I want to paint my bedroom furniture. Do I have to strip it?

C
by C
The furniture has a thin layer of varnish. I know it is thin because my daughter spilled nail polish on it and when I wiped it off the varnish and the color came off the drawer. I want to do it in a matte white/cream. Any suggestions? Thanks
  5 answers
  • Christine Christine on May 25, 2013
    sand the piece to knock the shine down. most experts say prime the piece first, but I've used paint with primer and had no problems. Hope this helps.
  • Sweet Papaya Creative Sweet Papaya Creative on May 26, 2013
    I agree with Christine, I paint furniture all the time and with today's paint and primer, it makes it so much easier. I usually will rough it up a bit with my little mouse sander and then make sure all the dust is gone and go for it with the paint patiently. I hope you post a picture when you are done. It is great to see different projects. Good Luck!
  • Shari Shari on May 26, 2013
    Here's a link to a comment I left just a few days ago for another HT member who wanted to paint a dresser. I would tell you the same thing I told her. However, in your case, you may need to do a little sanding around the area where the spill was, just to smooth out the edges. http://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/q-can-i-use-wall-paint-on-old-finished-wooden-furniture-1528159 In my opinion, for what it's worth, I believe priming is an important step and one you don't want to skip if you want the paint to hold up long-term. I have tried the paint/primer combo paint on walls and personally, I have not been at all impressed so I would hesitate to use it on furniture, especially if it were a piece like a dresser where you were using it daily, opening and closing drawers, laying things on the top of it etc. (Of course, it someone has a suggestion for a great performing all-in-one paint/primer, I hope they will share the brand.
    Can I use wall paint on old, finished wooden furniture?
  • Angie @ Knick of Time Angie @ Knick of Time on May 27, 2013
    You won't need to sand if you use chalk paint (not chalkboard paint). Chalk paint adheres very well over finished and unfinished wood and has a beautiful matte finish. There are several brands available - CeCe Caldwell, Annie Sloan, etc. I recommend finishing with wax - both of those companies I mentioned carry wax that is much better than wax brands carried in home improvement stores. You can also finish with a clear satin sealer, but wax gives the best and least shiny finish.
  • Shabby Paints Shabby Paints on May 28, 2013
    Varnished furniture is no problem with a quality Chalk paint.