Believe me, it takes time to build up your stash of DIY supplies and materials! Many latex-based paints today are low VOC, but check before using them. The brand of top coat that I love is called General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat. To remove paint drips, smooth them out before they dry. Last week I FINALLY had time to paint it and make it a pretty place to house a lot of my clothes! go show them this post about how to paint a dresser in 10 easy steps. White painted furniture can be tricky! This dresser had great lines, but needed a little love. All the wood haters gonna be hatin on this piece, because it really wasnt in bad condition. Your email address will not be published. THE DREADFULBLEED! I lined the drawers with pretty buffalo check wrapping paper. Otherwise, use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer. It's important that you sand in between coats if you have any drips or residue on the piece. I fantasize of having a pretty, light, and airy bedroom, not dark and dreary makes-you-want-to-stay-in-bed-depressed. It will leave a smooth, slight satin appearance. But from what I've learned over the years, sanding is a must. Then it needs heavier sanding to rough up the surface. Play around with it on a sample piece if youre nervous about ruining your good piece. It's easy for a paint project to not go according to plan though. Seriously! Ill wait. For laminate pieces, super shiny or pieces that are known to bleed through, I like BIN primer, which is shellac-based. This post contains affiliate links. Learning how to paint furniture white is a great skill to have if you love rescuing old furniture. . Cherry, mahogany, and pine are notoriously hard because the wood tannins bleed through light-colored paints. I prefer polycrylic in matte. 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. 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. General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat, BEFORE & AFTER: The Makeover of a Roadside Book Shelf, Refinishing Wood Furniture: Vintage Drafting Table Makeover. Just make sure that the dresser drawers are dry first. Not everyone has a studio, basement, or garage where you can bang out projects. Well..notrequire.especially if youre going for a look thats more like a white-washed effect. The Ultimate Guide to Furniture Makeovers, Lessons Learned while Tidying Up Using the KonMari Method, How to Paint an Unfinished Basement Ceiling, How to Remove a Chair Rail and Repair the Walls for Paint, The Ultimate Guide to Installing Shiplap in a Bathroom, Clean the furniture thoroughly. Love the detail on the drawers, its beautiful! Ill admit something to you: painted furniture can chip. You can do this either by hand or using an orbital sander. Same thing if its laminate. You might need more than one coat for stubborn spots. Lets talk about whether you want to wax or add a top coat for your painted dresser. 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. Youll need a medium grit sandpaper of 150-grit, followed by a 220-grit fine sandpaper to smooth out the scratches. I used Sherwin Williams for HGTV in Ultra White, a lovely white furniture paint color. Pay extra attention to visible knots, places where you sanded to bare wood, and anywhere the wood meets another piece of wood (corners.). Learn how to paint dark wood furniture white without using a ton of paint. Are you ready to paint furniture white? :o), Your email address will not be published. Is it bumpy on the surface with old stickers from kids? If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. This is a hard question because everyone has different preferences. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. When the paint is dry, distress the edges if desired. Use water-based to avoid yellowing. Do not touch wet paint that is drying or it will look gooey. Apply 1-2 coats of primer. If you decide to use a roller, get one made for smooth surfaces. You might find that the paint quickly chips and feels off, or that the finish doesn't look as smooth as you'd envisioned. Theyre the easiest way to decorate a dresser with just stenciling on the drawers or the whole piece (watch this video tutorial on how to use stencilson furniture). My rule of thumb is: the more heavily used something will be, the more coats you should add. Any reddish stain that doesnt have a lacquer over it (or is badly chipped) will bleed right through, like what happened with this mid-century pink ombre mod dresser I refinished, as you can see below: READ THIS: 10 Furniture Painting Mistakes and How to Avoid and Correct Them. (Are you subscribed to me on YouTube? Read more, Filed Under: Furniture Makeovers Tagged With: dresser, furniture, makeover, Your email address will not be published. Be sure to wear a dust mask, too. Tip: Use 80-grit if you are sanding a furnishing with an existing varnish. Dont believe me? But here is the most important tip about using dark wax: Thats right. Paint in the same direction when using a polycrylic top coat. There arent any noxious fumes to worry about. Just use the tack cloth! Eggshell is like a flat finish, but with added durability. Although I try to avoid laminate, a lot of nice pieces have laminate tops. Wait, let me clarify that:thrifted dressers are gross! Be sure you let the paint dry in between coats. Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a37b3eb059ce971c384a0a381b59b231" );document.getElementById("d77b09630b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *. Painting furniture is the fastest way to update old furniture on a budget. 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. You might want to change the knobs or handles. Theyre probably all just fine, but some are good for beginners. If that means skipping that spot and getting it on the next one, thats a better choice than creating brush marks. It's clear, so everything shows. Or you can just apply a light coat with a lint-free cloth. 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. It tends to happen with mahogany stains (from my experience). But it doesnt stop with stencils on your dresser. Whatever choice you decide for your dresser, painting it will create a dramatic difference in your room! Yes, it was gorgeous, but a bit too brown.. I picked them up for about $7 each from a yard sale, and glued some French fabric to the front! Plus no top coat is needed. With all the latest furniture paints out there, they all toot their horns that theres no priming or sanding needed. You can see below in this project I did, I used a wax brush to apply some clear wax, and it immediately took on a deeper color. Id used the paint before on this thrifted china cabinet and was interested in trying it again on this dresser. Now go check your email for those freebies! I love how deep the colors become after adding clear wax. I'd like to receive the free email course. Thats why more bloggers and DIYers use chalk paint or other specially formulated furniture paints, which dont really require sanding or priming first. Paint the inside of the drawers, and the sides, too. So do you have an old dresser youve been wanting to paint? For this dresser, I used BIN primer to avoid any bleed-through. (EEK!!! If theyre already dry, lightly sand them smooth after they dry and touch up the paint lightly. All of your hard work is ruined. Scuffing up the surface ensures that your paint sticks well. LOL. Ive done second coats in about 1 hour. 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! Cute son when he was 3-years-old..priceless . Paint a thin coat of clear shellac using a chip brush. Be sure to check out my post on What is Rub n Buff and 5 Ways to Use It. And just remember this, too: Wax will need to be reapplied every 6 months. Try using a steam cleaner (I recommend the HomeRight Steam Machine) to get the deep down gunk out of the dresser. Click here for the Semigloss Design disclosures andprivacy policy. (It can be soaked in ammonia to clean it.) If youre just painting a basic coat, dont worry about any special technique. But you can seal it first to prevent this from happening. Once it's fully dry, sand away any drips with a 220-grit sanding block, and wipe your piece down with a tack cloth. But now, Ive got a beautiful painted dresser with stencils all to myself! Theres something called dark wax that furniture paint companies make with is more so to help age a piece of furniture and make it appear more vintage and worn. Be sure to start any painting project by sanding your surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. FYI..I used this pretty stencil to paint the dresser drawers! It worked in my favor! Looking to bring new life to an older piece of wood furniture? If you like furniture makeovers, be sure to check out my ultimate guide to furniture painting. Where you need to be careful is that you dont overload your paintbrush. If youre using a brush, try my favorite,the Purdy brush. Its water-based so it cleans up easy, and creates a nice finish for painted surfaces. Dont ruin your floors. Depends on the look you want. 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. Click to read this guide on applying polycrylic. You might even need to do THREE coats, depending on your dark your dresser is. So how do you avoid that? 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 smelly but sticks the best. Make sure that the topcoat you use is water-based to avoid yellowing your white paint. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. We have answers for you! 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. Finally, use a new mini foam roller to apply a thin coat of Polycrylic Protective Finish water-based protectant in gloss. 24 Low-Maintenance Plants for the Lazy Gardener, The Best Michigan Beach Town for a Summer Getaway, Easy, Cheap, 30-Minute (or Faster!) Paint on the paint working in one direction. It can get stained and worn. ! test. With white furniture, its even more important. I love stencils. Preppingshouldnt take any more than 15minutes or less! I use water with vinegar most of the time. Worse case scenario, a project gone awry could have you starting back from the beginning. Theres nothing more frustrating than starting a dresser only to find that the old stain is bleeding through the new paint. Do not use Spur Urethane because it will cause it to yellow. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. Then start painting once it fully dries. Please try again. After it dries, paint another coat of white. 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. It also makes the paint stick better. No one will see inside that part :). 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. Beautiful stencil details on the front. The birds and flowers are beautiful! So, which primer do I use? They put the link into it already, saying they used this stencil It wont let me send the direct link tho, as it thinks its spam, https://www.royaldesignstudio.com/collections/damask-wall-stencils/products/french-floral-damask-stencil?variant=1270677056. So for a dresser top, I think 2-3 coats would be fine. If the wood is red or yellow in color, seal the wood with shellac to prevent bleeding. Pain in the butt, but it wont last forever. Because one day, youll finally get to it. As long as you are the one using the dresser, who cares what others think about making it your own. However, if youre using paint specially formulated for furniture (such as any of these furniture paints), then you wont necessarily have to prime first. Because the actual painting part is only half the battle. Its water-based, so you can use a normal paintbrush. Use a brush to apply the topcoat, going in one direction. To prevent paint drips, keep the paint on your brush light. Thats good for us creatives, but it can also be confusing because you dont know which paintto select. But its the bad stuff that used to be in many paints, finishes, and stains that are harmful to you and the environment. But Im not a fan of dark wood in my bedroom. Are there gouges or scratches? Allow six to eight hours in between coats. I love how this piece turned out! Learn how your comment data is processed. This is my preferred method of painting dressers and other furniture around my house. But you have toclean it first, or the paint wont stick. In my experience, eggshell paint does the best job of covering furniture in the fewest coats. Leave your comments and questions below and add to the discussion! But if youve ever shopped for knobs or handles, they can get pretty expensive. I can tell you my favorite though. This is what I had been using for my clothes: a cheapie from Ikea that we bought 13 years ago. Priming the furniture before painting will help get the dresser white faster. I learned this the hard way. Thrift Diving inspires women to decorate, improve, and maintain their home themselvesusing paint, power tools, and thrift stores! Let the primer dry according to the instructions on the can of primer. Painting a dark piece white can instantly modernize it and add more light to a room. The stencil you see here is my favorite damask stencil! Be sure to let it dry completely in between the two coats. You can also glue fabric to dresser drawers, as I did with this set of fun bedside nightstands! A light sanding is sufficient unless the furniture piece is super shiny. 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. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, How to Cook a Turkey in Just Over an Hour, How to Make Your New Year's Resolutions Stick in 2016, The Secret to Hanging a Decorative Plate Wall, 5 Budget-Friendly Decorating Risks To Take This Year, How to Paint the Inside of Your Front Door, You Can Make These No-Sew DIY Curtains in an Hour, Toast to Valentine's Day With This Special Kir Royale Recipe. Dont feel like you have to paint the inside of the bodyIm talking the deep bowels of the dresser. Just watch the transformation of this one in the video! Remove any hardware and clean well. . You dont need a giant budget to create a lovely home. White furniture can need up to 6 coats of paint, depending on the type of paint and desired sheen. For all other pieces, I like to use 123 primer. Its easy to get a smooth finish without brush strokes. Youll need to remove the drawers and use a solution of vinegar and water and wipe everything out. Country Living editors select each product featured. Paint another coat of shellac on those spots. Primer makes it easier to go from dark to white without wasting your expensive paint. Be sure to save it on Pinterest! The surface should turn out very smooth! 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. Painting furniture is super easy. Your email address will not be published. I have a few in different sizes for different projects. After the primer, it only took 2 coats of paint, with a little touch up here and there. (Privacy Policy) *, Im Serena Appiah (rhymes with IKEA). This easy method saves paint, time, AND money! 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. Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest, Emy is a vintage obsessed mama of 2 DIYer who loves sharing affordable solutions for common home problems. I think home should be affordable. Some people like to use a roller, but I love using a brush or a paint sprayer (watch thisvideo tutorial on how to use chalk paint in a paint sprayer). Loved this post? 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. It seems to draw out tannins through the paint, despite being water-based. Id let it dry 24 hours. 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. And what's the best paint to use on wood furniture to do so? I like this purdy paint brush, but for pieces with a lot of details or chalk paint, I like this zibra brush. Prime dark wood furniture. Since thats the case, you definitely need to either wax it or add a sealer (also known as a top coat). Plus, no one wants to use furniture thats all dirty inside. If you used latex paint, a top coat isnt necessary. This is my least favorite part of painting a dresser (or any piece of furniture, for that matter). You can read about how I used BB Frosch on a bathroom vanity, which turned really great! 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. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Make designing your dream room a breeze with my Printable Room Planner. Seems like everybody and their mama has come out with furniture paint! You might have to paint inside your house. What point is there to have a pretty dresser, only to open it up and see ugly inside? A new coat of paint is an easy way to refresh its look and make it into your own custom piece. If youre a newbie to painting furniture, lets address this question because it always comes up. That means you can reuse the same knobs and pulls, especially if they suit the dresser, and save a bit of money! Learn how to paint furniture white without ugly bleed through, brush marks or having to apply a million coats of paint. 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. Apply clear wax to your painted dresser first, and then apply any dark wax. Success! Prime using a mini foam roller, and use a foam brush to get into any hard-to-reach areas. Use a mini foam roller to apply three thin coats of semi-gloss latex paint. Now, dont get me started on explaining VOCs (volatile organic compounds). If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. The awesome thing about all brands of furniture paint nowadays is that theyreeither no VOC, low VOC, or very low VOC. Its solid (heavy!!). BEFORE & AFTER: Shabby French Night Stand Makeover. Here are some things you can use to cover your floors from spilled furniture paint: Dressers are gross. For three years its taken up real estate in my garage, annoying my husband with the clutter. Not sure when you posted this or if youll ever see my comment, but Id love to know what stencil you used. Sand with an orbital sander. It can wear down. If you were to apply dark wax directly to a chalk painted dresser, you will essentially stain and ruin the paint. Just keep going over it and buffing it out. You can use it instead of shellac, but you might need more coats for hard to cover spots. 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). It still helps the paint stick, but its a much cheaper way to get from dark to white quickly. Itsangled bristles are so smooth and wont fall off ontoyour wet finish! The darker the wood, the more coats you might need. Dont worry if you dont haveeverything. However, if its a tabletop or a piece that will get a lot of wear and tear, err on the side of a topcoat. The outcome was pretty! You can use a wax brush, but theyre often pricey (like $30!). Clean all the dust off of the furniture and let it dry. Hubby had most of the space, and I have my stuff crammed into the bottom drawer (not to mention its totally boring!!). this pretty stencil to paint the dresser drawers, You can read about how I used BB Frosch on a bathroom vanity, 10 Furniture Painting Mistakes and How to Avoid and Correct Them, watch thisvideo tutorial on how to use chalk paint in a paint sprayer, watch this video tutorial on how to use stencils, watch this video tutorial on how to glue fabric to wood drawers. There was an error submitting your subscription. Lighter pieces will take less. 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. Ill talk more about materials down below. I'm a color loving DIYer who believes that a beautiful home is possible, even on a budget. You can watch the full tutorial on my YouTube channel here. ), Here are all the things you will find helpful when painting a dress (or any painted piece of furniture, for that matter). Some woods are harder to paint than others. If youve got a spouse who complains about the amount of furniture youve got hoarded up in the garage, basement, spare bedroom, etc. Try not to touch wet paint that is drying. Its that simple. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. My favorite paint finish for white paint is eggshell. Ikealasts that long???). 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??). Use the same sanding block and a new tack cloth. BEFORE & AFTER: Boys Blue Accent Wall Bedroom Makeover! 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). All you need is paint, power tools, and thrift stores.read more >. Its also more affordable than expensive furniture paints, which makes it perfect for spraying furniture. The reason why is because the clear wax creates a barrier between the furniture paint and the dark wax. The coverage is spectacular and you still get a nice, matte finish. It doesnt have to be a sand-down-to-the-bare-bones; it just has to be smooth to accept paint. Prep the furniture as needed. Especially if its a piece that gets a lot of traffic, which means that youll be putting a lot of things on itor youll be touching it a lotetc. Here are the things to remember about painting furniture with a brush, though: (I used this pretty stencil on the dresser below). Youd be soooo upset. If youre old enough to remember Danielson from The Karate Kid, you simply paint the fence. LOL. If that means skipping a spot and getting it on the next coat, thats the better choice. To avoid brush marks, choose a good paint brush with soft bristles. Once you've sanded, be sure to wipe down the surface with a tack cloth to remove any residue. However, using regular wall paint isnt ideal because of all the extra steps required. 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. They come in various sizes. Thereis no getting dark wax off of painted furniture. And while youre at it, do the back, too. If you're priming laminate furniture, use Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Base Primer. Heres what it looked in its before state. 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. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Its easier to use, and some furniture paints make their own brand of sealers so that after you paint your dresser and it dries, you simply slather on a couple of coats of top coat and call it a day. And when you do, it will be worth the wait! I consent to Thrift Diving Blog collecting and storing the data I submit in this form.