cabinets. Also, extenders make the finish even more durable as well (perfect for the kitchen). If you do this Yvonne, be sure and remove the cabinet fronts from the hinges and paint flat! Very important because this will really ensure that your brush marks will level out evenly with the extender in the mix! If not painted flat, gravity will pull the paint more downward because of the extender versus spreading out evenly. Hope this helps Yvonne and good luck!!
Kari says
Can you still distress a piece if you use a primer? I have a dresser I want to paint white but want to distress it where some of the black shows around the edges and some of the high points.
Cyndy says
Yes Kari you can! In fact, you can even asked to get your primer tinted to a certain color! So, you can prime your piece in black, sand, etc.. Then use white or something lighter on the top coat and give it a full day to dry and then lightly sand. You can sand down to the black primer or go beyond it to the wood if you want some of the wood popping out.
When you distress, be sure and use the finest grit sand paper or very fine steel wool to not have lines.
Good luck Kari and I would love to see a picture when you’re done!!
Megan says
What a gorgeous piece! Thanks for sharing all your fabulous tips along the way.
Nancy says
Any suggestions for pieces that have been covered in contact paper for about 30 YEARS…how do I get the sticky off?? (one is my grandma’s 1920’s cedar hope chest and the other is a painted dish cabinet….ugh.)
Joan B. says
Thanks for the tutorial and I LOVE the piece. I absolutely agree about the extender after learning the hard way on a dining table top. I must have sanded and re-coated that thing 5 times trying to get it smooth and even. I have also found Sherwin Williams Pro Classic line’s self leveling ability is fabulous. But I still use Floetrol. Love your blog!
Camille says
I have painted some pieces, but I absolutely LOVE your detailed instructions!!! I think many of these pointers are going to alleviate some of the frustrations I’ve had in getting a smooth finish. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all these details. The hutch is beautiful! Rita’s daughter is a lucky gal!
Peggy Mitrano says
Thank you soooo much, I’m one of the fraidy cats…..but not any more,
Cyndy says
Music to my ears Peggy! You can do this for sure and you will be surprised once you get into it just how much control you have. I am so glad to hear that this has made you feel more confident! I would love to see a picture of your finished project! Thanks so much Peggy for your note!
Chelsea says
This is great!! I’m thinking of painting my front door a glossy navy blue. I’d like to use this technique but would you still use an extender with a gloss?
Cyndy says
Oh yes Chelsea, for sure use extender on the front door! Cabinets too! Places where eliminating brush marks is key. However. if you can take it off the hinges and paint it flat, it will look like butter! Extender will spread down versus evenly because of gravity!
Good luck and I hope this helps!
Jenn @ HomeStyleReport says
This looks great Cyndy! Thanks so much for the tips, I had never heard of an extender before but I don’t think I’ll be painting another piece without it!
Cyndy says
Thanks Jenn! Oh yes, an extender is life changing! Never a brush mark again! You do not have to worry about how you’re brushing or anything!
Hope all is well sweet friend! Hope I get to see you again at Haven next year! xxoo
sherry hart says
Dayum girl…you gave it to us in detail and I appreciate it! I used to use Floetrol years ago mixed in with oil base paint. When I firsts moved in my house I painted the whole thing….all the doors, trim and walls. Whew…I was more motivated then:)
Terri Anderson says
Love this tutorial! But you didnt mention using any top coat? Do you have a special brand or technique?
What
Cyndy says
Thanks so much Terri. I do not use top coats for this finish. The extender addictive also helps harden the paint and make it more durable. For extra high traffic pieces like a kitchen table, I use an oil based finish instead of latex. Anything other than something like a kitchen table should hold up well with this finish IF the extender is used. Hope that helps Terri.
Stephanie Hulse says
This tutorial is amazing! So perfect for a beginner like me. I really appreciate the detail. I am painting a dresser and just finished my first coat of paint. I used an extender and almost everything feels smooth but looks streaky. Is this what you meant by the first coat of paint will look bad? I’m worried and wondering how much I should sand? Thanks for this tutorial!!
Cyndy says
Yep, your first coat is going to look really streaky and bad! Don’t panic. Trust me! Remember I said that it’s gonna look like your dog painted it? You’re layering a flawless finish and it’s going to be beautiful. So excited to see your note pop up and hear that your a beginner giving this a try. I’m here if you need me, just leave a comment and I will get it and respond if you have any more questions. Have fun!!
P.B. says
Thank you for this valuable information. I never waited overnight to paint after priming nor did I sand my primer coat. Now I will. Thanks again.
Melissa Pearson says
Awesome tips! May I repost this on my blog?
Vanessa says
Getting ready to try the extender tonight. I’ve only been reading your blog a couple of months but it is AWESOME!
I have primed and applied one coat of latex. It’s looking good but then I saw this about adding an extender. Should I go ahead and do that now or just finish up as I have without. I could trying the extender on another piece I have been putting off out of fear!
Thanks!
Cyndy says
You can add the extender right now Vanessa. It will help ensure smooth top coat. Thank you so much for your kind words. You are gonna love the extender!
Michelle says
Hi there! I am SO SO SO glad I cam across your blog! I am painting an old wooden vanity that I have had my whole life. It has been well loved, which shows, so I am painting it white (Behr ultra white semi-gloss) to go with the décor in my new guest bedroom/ ME room 🙂 This is the first time I have ever painted a piece of furniture so I have been doing a ton of blogger research lol Your post was by far the MOST helpful! So far I have everything I need except the Floetrol which I will pick up tonight. I have already sanded and am ready to apply my primer which I believe is the same brand, Kilz, that you mentioned in your post except the low-odor spray version. Thanks for letting us know the first coat will look like sh*t because I would have definitely been worried!! My only lingering question is do I use a finishing wax, polycrylic, or clear wood lacquer over the finished paint job? Or just leave it alone. I do not want to drawers to stick, or the finish to feel tacky. It will be a piece that gets lots of use. Any advice? xxo Michelle
Anita says
I absolutely LOVE your blog and this tutorial has given me the push I need to go ahead and finally try my hand at painting a piece of old furniture. I have always had an eye for this type of work but have been afraid to try it myself for fear of messing it up. But I am off for the summer and I plan to try my first piece in the next week or so. It’s a pIr of old solid wood mirrors that I have been wanting to use for our ensuite bathroom. I paid $10 for the pair!
Thank you so much! I cannot wait to read more (see more) of your posts!
Sincerely,
Anita in Ottawa, Canada
Mel says
Thanks for this awesome post! I know I’m commenting well after it was originally posted but I’m so glad I found your blog. Just came across it last week and have already made a mixed moss wreath just like yours!
Very excited to paint a dresser I’ve had sitting in the basement forever. Just a note to Canadians like me: not sure if you’ve had trouble finding extender, but I searched everywhere (Lowes, Home Depot, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, WalMart) and no one carried it. Finally found it at Sherwin-Williams at a reasonable price. Benjamin Moore also carries it. Just thought I’d share that!
Thanks again, Cyndy! Love your projects!
Mel in Niagara Falls, Canada
Stephanie says
I am going to try my hand at painting a vanity white just as Michelle in her post above. I was wondering the same as her, If I should be using something over the paint at the end as this is for my 10 year old daughter and it is going to get a lot of wear. I love all your ideas! I have never painted furniture before so Im going to try your version and see what happens.
Cyndy says
Yes Stephanie, you can use a satin polyurethane just over the top of the dresser where it will get the most wear. You could leave it and see and add the poly later. The floetrol actually has a hardener additive that makes the finish even harder, so you may not need the poly.
Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m so excited to hear you’re going to paint your first piece. Remember, the first coat is gonna look bad!! Keep me posted!
DDerty says
Do not use an extender with gloss paints, unless you understand the process.
Megan says
Great article! I was wondering if you always use a brush vs. roller. I’ve just finished the first coat of a nightstand and used both, but I’m a little nervous about having an even finish (I used Floetrol). The first coat looks terrible, like you said. It’s a little bit grainy, but I’m thinking maybe that’s because I used a combo paint with primer? Any advice is much appreciated : )
Cherie says
Ok, I’m going to do it! First antique dresser with swivel mirror! Thank you for the extremely detailed guide! I needed it!
Micheal says
Hi Cyndy,
I am going to paint a ming table black, and am going to use your extender becuase I want a smooth finish. nervouse about the paint dripping on the sides and legs with use of extender…any tips or ideas to avoid. Also should I use a matte finish clear coat to get a hard finish since its a table top?
Thank you,
Micheal
Shayna says
With an extender would polycrylic be necessary?
Holly says
I’ve just finished priming two nightstands (my first furniture painting project!) and I’m doing them in a really soft peach color by Behr in a Semi-gloss finish…will I have to paint each side flat to prevent the Floetrol from running down the sides and legs?
Melody Puma says
Hi Cyndy, I have black stain Windsor kitchen chairs that have chipped paint on the seats. I have wanted to paint these for so long but I too was nervous about it. Can I use your technique in painting these?
Melody Puma says
Cyndy,
My Windsor chairs are a painted black satin finish.
Holly says
Thank you so much for posting this!! I wanted to paint a piece I find at a thrift store and get a smooth finish without spraying it! Can’t wait to try this technique!
Mary B says
I just tried this project (thank you Cyndy) using a premium paint from Lowes. It is a newer paint with primer in it. My table looks like it will have streaks! Do you think the problem is the paint? OR maybe not enough extender?
Cyndy says
I have never tried using an extender with combination paint/primer paint. If you’re paint is still drying, the extender can make paint look really streaky until it completely dries because it’s leveling and it dries unevenly. However, after it has completely dried, it should not look streaky at all. If it is, it’s probably something to do with the primer in the mix (primer has adhesives) reacting to the extender but I really doubt that would happen because the extender just slows down the drying time/leveling.
As a side note, the first coat no matter what kind of paint will always look really bad. Always! So, I would encourage you to get two coats (allowing the coats to dry completely in between) and then after the second coat has dried at least 12 hours, make a decision if it looks streaky. If it does, just go pick up a small quart of your paint w/o the primer and a very small amount of extender and do a third coat to even out. If you could come back and let me know if it was streaky after it dried, I will update this post to note to others not to mix extender with paint/primer combo paint.
Good luck Mary and I sure hope it works out and please come back and let me know. Have a great night!
Savanah says
Hi Cyndi! I really appreciate you taking the time to put all of this valuable info out there. AND for answering all of our questions. I have two new pieces made of pine that I want to paint. I’ve read elsewhere that i need to put something over the knots so that sap(or was it oil?) doesn’t seep out and stain the newly applied paint. My first question is since these are new, do I need to prime? If so, what do you recommend that I use? And 2nd what do you recommend I apply over the knots?
patrice says
Hi Cyndi,
You dont mention if you sanded between paint coats? Also how do you think using a small sponge roller would be for the primer ?
Renee says
Such a good tutorial!! When you’re not using a glaze, what type of finish or seal do you use? I was thinking the clear polyurethane in a satin?
Also- I made the mistake of getting flat for a piece the first time around because I wanted a matte finish. Should I just lightly sand and go over it with the same color in a satin?
It’s a dresser and I haven’t painted the drawers yet. So my next question is – if I can just do a satin coat over, do I have to do exactly the same order of paint coats on the drawers for the finished look to match? – the primer, the flat paint and then the satin or can I skip right to the satin?
And my last question is- if I do a 3rd coat, this time in satin, is it going to get much darker? It’s already as dark as I wanted.
Should I just start over? Sand, prime, the color I want with extender in satin…?
Sorry so many questions!
thanks,
Renee
Nancy L. says
Cindy:
First, thank you for this article. I am reading everything I can get my hands on prior to a project of repainting my parents’ dining room table. It’s a fine cherry piece with beautiful wood; however, it is in a beach house and I believe requires an update aesthetically. Everything you explained make sense; however I do have a question. With Floetrol, the extender, is it ALWAYS necessary to lay the item flat? If so, how are large items with legs painted? I understand the purpose extender but am afraid the paint will run down the legs. Any advice, tips, would be greatly appreciated.
Cyndy says
Hi Nancy! Thanks for your note. The paint should not run if you use the right measurements. However, you may get a spot or two that has the start to a run and you just smooth out with your brush. Yes, ideally, when using Floetrol, you’ll want whatever you’re painting to be flat. Really, anytime you paint furniture, that is the key. However, it’s not possible with legs, so you just have to watch it. Give it about 10 minutes and go back to it and smooth over if needed. The great thing is your secondary brush marks will disappear because of the floetrol. I hope that helps and I’m here if you need me when you get started painting 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi, I was going to paint my old family hutch. I saw you said it would be better laying flat, so my question is should I do the front (with the peiece laying flat on its back) and each side one at a time after finishing the front or can I do the sides while it is laying flat on its back? I seriously am nervous about messing this piece up.
Cyndy says
Hey there Jennifer! You’re gonna do great on this piece! I would for sure paint the front flat, since it’s the most important and then go ahead and do the piece upright after it dries. The front of cabinetry is always the most important because it’s the front. No sense in stopping and letting the piece dry to turn over multiple times. Just be sure after about 8-10 minutes, to look for any runs if you’re using the Floetrol, which I really hope you are. Good luck and keep me posted! 🙂
Linda says
I finished a piece that needs a sealer of sorts, ideas? Bookshelf.
Thanks
Linda says
Thanks so much for the tutorial..Really love what you have to share…I am planning on doing a piece like a small vanity..
Joan says
I love this tutorial and the piece came out great! I’m confused when you say choose a satin (matte) latex paint. I always thought they were two different sheens. I thought matte no sheen like a washable flat and satin was a low lustre below semi-gloss on the sheen scale. Is satin and matte the same?
Meryl says
Did you sand between coats of latex?
Cyndy says
Hi Meryl!
No. No need to sand between layers if you’re using Floetrol that has the self leveling. Yes, if Floetrol wasn’t used. Good luck!
Alicia says
Omygosh just found your site and am in love?? you probably say this somewhere on your website, and I just haven’t gotten to it…and project is in a few days so I am hoping you might be able to answer the?’s Have 4 kids and 2 adopted huge hairy kids….so anything I do has to handle 4 lil farts and a major whirlwind. Not sure which are the kids versus dogs lets just called my house blessed chaos:)…with that said I am leaning towards oil based paint for it all???? Yes/no suggestions? Also when sandpaper is being used…do I always use the manual hand blocks or can I use fine grate with hands sander? THanks so much!!!!!
Paulette Schmidt-Ramirez says
Thank you so much for this blog!
I’m getting ready to take on a large project, and I’m scared to say the least.
I bought old furniture at different thrift stores in my area and i’m going to refinish them. I wanted them to have a french country look. I read a lot about Milk Paint, but still not sure what to do because I don’t want to redo again. I like the finish you are showing here. I think this is a good choice and I’m going to do it! I guess my question is should all the finishes be the same? I have a settee, two cane chairs a coffee table a round double tiered end table and a double tiered end table all the tables are leather topped. I wanted to paint the tables leaving the tops alone or should I paint the tops and leave the leather? I was also going to leave the caning of the chairs as is because the paint will dry the caning out right? Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you Paulette.
Sue says
Which of the Sherwin Williams paints do you prefer for furniture?
Mandy says
Hi. I’m just seeing this post, years later, and glad to benefit from it. Thank you for so much detail. I have one question: how much extender do you mix in the paint?
Traci Titus says
Do you use an extended with polyurethane too? I always hate poly on my painted furniture because I can see my brush strokes! Also, do you always have to use a poly coat?
Briana says
If I was going to do this on a dining room table and chairs would I need to put anything on the table and chairs so that the paint doesn’t rub off? Like a seal? Sorry I am not familiar with the term.
Marys says
Thank you so much for this, Getting reading to paint a number of pine pieces that I’ve been delaying because I hate sanding so much. I’m not a fan of Kilz either, but the lesser or two evils, I suppose. . Hello, Floetrol 🙂
One question though is whether spraying paint will get to the same place, or if sanding is needed whenever Floetrol isn’t used.
Thanks for the detailed info!
Laura says
Thank you for this. We are going to paint a newly constructed night stand. If we use the new “self leveling ” paint offered by sherwin williams to we need to add the extender? Are they the same thing?
Cyndy says
I haven’t tried the new self leveling paint by SW yet but I think that I wouldn’t because if it is self leveling, it would already have an extender additive in it. If you added more, you could run the risk of the paint running. I hope that helps! 🙂
Sam says
Do you sand between paint coats? I have been doing a lot of reading before attempting to paint a large media cabinet and have seen a lot of people recommend this, although it seems like it may be an extra unnecessary step (and a tedious one for a giant piece of furniture!) Also, if the piece was previously painted poorly with a glossy paint, would you prime it after sanding? The previous owner of our home painted it and it’s still tacky, so I’m assuming it wasn’t painted correctly.