How to Paint Over Painted Furniture

Jenni Ingram
by Jenni Ingram
2 Materials
$200
2 Hours
Easy

I have a before and after today that is the true example of the power of paint! This piece has gorgeous shape, is sturdy and solid, is made by a great furniture company, and was already painted a horrible shade of brown.


It sat and sat in a local consignment shop and no one could see past the color. It's a great size and shape for a buffet or vanity cabinet but the color really turned everyone off. Well not me, I snatched it up and painted it a gorgeous shade of gray (the color is revealed in my blog post). And oh what a difference!

There are a few things to check before you paint the already-painted piece. For instance, is it painted with lead paint? Is it chipping and flaking? Did you want to distress it? Once you decide it's ok to paint, the first step is to sand it down real good. Better than a normal scuff sanding so your paint has something to stick to.


If you want to have your specific questions answered about your piece, join our upcoming online workshop, where I will answer all of your questions!

Then paint like normal. Two coats of this gray milk paint was just perfect on this. My full blog post has a quick video of me explaining the painting process a little better.

I tried a NEW trick on the hardware: using ketchup to clean up old hardware! Oh my, worked like a charm... took off all the tarnish and left the hardware just right. I oiled the old hardware (with MMS Hemp Oil) after it's clean just to give it a little shine.

And here she is, curvy legs, beautiful old hardware, and a light and bright color. Perfect for any dining room! Please sign up for my blog to get more furniture flipping tips.


Suggested materials:
  • Milk paint
  • Sandpaper
Jenni Ingram
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Lisa West Lisa West on May 19, 2019

    The brown was deffinatly a horrifying shade. Now it's a very pretty and practical peice. Thank you for sharing.

  • Cecilia Cecilia on May 19, 2019

    This is what I did to my side tables. They were dark and ugly

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