How to Paint Furniture Step-by-Step To Avoid Biggest Mistakes

Looking to bring new life to an older piece of wood furniture? A new coat of paint is an easy way to refresh its look and make it into your own custom piece. 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.

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It's easy for a paint project to not go according to plan though. You might find that the paint quickly chips and feels off, or that the finish doesn't look as smooth as you'd envisioned. Worse case scenario, a project gone awry could have you starting back from the beginning. So how do you avoid that? And what's the best paint to use on wood furniture to do so?

We have answers for you! After compiling all of the most common mistakes witnessed over the years, we are sharing this helpful guide to painting furniture—the way that actually, truly works.

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1. Start by sanding.

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. But from what I've learned over the years, sanding is a must. Be sure to start any painting project by sanding your surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. (I use this orbital sander with variable speeds.) 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.

Tip: Use 80-grit if you are sanding a furnishing with an existing varnish.

2. Remove any residue.

Once you've sanded, be sure to wipe down the surface with a tack cloth to remove any residue. Trust me: Do not use a paper towel, and don't speculate on whether it might be better to use a lint-free cloth. Just use the tack cloth!

3. Prime it.

If you're priming laminate furniture, use Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Base Primer. Otherwise, use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer. Prime using a mini foam roller, and use a foam brush to get into any hard-to-reach areas. Let the primer dry according to the instructions on the can of primer. Once it's fully dry, sand away any drips with a 220-grit sanding block, and wipe your piece down with a tack cloth.

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4. Paint it!

Finally: It's painting time! Use a mini foam roller to apply three thin coats of semi-gloss latex paint. Allow six to eight hours in between coats. It's important that you sand in between coats if you have any drips or residue on the piece. Use the same sanding block and a new tack cloth. 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. It's clear, so everything shows. I've blamed everything from the dog to the paint for the tiny pieces of fuzz I've found when applying the Polycrylic, but it's really because I didn't remove everything with the tack cloth.

5. Protect it.

Finally, use a new mini foam roller to apply a thin coat of Polycrylic Protective Finish water-based protectant in gloss. 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. Allow 72 hours for it to dry before using; otherwise, it can get sticky.