Easy Way to Repaint Furniture and Doors

Often, to change the interior, renovation is not necessary. It's enough to refresh textiles, decorate one accent wall with wallpaper, change the carpet and do something with furniture. But what? Do you really need to buy new furniture? Expert in DIY renovation, Kristina Nikiforova, shared tips that will help you save time and nerves if you decide to repaint your IKEA table or your grandfather's old armchair by yourself.

Kristina Nikiforova is a master and blogger. She did a budget renovation in a Khrushchyovka and runs a blog about DIY renovations called remont_devochki

I won't tell you about a completely easy way to repaint — effort is needed everywhere. But if there's desire and motivation, everything will work out. My sequence of actions: wash, lightly sand, degrease, wipe with a damp cloth, then with a cloth and degreaser or alcohol. Then apply primer in 1–2 layers, paint in 2–3 layers, and finally, wax. I'll explain more in detail!

What you can repaint:
— furniture made of particle board (DSP) with a film;
— MDF with a film, for example, kitchen cabinets;
— lacquered furniture;
— doors made of wood or film;
— tables, dressers, beds, wardrobes.

Where to start?
The first step is to wash! Thoroughly remove stains, grease, dirt and odors that make old furniture look old. For this, push the furniture away from the wall, cover walls and floor with protective film, prepare a soapy solution and clean your item with a sponge soaked in it. Hard-to-remove stains can be removed using vinegar, alcohol, white spirit or acetone. Don't forget to wear gloves and a protective mask!

If you want to get rid of the film, heat it up with a construction hairdryer: it will come off easily. If the film is glued too firmly and doesn’t peel off, it's better to paint over it after lightly sanding.

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Sand the surface
Your item should be completely covered with tiny scratches. For this, use fine sandpaper, but if someone among your friends has a power sander — now is the time to remind them of yourself.

Prepare for Painting
To do this, you need to degrease and clean the surface: wipe it with a damp cloth, then with a cloth and degreaser or alcohol. You must also sand off any remaining glue from the film and clean it again. Then, spackle the items: remove all holes left by old handles, shelves and fittings, cracks and unevennesses. After that, sand and degrease the surface again.

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Apply Primer
To help the paint adhere to the surface, coat it with primer. Choose a low-odor primer, such as Otex Akva from Tikkurila, which doesn't smell! It's liquid and water-based, dries quickly. Apply primer in two layers, letting each layer dry completely.

You Can Paint!
Latex matte paint in various colors works well for painting furniture and doors, such as Luxens. You can conveniently buy the paint at Leroy Merlin and color it there too. A good color palette of ready-made paints is also available there.

For painting, you'll need brushes, foam and velour rollers. Wax or oil for protecting the painted furniture should be applied with foam or a cloth.

Apply paint in 2–3 layers, letting each layer dry completely.

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Coat with Wax or Lacquer
This increases the durability of the coating, protects against wear and mechanical damage. You can wash or wipe it without worrying that the paint will come off.

It's better to use the painted item about a month later, when all layers have dried out 100%.