Painting Varnished Furniture Step By Step - The Easy Manual

Do you have wood furniture paint at home and you want to give your old wall cupboard a makeover by giving it a new personality? However, you almost forgot that it is indeed a varnished piece of furniture. So how do you go about it? How to paint a varnished piece of furniture without making a mistake and without stripping its color? No matter what paint for wood furniture you have chosen, the editorial staff will guide you step by step to get started with a furniture makeover and succeed with flying colors! Because, renovating a wooden piece of furniture is a great way to change the atmosphere and style of the home. In addition, it is an activity for everyone! Demonstration!

How to paint varnished furniture at home without difficulty or worries?

It's decided, grandmother's old furniture will be given a new lease of life! But how to proceed exactly, because who says "varnished furniture" often says "sanding"! Not a very pleasant idea, especially if it is about repainting a wooden piece of furniture whose varnish has already cracked and cracked! The sanding step is therefore more than mandatory. If, however, the varnish is in good condition and not weathered, you can paint over it. So here are the two techniques for repainting wooden furniture with and without sanding!

How to repaint an old varnished furniture without sanding?

To paint varnished wooden furniture without having to go through the sanding box, a good, careful cleaning is required. So take a bucket with a sponge, an old toothbrush and cleaning product. Marseille soap will do the job perfectly. Scrub the entire surface of the furniture with the sponge and use the toothbrush to clean the hollows. Finally, rinse and dry with a cloth. Painting varnished and cleanly cleaned furniture beforehand will certainly look smoother and unified. To be sure you have cleaned your furniture right down to the smallest nooks and crannies, do not hesitate to use a vacuum cleaner.

Once the cleaning has been carried out, proceed with the degreasing. To do this, wet your sponge and sprinkle it with baking soda. Rub the surface of the furniture and add more powder, if necessary. Then use the toothbrush for the hollows. Rinse with clear water and wipe dry with a cloth. There you go, your varnished furniture is ready to be painted! But then, which color to choose? In the garden, on the balcony or on the roof terrace, the furniture undergoes the many tests of time and climatic conditions. The black color will thus attract the sun and the wood will eventually burn and be damaged. Painting varnished furniture black is therefore not a very good idea. And although some varnishes and stains are suitable for outdoor furniture, it is best not to repaint outdoor furniture in dark colors.

What paint to repaint a wooden furniture?

To repaint a lacquered piece of furniture, several are the variations available to you. Those of you wanting to give your furniture a new lacquered look, you can use colored or white decorative resin. This will undoubtedly assure you an optimal rendering! You can also opt for the same color or decide to bet on a new one, depending on your preferences. You can also choose a mix of shades by dressing the uprights in one shade and the closet doors and drawers in another. Simple lacquer paints are also very suitable for repainting lacquered furniture. But while the final result is generally very aesthetic, the transparent film effect of the initial paint disappears. So if you want to paint a varnished piece of furniture without stripping the color,lacquer paint is strongly discouraged!

So, before going to buy your paint for wood furniture, there are a few small details to consider, such as the size, the shape and the part where you count the furniture concerned. For a large closet, it is best to avoid bright tones like red. Therefore, favor softer and more natural shades. If your closet is really impressive, paint it the same color as the walls or opt for a tone-on-tone decor. Thus, it will blend into the background and immediately take up less space… finally visually! But if, on the other hand, you like large pieces of furniture, do not hesitate to highlight them with fluorescent or vitamin colors. For lovers of discreet decoration, paint them in beige, gray or white.

Tip: for your own comfort and that of the environment, choose a quality acrylic paint, matt or gloss! Then get a paint finish, brushes for the recesses and moldings, a flat brush for the rails and studs and a paint roller for the flat parts. Apply an undercoat and after its drying pass two coats of the chosen paint, first on the moldings and finally on the flat surfaces.

How to sand varnished furniture: step by step

Does sanding a varnished piece of furniture seem complicated, if not impossible? Not at all ! Whatever paint for wood furniture you choose, light or dark, revamping your sideboard by sanding it is not rocket science. But just before you roll up the sleeves, there's another little detail you shouldn't overlook before sanding. Generally, the surfaces of mottled or damaged furniture can hide holes. To camouflage them, opt for a wood paste to be redone in several times so that it does not retract. Depending on the shape and location of the hole, you can then play with the paints to hide the imperfection.

Whether you go through the sanding step or not, it is fashionable to clean the furniture with Marseille soap. The only condition? Do not soak it with water! Although we are all used to washing our furniture to get rid of dust, cleaning with plenty of water and forgetting! So, after dusting it with a cloth, prepare the soapy water. Immerse a large sponge in it and thoroughly clean the entire surface. With the toothbrush, scrub the hollows, if necessary. Finally, rinse everything off with lukewarm water and dry with a cloth. Without any traces of dust, dirt and grease, the sideboard or chair is ready for the most delicate step - sanding!

To remove varnish from a piece of furniture, regardless of its size or shape, sanding is a mandatory step. How to do ? With sandpaper and glass, of course! First sand the surface of the furniture with a coarse sandpaper and continue with a fine grain paper. This will greatly facilitate the application of the undercoats. Be careful though with the rubbing. The purpose of sanding is not to damage your old varnished furniture, but rather to enhance it. Clean again with a rag and proceed to paint application.

If, on the other hand, your furniture has several lacquered layers that are difficult to remove, there are professionals who remove the hardest and thickest layers of paint with several techniques, such as exfoliation with sand or crushed walnut shells. Odorless and 100% green, this method has the potential to tear off all the paint even in the corners.

The undercoat paint is essential for the good adhesion of the varnished wood furniture paint that you will apply afterwards! Without it, the paint will only flake off, especially if the varnish is thicker. It is a good option for lacquered furniture, kitchen furniture and cherry-type wood furniture. So apply the primer with a paint roller and a brush and let dry. Be careful, painting over repainted varnish furniture needs several hours to dry completely. It's best to wait for one or even two before giving it color.

It's time to apply the first coat of paint using a clean, perfectly dried roller. Let dry according to the time indicated on the pot (12-24h) and make the second coat. Note: the drying time is essential for the good rendering of the paint. Otherwise, at the slightest impact, your furniture may be damaged. Likewise, if you can't disassemble your piece of furniture, masking tape will be perfect for masking areas you don't want to repaint or for which you intend a different shade. Very fashionable, patterns take pride of place on repainted furniture.

The last step in the makeover is to apply a colorless varnish to the already painted furniture. This serves as a protective layer against stains and scratches. So, still using a roller and a brush, apply the varnish to the entire surface of the cleaned and already dried furniture. Again, try to make thin layers for better adhesion. Wait for at least a day or a night. The next day, there will be no trace of your sad little table. All you have to do is find a place for it in your pretty home or move on to the next furniture makeover.