Painting Old Wood Furniture...

Painting old wood furniture white is a great way to recycle old pieces of furniture. Any room can be given a new look, but it does take some time and a bit of patience. Painting old unwanted furniture is inexpensive as compared to purchasing new furniture, it is a common way to give new life to old things. In order to successfully paint wood furniture white, there are several steps you should follow for a professional looking finish. All you need is a few tools and a bit of paint. You may also want to paint in a well-ventilated area which will help the furniture dry faster.

Step 1
Place the furniture on a drop cloth, newspaper or cardboard. Using a screwdriver, remove all hardware from the piece of furniture including any knobs, drawer pulls and hinges. Remove all the drawers and doors and place them separately on your drop cloth.

Step 2
Using an electric sander or sandpaper, sand the surface of each piece of the furniture. Be sure to sand in the same direction as the wood grain in order to avoid creating scratches. Once you have completely sanded the furniture use a tack cloth to remove all the dust from the surface. Then you will want to check each piece to see if it is necessary to sand again. It is very important to remove all of the clear finish that protected the wood furniture so your paint won't chip off after. Once all of the clear finish is removed, lightly sand each piece with fine steel wool. This will give you a smooth surface for your final layer of paint.

Step 3
Using a paint brush, apply a coat of white primer to the furniture being sure to follow the grain of the wood. After the first coat has dried, apply a second coat of primer. This will assure that the final coat of paint adheres to the surface of your furniture.

Step 4
Apply white semi-gloss latex paint to the surface with a paint brush. Again, be sure to paint in the same direction of the wood grain. When this coat has dried, check to see if all pieces are adequately covered with paint. Usually only one coat of paint is required if primer was applied correctly.

Step 5
To protect your furniture, apply a water based polyurethane finish with a paint brush to each of the furniture pieces. This will also provide additional shine to the furniture. Allow all furniture pieces to completely dry before putting any hardware or knobs back in place. It may take a day or more for all pieces to dry, this is where you really need to be patient for the best outcome.

Stand back and admire your work...

Paint it, Move it, Stash it...

is a way for me to share some decorating ideas, favorite finds and organizational help.


Paint it... Refresh your walls using a new hue like the "Glass Slipper" blue (Benjamn Moore) I used in my guest bedroom. Changing the paint gave the room a new feel.

Move it... Rearrange your furniture placement to make your space feel larger. Taking away some furniture can also help.

Stash it... Store away any accessories that are seasonal-like pillows, throws, rugs or heavy drapery or curtains. Replace with ligther shades and fabrics.