Furniture paint is amazing and will make a huge difference to any wooden accessories in your house. I enjoy renovating old furniture because if done correctly you have a brand new piece o
You can sell it or keep it depending on your motivation. But, not any furniture paint will do! You must use the best when it comes to painting wooden furniture because inferior mixes will fall off and flake away after a short time.
The furniture paint I will be revealing in this article is the best furniture paint in the UK, we have not gone on price range but quality, coverage and my experience of these furniture paint brands.
How To Prepare Your Wooden Furniture Before Painting?
With many methods of preparing and painting your wooden furniture, I will reveal how I paint my furniture from start to finish so you can get it perfect every time! It’s very simple but it requires elbow grease and lots of sanding.
First off grab a rough sheet of sandpaper 40-60 grit removing any grime and the first layer of paint. I use a hand sander but a block of wood and a sheet of sandpaper works just the same but takes longer to see results.
- 40-60 GRIT = Very rough sandpaper
- 60-100 GRIT = Medium rough sandpaper
- 100-200 GRIT = Fine sandpaper
Continue sanding your furniture with the rough sandpaper “all over”, when you have roughed your furniture you will now have to switch to a softer grade 180 so it’s nice and smooth.
Finish rubbing the piece with soft sandpaper so it feels smooth to the touch.
What the sandpaper does is create a key for the new paint because it removes scuffs, grease and old stains.
If you just paint over grime and old stain your paint will peel away because it cannot key to the wood.
- Clean your furniture
- Sand all over with a rough grade 60/80 grade
- Finish with a soft 360 grade for smoothness
- Make sure all old stain has been removed
- Your piece of furniture will look pale if done right
TOP TIP: If your piece of wooden furniture is painted and not stained or varnished then use
paint stripper for the first layer of paint only. Paint strippers can damage a piece of furniture So be sure to only useit to take off the first layer of paint. Then continue to work down the level of sandpaper grit for a super smooth finish ready for painting, oiling or varnishing.
Best Furniture Paints
If this is the first time painting a piece of wooden furniture then the furniture paints below should be on your list.
Choosing the wrong type of furniture paint or an inferior brand can ruin your wooden furniture.
This is because there are so many brands sold that do “NOT” cover and last as advertised, so be sure to choose wisely when it comes to renovating and upcycling wooden furniture around the home.
Rust-Oleum Furniture Paint
Rust-Oleum Furniture Paint is a serious contender that covers extremely well and comes in many unique colours.
It’s a long-running paint line that receives amazing reviews and feedback from previous users!
You will only need one coat of this stuff unless you want the cracked antique or stressed look. Adding two coats and the oil will create an older style of furniture.
Personally, I would go with the original matt finish because it looks the best!
Features
- Finish: matt/stressed
- Colours: a wide variety
- Volume: 750ml
The V33 Easy Furniture Paint
V33 has many lines of paint, but their furniture paint offers great coverage, many colours with both matt and silk finishes! This paint is great for budgets and the perfect upcycle paint because it will not break the bank.
This furniture paint brand also goes further than most because it’s a very thick mix that covers well on the first try.
As long as you have prepped your furniture this stuff dries strong, looks great and has many colours and effects to choose from!
Features
- Finish: matt/silk
- Colours: many unique colours
- Volume: 500ml
Ronseal Chalky Furniture Paint
We have all heard of Ronseal because they are one of the biggest paint brands in the UK since 1956!
Yes, they have many top-performing paints, but some are just useless!
Their furniture paint is the best when it comes to coverage and test of time, I have been using this brand because it does the job every time!
Ronseal’s high performance and hard-wearing furniture paint dry matt with a chalky finish, with many colours to choose from.
Once set this furniture paint lasts the test of time and stands out against other colours because of its deep chalky finish.
Features
- Finish: matt/chalky
- Colours: various
- Volume: 750ml
Can I use paint stripper on my furniture?
Yes, if your wooden furniture is painted and not stained, then using a paint stripper will save time. Just be sure to sand after using the paint stripper to get a nice smooth finish to your wooden furniture.
Paint stripper will also work on powdered coated wooden furniture.
Can I stain and paint MDF cupboards?
Yes, you can paint and sand MDF but be sure to wear a mask and “ONLY” sand outside because MDF can affect your health if breathed in.
MDF is not a solid piece of timber but many fibres pressurised together to make a sheet.
Should I use a paintbrush or roller to paint wooden furniture?
I would suggest a good paintbrush because you get a better coat of paint.
Yes, you can use a roller on larger sections but be careful of drips and roller marks in your paintwork.
Conclusion Of Furniture Paints!
If your upcycling or just redesigning taking your time and preparing your wooden furniture before painting is the key to success.
It makes such a big improvement when repainting, but it also means your paint has a better key and will last longer because of the time invested in preparation.
When painting your wooden furniture be sure to avoid nylon brushes because they leave streaks due to the bristles being too thick and sharp.
Use a horsehair brush because they are much finer bristles and leave the perfect paint job once dry.
Happy Painting 😉