Please advise on paint to use.

Diane
by Diane

Hello All,

I would like to change this dresser to look like the inspiration below. Please advise me on the paint I should use, without having to sand. Should it be just prime then paint with mineral paint? Or, should I use chalk paint. I would like to achieve a satin finish. Thanks very much in advance.

  17 answers
  • First clean it well, then use a good primer. You can buy latex enamel paint in a satin finish. Chalk paint and mineral paint are not the only paints to use on furniture.

    • Diane Diane on Sep 27, 2020

      Ann, thank you sooooo very much, I sincerely appreciate your response of help. It's my first project so I thought I would ask you guys out there. Is there a particular primer and brand of paint you would recommend please?

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Sep 27, 2020

    Hello. Would you consider using chalk paint on your furniture?

    If so-Please consider popping by this bloggers website for her wonderful furniture rehabs. She details useful repair products, techniques and has a nice result. Many of her furniture items are from the thrift store or furniture pieces donated to her. She also has tips for removing furniture odors and how to treat the interior drawers. She obtains a lot of her hardware from Hobby lobby. Usually you can find a discount coupon for hobby lobby.


    Here’s a dresser that she recently completed will give you an idea of how to take challenged furniture pieces that need a bit of repair before painting. As well as including a link below of all of her projects in a gallery fashion.


    Best wishes with your furniture rehab.


    https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/moms-hutch-makeover/



    https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/painted-antique-dresser/



    https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/diy-gallery/

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    • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Sep 28, 2020

      Best wishes on your furniture rehab adventures. Sigh if I didn't have higher end 20-30 year old furniture— I would be on the chalk painting bandwagon. Envious of those who do.......and these favorite bloggers who present these transformative projects.


      I have use chalk paint, mineral paint on smaller wooden items and decor. I absolutely love it on thrift store picture frames to cohesively unite the different style frames. It applies very nicely - good coverage with little prep. Normally polyed or wax sealed. I believe that’s the big advantage.


      Always read the instructions on your paint product can and follow them carefully. I have found calling the paint manufacturers 1-800# with any questions to be very helpful. Many stand by their products with complete satisfaction guarantees. One incident with a Behr deck paint product they provided a new deck cleaner and decking paint shipped directly to our home when our deck project looked worn and chippy the next year.

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Sep 28, 2020

    Chalk paint comes in soo many colors and it doesn't require any prep work ... On the personal note it is awesome !

  • Pamela Harbin Pamela Harbin on Sep 28, 2020

    You have to sand it between every layer of paint. Lightly sand.

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Sep 28, 2020

    I am a huge fan of fusion mineral paint. The prep is Minimal, the colors fabulous and the finish is durable.

  • K. Rupp K. Rupp on Sep 28, 2020

    You are supposed to have little prep with chalk paint. However, to get that pro look, you will want to sand and primer beforehand. Unfortunately, with furniture makeovers, the prep is the key and takes the most time. You have to gauge what type of furniture piece you are willing to put that time and effort into.


    To get this soft look, you will need to prep it with sanding. Start with 180 and end with 220 sandpaper.


    After the sanding, then prime with a good primer (like Benjamin Moore primer). Steel wool in between coats to get a super smooth finish. Then use a nice paint for furniture.

    For painted furniture I have heard General Finishes topcoat is amazing. I personally haven't tried it yet, but I have a friend who has tried different things and this was her favorite pick.


    Instead of regular paint, you might want to think about enamel based paint(cabinet paint):


    I love Benjamin Moore advance for painted furniture. It is a HEAVY DUTY paint (actually for cabinets) but it won't give you the chipping and wear like other paints. Has self leveling prosperities even if you are using a brush. With this paint you don't need a topcoat sealer. It is very expensive but I feel it is worth it. I have painted other furniture with other paints and this is my go-to now. Steel wool in between coats! Check out my post where I used this cabinet paint:


    https://karupp-did.net/fetor-to-fetching/





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    • K. Rupp K. Rupp on Sep 28, 2020

      Awe so nice Diane! Glad the info helped!! I have always sanded so I have no idea what it would look like if you didn't sand it before you paint. But if you can't sand a lot, try to lightly sand it at the very least to rough it up just so the primer will stick and adhere well. You wouldn't want all the hard work of painting and the expense to just flake off. And YES definitely primer!! Then use the awesome paint! Good luck! Benjamin Moore is my favorite paint, I hope it works well for you;)

  • I have to say, I would spray it, but I'm a very lazy DIYer. I spray wood all the time and it looks great. I recently did a chair with a satin finish...came out great. Tiny bit of sanding and that was it. I also sprayed it with a poly to seal it.

  • Diane Diane on Sep 28, 2020

    I would like to SHOUT a HUGE THANK YOU to each and everyone of you kind folk who took your time to give me all the great advice. I feel a lot better now about my project. Thanks again and again. Blessings to ALL.

    • Diane Diane on Sep 28, 2020

      Thank you Cheryl I will definitely check out that site...

  • Lindsay Aratari Lindsay Aratari on Sep 28, 2020

    You could use chalk paint and then apply a polycrylic over it

    • Diane Diane on Sep 28, 2020

      Thank you Lindsay...does the polycrylic come in a satin sheen and not the high shine?

  • Debi53 Debi53 on Sep 29, 2020

    Hi Diane, You asked me about sanding. If your piece is in good shape, you do not need to sand. I do suggest that you use a deglosser/liquid sandpaper. I have been painting furniture for 45 years and have painted just about every kind of surface. Any hardware or paint store should carry a deglosser. This product makes the surface tacky so that your primer will 'stick'. This is what I always do before painting no matter what kind of paint I am using. I also always prime even before using chalk paint. Deglosser/liquid sandpaper is easy to use--you just wipe it on, let it sit, and then prime. Follow the directions exactly. If the surface is really shiny or slick, I often do the deglosser twice and use a liberal amount of deglosser. It really is simple. Between coats of primer and paint, run your hand over your piece after each coat dries. If it feels smooth, go on to the next coat, but if you can feel any texture or see any ridges or bumps, do a quick, light sanding with fine sandpaper.Don't worry about sanding every inch, just the large flat areas and don't stress about perfection. Just run your sandpaper quickly over the area almost like you are dusting. Then wipe with a barely damp, lint free cloth and move on to the next coat. When the piece is finished and has dried (overnight), I "polish" the piece with a superfine white steel wool pad. This gives the piece a luster and slight sheen without wax. I have used wax in the past, but don't like the outcome and now do not use wax.

    Here's a link to the polishing pads I use. Hope this info helps.

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-3-75-in-x-6-in-Super-Fine-Steel-Wool/1000065603

    • Diane Diane on Sep 29, 2020

      Oh wow Debi, what a well of detailed information. I thank you soooooo very, very much. I shall follow the instructions. I have read about deglossers but by being new to all of this, I'm a bit timid and want to get every piece of advice that I can garner, before making my plunge into the project :) ...thanks again very much.

  • Holly Lengner - Lost Mom Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Sep 29, 2020

    There are so many great dresser makeover ideas here on Hometalk for you to check out as well:

    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20dresser

  • Maura White Maura White on Sep 29, 2020

    Check out how I repainted my Kitchen Cabinets - I bet you could do the same thing and not have to sand! https://happydealhappyday.com/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets-without-sanding/

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    • Diane Diane on Sep 29, 2020

      Thanks Maura.... I am hoping to do my kitchen cabinets in the next few months and that's the color I want....wow....I do have a question on that though. My cabinets already have been painted before. Will I need to remove that paint or can I just paint over it? If I can just paint over, please advise on the type and brand of paint. You did an awesome job on yours...looks very nice. Thanks again

  • Jeremy Hoffpauir Jeremy Hoffpauir on Sep 30, 2020

    Here is a project I just completed that should help you: https://do-daddy.com/how-to-antique-furniture-with-paint-and-stain/



  • Sharon Sharon on Dec 06, 2020

    If you want a satin finish, use satin paint. I have paint furniture like this and used Aluminum paint for the silver area. I would give it a light sand so its smooth, and be sure to use tack cloth to get all the dust off.

  • Homeroad Homeroad on Dec 10, 2020

    I use Fusion Mineral Paint on Homeroad.net. It can be painted directly onto your piece with no sanding. You can then poly over it to seal or not, it is not necessary. It comes in many colors https://amzn.to/3gAD1II

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Feb 28, 2021

    It all depends what is your color pallet in the house