Learn from the Pros: How to Paint Furniture [VIDEO]

If you've got some old pieces of furniture sitting around and want to give them a new life, or want to give your house some personality, painting the furniture is a great way to do it. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore's resident DIYer, Jan Hagerman, shows you how to paint furniture in this edition of ReStoration Corner.

1. Clean

The first thing to do is prep. At the very least, clean the piece with hot, soapy water or TSP. 

2. Sand

Ideally, sand it, because that helps the paint adhere and last a lot longer.

Start out with a 60 or 80 grit sandpaper, working your way down to 120 or 160 grit. If you have a palm sander, that makes it a lot easier.

When you get done sanding, use a tack cloth to get rid of all the dust. If there's dust under there, the paint's not going to stick.

3. Paint

Once the piece of furniture is sanded and all the hardware is removed, it's time to add some fun colors. You can use many types of paint. You can use latex paint, spray paint, chalk paint, or oil-base paint.

4. Seal

Use a sealant when you're done. If you don't seal it, you'll need to let the piece sit for about three weeks, because it takes that much time for the paint to set. 

PRO TIP: If you are refinishing a piece that was already done with oil-base paint, you have to sand. Otherwise, nothing is going to stick to it.

If you're looking for furniture to paint, visit our ReStores. Our inventory is always changing, because we're donation driven.