How to Paint Furniture: A Beginner's Guide

Hey guys, today's video is a little different from the previous videos I shared on my channel. This is not a DIY construction video, but it is a tutorial on how to

paint

furniture

. If you are new here, welcome. I'm Erin. Spain and I would love for you to subscribe to my channel and click the bell icon to receive notifications of my future videos. I wrote a blog post on this topic several years ago and to this day it is my most popular blog post. I get the most comments and questions so I thought it might be helpful to create a video about it, so today I'm going to go over my technique for getting the smoothest, most professional looking finish possible when

paint

ing

furniture

.

To start, there are a couple of things I want to get out of the way, first of all, I know there are a lot of wood purists out there that are completely against painting wood period, and I get it, there are several pieces that I wouldn't even consider painting. . but if this is you and you are completely against painting furniture, you are in the wrong place. There is no one right way to do it, but this is the technique I have found works best for me. Okay, that says, let's get started. I'm going to use this bench to demonstrate my technique so I'm going to show you how I painted it but the first step is to prepare your piece so this is where a lot of projects go wrong because a lot of people don't take the time to prepare their surface properly and This will determine how smooth your paint finish ends up looking, as well as how durable the finish ends up being, the first thing I like to do, especially if a piece has been in storage and is covered in dust or conquered. cobwebs or whatever to give it a good clean with Murphy's oil soap.

I took this bench out of my basement to use for demonstration purposes and it was covered in dust with cobwebs. My camera decided to magically eat the images of me cleaning it. To be a YouTube newbie, but self explanatory, simply dilute Murphy's Oil Soap in water and use a cloth to clean the entire piece. This is safe for finished wood and really helps you get a nice clean surface to start with if your piece isn't that dirty or dirty. So a quick wipe should do the trick. I'm using it to clean my work table, but you get the idea.

I first use wood putty to repair holes or nicks and also to cover any knots there are. I could leave it later. I use cheap frame lumber to build this bench, so your furniture probably won't have as many, if any, knots to worry about, but if it does, wood filler usually works. I let it dry according to the instructions on the container which can vary depending on the brand, also if your furniture has any hardware or is attached this would be the point where I would remove it and set it aside. I then sand it with a sanding sponge if you used wood filler to cover up any holes or knots then sand until smooth and then just lightly sand the entire piece whether you use wood filler or not you don't have to try very hard In this, the goal is to simply scrape the surface enough so that the paint has something to hold on to, you don't have to sand the entire finish and you don't have to spend a lot of time doing this, you just want to dull the glossy finish a little so that the paint adheres more easily and doesn't slide well sometimes I use a sheet of sandpaper to get into the corners but you don't have to worry too much about that.

I get a lot of messages from people stressed because they can't stand in the cracks very well. and it's really no big deal and not something you should stress about. Then, clean it and remove all the sanding dust. You can use a damp cloth or I really like to use a sticky cloth that you can get at hardware stores. keep it a wax cloth and the dust will stick to it, so you can just wipe it over the surface of your furniture and the dust will come off right away. Now that the piece has been prepared, it's time to prime.

I use a combination of a mini. foam roller and an angled brush to apply my primer and paint, the brush is helpful for getting into the crevices and then I use the roller for the rest. Make sure your foam roller refills are made for smooth surfaces and you should specify that on the packaging. I like to have popsicle sticks on hand to use stir sticks and you can buy them in bulk at the craft store. I usually like to use a separate stain blocking primer, even if my paint has primer included. I generally use Kills or Zinser Interior Latex Primer.

I usually stick with water-based primers and paints, which is just a personal preference, but some people like oil-based ones better. I just can't stand fumes and can usually get a good finish with water based, so it works. I also find it useful to place pieces of wood under what I'm painting to raise it a little off the ground so it's easier to paint the bottom edge. The key here is to apply thin coats of both primer and primer. paint I only use one coat of primer and then let it dry completely after my primer has dried.

I go back with my sanding sponge and lightly sand everything again, you just want to buff out any brush strokes or roller marks or sand. Any drips you may have missed but don't want to sand the primer, just a light pass with the sanding block should do the trick. I go back in with my anti-static cloth and remove all the dust and now we're going to repeat the process. but this time with paint, the key is to apply several thin coats rather than one thick coat, applying a thin coat and sanding in between really produces the smoothest finish possible.

My favorite paint brands are Behr Marquee and Benjamin Moore, and for this bench I used I'm using Behr Marquee in the color Tricorn Black. I also tend to use a satin or semi-gloss finish for furniture. The glossier or finish, the easier it is to clean, which is why I never use matte finish paint on furniture, it is extremely difficult. To stay clean, I repeat the same process, brushing out the crevices and rolling the rest. Keep in mind that this is your first coat so you will see roller marks and you won't get a completely opaque finish yet and that's okay between coats of paint.

I like to wrap my roller and brush in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out and then I can just unwrap them and use them again for my next coat. I also cover the paint tray with plastic wrap, let the first layer dry and then again. with your sanding block and quickly smooth it out, then wipe away the dust with your anti-static cloth. I usually end up applying a total of one coat of primer and two coats of paint, although depending on your paint, you may need three coats, so now this is the final coat of paint I'm applying it the same way, brushing the crevices and then applying a thin coat this time I won't sand when I'm done.

I get a lot of questions about whether or not you should sand between your top coat of paint and your top coat and the answer is no after my second and final coat of paint has dried, it's time to add a top coat for protection. My two favorite top coats for painted furniture are Minwax polycrylic, which I usually apply with a brush. and Minwax Finishing Paste Wax in natural color, you can use polyurethane if you prefer a super durable oil-based finish, in which case I would use satin polyester for cleaning, but I prefer to use it for stained furniture, not painted for this project.

I'll finish it with paste wax, that's how I apply it. I wear gloves as this can get messy and then I apply it through a couple layers of cheesecloth. I just rub it through the cheesecloth and then let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. According to the instructions on the can, at that point I can go back in with a clean cotton cloth and polish it until it's as shiny as I want, then let it dry completely before using it. Now just a quick note, you can always use paint. sprayer to apply the paint, but I usually don't do that unless I'm painting a lot of furniture or a very large piece because I hate the cleanup that comes with it, but of course it's an option, here are some examples of other pieces. of furniture I've painted in the past and I'll link to them in the description box below.

I hope you found this tutorial useful. If so, please like and share it with a friend or on social media if you think others could do it. I also find it useful. Thank you very much for looking and now here are the outtakes that I post and there go the parts of a car. I wouldn't even consider painting all the cars correctly. It doesn't have to be perfectly fine. The first step to make the most of it. a look and so smooth as a level look that many people don't take the time to prepare tuned cars.

I mean, it's not even rush hour, this is where a lot of projects end. What's wrong with that idea? Man, it's okay, you can connect. Me online at Aaron Spain quiet and on social media at the Air in Spain blog meanwhile check out some of my other videos until next time.