How to Paint Furniture

Our Furniture Paint is a primer and paint in one, saving you valuable time on DIY projects. Upcycling is an easy, cost-effective way to transform wardrobes, drawers, bookshelves and more, so you can fill your home with bespoke pieces tailored to your personal taste.

Whether it’s an unloved bedside table or dining chairs that are lacking lustre, discover how to give wooden furniture a new lease of life in just a few simple steps.

You will need:

- Rust-Oleum Furniture Paint
- Ready to Roll Kit (includes brush, roller, masking tape and sanding block)
- Rust-Oleum Sugar Soap or Krud Kutter Original Cleaner/Degreaser
- Paint stirrer
- A clean cloth
- Furniture Finishing Wax or Lacquer (optional)

Step 1

Move the wooden furniture to a well-ventilated area and place on top of newspaper or a dust sheet. Remove any hardware, handles or drawers and paint them separately before reattaching.

As with all paint jobs, ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean, dry and free from loose paint, grease and contaminants. Previously painted surfaces should be abraded to provide a key – this will help the paint adhere to the surface. You don’t have to take it to the bare wood but make sure you get rid of the sheen.

Not fussed on sanding? Try our liquid sandpaper solution Krud Kutter Gloss Off as the perfect pre paint prep.

Step 2

When you’ve finished sanding, it’s important to remove all the dust, so as not to create a flawed finish and keep the paint from sticking. Clean your surface with Rust-Oleum Sugar Soap or Krud Kutter Original Cleaner/Degreaser and wipe over with a clean cloth.

Step 3

Mask off any areas of the object you don’t wish to paint to ensure you get a clean, tidy finish. Remove hardware (such as drawer handles) if possible.

Step 4

Stir the paint to make sure it is thoroughly mixed and always use a good quality brush to prevent brush marks. We went for Matt Furniture Paint in our cool beige Hessian.

Step 5

Now all you have to do is paint! A 3-inch bristled-brush will suit most jobs and 1-inch is best for the fiddly bits or a small roller. Only load your brush 1/3 or 1/2 of the way up to prevent the paint from drying and fraying the bristles.

You’ll need two to three coats to ensure an even coverage, leaving an hour between coats for drying. Use an overlapping side-to-side motion as you go. The key is to keep a wet edge for each section and keep up your speed or you’ll notice overlapping marks when the paint is dry.

And that's it!

Once the paint is fully dry, you can choose to add a soft protective finish with Furniture Finishing Wax in clear, white or dark. It is easy to apply by brush or with a rag and dries with a soft, velvety sheen, ensuring the paint finish is water-repellent and seals against stains and marks.

If you’ve used Chalky Finish Furniture Paint and want to keep its smooth matt finish, our Furniture Lacquer is highly durable and seals paint work, protecting it from knocks and scratches. Remember by adding this protective layer, the easier it is to keep clean.

FAQs

Why paint furniture when you can buy it ready-made?

In comparison to some of the more accessible, modern furniture available today, older furniture is quite often made with quality construction and simply in need of a little TLC. A restoration makeover is not only more cost-effective than buying new, you will be left with something totally unique.

Which finish should I choose?

If you’re looking for a shabby chic look, you can easily distress Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint by going over the piece with sandpaper once fully dry.

If a luxurious sheen is what you’re after, consider Rust-Oleum Satin Finish Furniture Paint, which will give you a timeless silky touch.

For a polished, highly reflective shine, try Rust-Oleum Gloss Finish Furniture Paint.

And for a textured metallic look, use Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish Furniture Paint.

Do you always have to use a primer?

Priming depends on your surface and the paint you are using. There are some paints like our Furniture Paint or Universal spray paints that don’t require any priming, so always check the instructions on the label before you get down to it.

There are different primers designed specifically for wood, plastic, metal or ceramic surfaces. The job of the primer is to seal the surface, provide a good key for the paint and provide a uniform base to apply your paint to, all of which improve the durability and appearance of your paint finish.

What prep is needed before painting?

Whether you’re priming or applying your paint direct it is always recommended to make sure the surface you are painting is completely clean, dry and free from any surface contaminants such as wax, furniture polish, dirt or dust etc. that will prevent the paint from achieving a good key.

Our recommendations are to wash the item thoroughly with a hot water/liquid detergent solution, rinse away any soap residues with clean warm water. Allow the surface to dry before a final wipe with methylated spirit or white spirit.

It is generally a good idea to lightly abrade an existing paint or varnish to help the next coat to adhere and to make sure that the existing paint or varnish has a good key, ensuring loose or flaking paint or varnish is removed back to a firm feathered edge.

Does it matter what type of paintbrush I use?

There are two main types of paintbrushes. There are those with natural-hair bristles and those made with synthetic materials (although you can get brushes made with a blend of both)

When using oil-based paint, natural- hair will give you a better finish. However, natural- hair bristles when used with water based or latex paint will absorb the water and become limp.

Unfortunately, cheaper brushes don’t hold as much paint as the higher quality ones which means the paint job will take longer. The better quality brushes usually have a tapered end too which will give you more control so it’s best from the outset to invest in quality brushes.

To prep should I use sandpaper or wire wool?

If you are painting wood, abrasion is important to allow the paint to grip to the surface. If the surface is free from contaminants, a light sand will do the trick. Choose a fine sandpaper with a 360 to 600 grit.

For heavy sanding and stripping, you’ll need to use a coarser sandpaper with a 40 to 60 grit. If you think there might be varnish or other contaminates which could react with the paint on your surface, then once you have finished sanding use white spirit and wire wool to ensure any residue has been removed.

Should I use wax to seal the paint?

Most paints provide a tough durable finish in their own right that does not require any further protection from a wax or protective lacquer. Some paints, such as Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint require application of a wax or lacquer to protect and enhance the painted surface.

Furniture wax is easy to apply with a brush or rag and will give you a soft, velvety sheen, which is perfect if you’ve gone for the shabby chic look. The furniture lacquer is applied with a brush and provides a matt finish for projects that require more durability against knocks and stains.

Do I need to mask off areas?

Yes. To ensure one area of paint doesn’t bleed into the other or if you want to corner off those edges to ensure a polished finish, masking tape is essential.

Can you paint furniture with spray paint?

Yes. If you’d rather opt for spray over brush paints, take a look at our complete spray paint range.

How to Paint Furniture

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