Quick answer
To paint a piece of wooden furniture: degrease, sand with 120-180 grit (or only 220 if you use a bonding primer), remove the dust, apply primer and leave for 4 hours, sand with 320, give two thin coats of satin water-based enamel 6 hours apart and leave to cure for 7 days. On dark furniture use a covering or anti-tannin primer.
What you need
- Screwdrivers
- Sanding block or orbital sander
- 10 cm high density foam roller
- Fine bristle brush
- Putty knife
- Paint tray
- Masking tape and paper
- FFP2 mask and gloves
- Degreaser and isopropyl alcohol
- Sandpaper in 120, 180, 220, 320 and 400 grit
- Wood filler
- Bonding primer (Zinsser Bulldog or the equivalent from Bruguer, Montó)
- Anti-tannin primer for dark furniture (Zinsser Cover Stain or equivalent)
- Satin water-based enamel (Montó, Bruguer, Titan, Xylazel)
- Tack cloth
- Protective wax or water-based varnish, optional
Step by step
- 1
Examine the furniture
Do the water drop and alcohol tests, check for flaking paint and look for dents or woodworm. If there is active woodworm, treat it before painting. Photograph the piece first in case you want to refit the hardware the same way.
- 2
Take it apart and number
Remove pulls, hinges and locks. Take the doors off and pull out the drawers. Number each piece with masking tape. Protect the floor with paper.
- 3
Degrease
Clean with soap and degreaser, rinse and go over with a cloth with isopropyl alcohol. Leave to dry for an hour. Waxes and polish residue stop the paint gripping.
- 4
Repair with filler
Fill dents, old pull holes and cracks with wood filler. When it is dry, sand flush with 120 grit and go over with 180.
- 5
Sand the whole surface
Sand with the grain using 180 grit on raw timber and 180-220 if there is varnish or paint. Take off the shine, without trying to remove everything. Vacuum the dust and go over with a tack cloth.
- 6
Apply the primer
Put on a thin coat of bonding primer, or anti-tannin if the furniture is dark. Leave for 4 hours. On very dark pieces, apply a second coat of primer for better coverage.
- 7
Sand lightly with 320
Sand the dry primer with 320 grit to remove fibres. Wipe with a tack cloth and a microfibre cloth. Check in side light that no shiny patches remain.
- 8
First coat of enamel
With the foam roller, apply a thin coat of satin water-based enamel. Edges and mouldings first with a brush. Do not go back over paint that is starting to dry. Leave for 6 hours.
- 9
Sand with 400 and apply the second coat
Sand with 400 grit, wipe off the dust and apply the second coat just as thin. If the colour shows through, apply a third coat after another 6 hours.
- 10
Leave to cure and refit
Leave the pieces for 24 hours lying flat, refit the hardware carefully and do not load the furniture for 7 days. For extra protection, apply a clear water-based varnish or protective wax.
First, what finish does the furniture have?
Before buying paint, check the state of the piece. Raw timber or matt varnished furniture takes paint with a normal sanding. Glossy furniture with polyurethane varnish needs more sanding or a bonding primer. A piece that is already painted and in good condition only needs degreasing, a light sanding and priming. If the old paint is flaking, it has to be removed until what is left is firm.
Do a drop test: put a few drops of water in a corner. If the wood soaks it up, it is raw timber or very thin varnish. If the drop beads, it has varnish or lacquer. If colour comes off when you rub with a cloth and alcohol, it is a stain. With that information you choose the preparation.
On dark furniture such as wenge, walnut, dark oak or stained pine, as well as the colour you have to think about tannin. It is a substance in the wood that migrates into the paint layer and leaves yellow or brown stains, especially under whites. It is blocked with an anti-tannin primer, such as Zinsser Cover Stain or a similar undercoat from Bruguer or Montó.
| Condition of the furniture | Preparation | Primer |
|---|---|---|
| Raw timber | Sand 120 and 180 | Wood undercoat or normal primer |
| Glossy varnish | Degrease and sand 180-220 | Bonding primer |
| Already painted, good condition | Degrease and sand 220 | Bonding primer |
| Old paint that flakes | Scrape and sand 120 back to a firm surface | Bonding primer |
| Dark with tannin (wenge, walnut) | Sand 180 and clean | Covering anti-tannin primer |
| Outdoor (terrace, garden) | Sand 120 and remove the salt | Exterior undercoat and enamel with UV filter |
Can you paint without sanding?
Yes, in many cases. Bonding primers (such as Zinsser Bulldog or the equivalents from Bruguer, Montó and Titan) grip smooth and varnished surfaces without deep sanding. You still have to degrease thoroughly and go over it with 220 grit sandpaper to give it some key. With no preparation at all, the paint peels off with rubbing.
Painting dark furniture white without sanding is possible if the primer is a covering one and you apply two coats. Even so, a light sanding improves how long it lasts. If the piece is valuable or antique, think about whether it should be painted at all: a well preserved solid timber piece is worth more as it is, and an irreversible coat of paint takes value away.
If what you want is to give colour to an old wardrobe, a timber wardrobe with several doors is painted the same way as any other piece: the doors come off, are numbered, painted flat and hung back when finished. If the inside of the wardrobe has an old smell, air it for a week before painting or use an odour blocking primer.
Common mistakes when painting wooden furniture
- Painting over grease or wax. Old furniture often has wax, dust and hand grease on it. Degrease with soap and alcohol and rinse before sanding.
- Skipping the primer on dark furniture. The dark colour and the tannin come through the paint. The primer is what gives you a true white.
- Using wall paint. It is soft and marks with a fingernail. Use a water-based enamel or a lacquer made for wood, in satin.
- Thick coats. They run and do not cure. Better two or three thin coats with a foam roller.
- Removing varnish with stripper without ventilation. Strippers give off strong fumes. Wear gloves and a mask and open the window, or avoid stripper and sand.
- Sanding across the grain. It leaves scratches that then show through the paint. Always sand with the grain.
- Using the furniture too soon. Touch dry is not cured. Water-based paint takes 7 days to harden, and until then it marks if you rest objects on it.
When to call a painter
A small piece is a weekend job. A fitted wardrobe, an antique chest of drawers with mouldings, multi-leaf living room doors or a smooth factory-style finish take more time and equipment. If you have several pieces or a job with a deadline, it is more convenient to hire someone. Call us with a photo and we will give you a fixed price.
We have no set price per piece of furniture because it depends on size, condition and finish. As a guide, painting a 12 m² room costs €180-300, and painting walls white costs €6-8 per m². One piece or a few doors fall under the handyman hourly rate: €35-45 for the first hour and €28-35 for each hour after that, always with a fixed price before we start.
You will find more in painters in Valencia, Alicante and the Costa Blanca and in how much it costs to paint a flat. For doors, see how to paint a wooden door and how to lacquer doors white. If the furniture is damaged, go over it with how to repair wood with filler.
Coastal climate: damp, sun and salt air
On the coast, interior timber swells with damp and shrinks in summer with the air conditioning, which cracks rigid paints. Choose a flexible water-based enamel and avoid leaving the furniture hard up against a damp wall. If the wall is breathing moisture, first see how to get rid of damp on a wall.
For terrace or garden furniture, sun and salt air destroy any interior paint. Use an exterior enamel or wood stain with a UV filter, from ranges such as Xylazel or Sikkens for exterior wood, and renew the coat every two or three years. Before painting, wash off the salt with fresh water and leave it to dry properly.
Paint at a temperature between 15 and 25 degrees and without levante wind, which brings in dust and damp. If you have a second home in Alicante or Valencia, a painted piece of furniture before the letting season completely changes a room.
Frequently asked questions
How do you paint dark wooden furniture white?
Degrease, sand with 180 grit, apply a covering anti-tannin primer (one or two coats), sand with 320 and give two coats of white satin water-based enamel. Without a covering primer, the dark colour and tannin come through the white and turn it yellow. It is the step that matters most.
Can you paint wooden furniture without sanding?
With a bonding primer, such as Zinsser Bulldog or equivalents, you can paint without deep sanding, but a light pass with 220 grit and good degreasing are advisable. Without sanding or priming, the paint peels off with rubbing, especially on edges and well used areas.
How do you paint wooden furniture that is already painted?
If the old paint is firm, degrease, sand with 220 to take off the shine, prime with a bonding primer and give two coats of water-based enamel. If it flakes, scrape and sand back to a firm base. If it is old oil paint, do an adhesion test in a corner.
What paint should I use on wooden furniture?
Satin water-based enamel, acrylic or polyurethane, from Montó, Bruguer, Titan or Xylazel at Leroy Merlin and Bricodepot, over a primer. For outdoors, enamel with a UV filter or a wood stain from Xylazel or Sikkens. Wall paint is no good: it marks with a fingernail and cannot be cleaned.
How much does it cost to have you paint a piece of furniture?
We assess from a photo at a fixed price, depending on size and condition. As a guide, painting a 12 m² room costs €180-300. One piece or a few doors fall under the hourly rate: €35-45 for the first hour and €28-35 for each hour after that.