Easy Way to Repaint Furniture and Doors

Often, to change the interior, a full 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 home renovation, Kristina Nikiforova, shared tips that will help you save time and nerves if you've decided 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 home renovation - remont_devochki

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

What can be painted:
— furniture made of particle board with a laminate coating;
— MDF with a laminate coating, for example, a kitchen;
— lacquered furniture;
— doors, both wooden and laminated;
— tables, sideboards, beds, wardrobes.

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

If you want to remove the laminate, heat it with a construction hairdryer: it will come off easily. If the laminate is glued too tightly and doesn't peel off, it's better to paint over it after lightly sanding.

Photo: Hallway in Scandinavian style, DIY, Furniture and Lighting, Tips, Furniture, How to paint kitchen furniture, doors, and furniture in one style – photo on our site

Sand the surface

Your item should be entirely covered with fine scratches. For this, use fine sandpaper. But if someone among your friends has a sander, now is the time to remind them of their existence.

Photo: In modern style, DIY, Furniture and Lighting, Tips, Furniture, How to paint kitchen furniture, doors, and furniture in one style – photo on our site

Prepare for Painting

To do this, you need to deodorize and degrease the surface: wipe it with a damp cloth, then with a cloth soaked in degreaser or alcohol. You also need to sand off any remaining glue from the laminate and degrease it. After that, you should spackle the items: remove all holes from old handles, shelves, and fittings, cracks, and unevennesses. Then sand and degrease the surface again.

Photo: Furniture and Lighting in Modern Style, DIY, Tips, Furniture, How to paint kitchen furniture, doors, and furniture in one style – photo on our site

Apply Primer

To ensure the paint adheres to the surface, coat it with primer. Choose a primer without odor, for example, Otex Akva by Tikkurila — it doesn't smell! Liquid, water-based, dries quickly. Apply the primer in two layers, letting each layer dry completely.

You can paint now!

Latex matte paint in various colors is suitable for painting furniture and doors, for example, Luxens. It's convenient to buy paint at Leroy Merlin and color it there as well. There is also a good palette of ready-made paint colors available there.

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

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

Coat with Wax or Lacquer

This increases the service life of the coating, prevents wear and mechanical damage. You can wash or wipe it without worrying that the paint will come off.

It is better to use the painted item about a month later, when all layers have fully dried.