Tips For Getting A Professional Paint Look on DIY Furniture

I have had my fair share of botched paint jobs on upcycled furniture — it seems so simple until you’re finished and it looks nothing like a professional paint would look! I recently upcycled an old dresser for my minimal bedroom makeover, and really wanted to do it right. After lots of Google searches and some helpful YouTube videos, these are the steps I tried and I was really happy with the end result:

1. Sand it first:

   For paint, you don’t need to completely sand off the color underneath — just sand it enough to rough it up so that the paint will stick well. I just went over the whole thing with some coarse sand paper by hand for a minute or two.

2. Pay attention to sheen:

   I prefer a matte sheen, like completely flat, but this is pretty much a preference thing! Higher gloss does tend to be more durable than matte, but it’s up to you. This is the typical scale of sheen from the most matte to the most glossy:

   • flat (most matte)

   • eggshell

   • satin

   • semigloss

   • gloss (most glossy)

3. Let each layer fully dry before you apply the next:

   This will make a huge difference, even though it means your project could take three days instead of three hours. Give each coat at least a couple hours before you apply the next one, and it’s even better to wait overnight.

4. Sand it with fine sand paper in between every layer:

   In between each layer of paint, give it another sand by hand (after it’s dry of course) with some very fine sand paper. I was surprised by what an impact this made — it really helped smooth out some paint lines and made it feel perfect.

5. Top it with polyurethane:

   Polyurethane is just a clear coat to protect the paint. I prefer matte polyurethane, and pay attention to whether you want water or oil-based. Water-based tends to not alter the color of the paint as much, but oil-based might be better if you used oil-based paint. Make sure you sand down the final layer of paint before you apply this, and sand this layer down lightly once it’s dry too.

6. Wax it with wood wax:

   I’m pretty sure this step isn’t completely necessary but it’s so satisfying. Just add a drop of wood wax to a towel and wipe down the whole thing for a nice subtle shine. I like this wood wax.

Voila! You should have a nice, smooth, professional looking paint job. Let me know if you have any questions!

If you’re trying to stain rather than paint, I have a blog post here on how to get a nice light wood stain!

Shopping List:

• Paint

• Coarse Sand Paper

• Fine Sand Paper

• Polyurethane

• Wood Wax