What's the best process for painting old furniture for a baby's room

chalk paint is a fun way to redo furnitur. Just make sure you seal it.

tip- sand paper is your friend!

Any good interior latex paint will work fine. For the laminate portion, use a bonding primer to give your laminate grip for the paint to adhere to. I've used Valspar stain blocking bonding primer on wood and laminate surfaces. Once painted and cured it's a very durable surface and the paint will not scratch off.

Thoroughly preparing the surface for paint is the key to how successfull you efforts are. If the existing paint is crumbling or flaking it should be stripped off and sanded smooth. Laminated surfaces should be lightly sanded and primed with a primer that provides a good grip for paint. Wood that has previously been waxed or oiled need to be stripped down to bare wood or the paint won't adhere or will dry blotchy.

I am not trying to discourage you from painting, just encouraging you not to skip important steps in preparing to paint. Your efforts will be reflected in the final product.