How to Paint An Old Wood Chest of Drawers

This post is the second installment for a page that I am building here on my blog that will be called How To Paint Anything. I get many emails each week asking me how to paint this or that and I hope this page will become a valuable resource for all questions related to how to paint items successfully.  The first post I did was how to paint metal.   I will add more tutorials as I post them so that eventually the page will have a tutorial on how to paint every surface imaginable.

Today I am going to show you how to paint over a chest of drawers that has a stain and varnish/urethane finish on it.

This chest of drawers was a hand me down that my daughter wanted for her apartment –just didn’t want it brown.   She chose turquoise to coordinate with fabric on her bed pillows.

If you would like to know how I transformed the drawer pulls.   You can find the post – How to Update Brass Drawer Pulls, here.

The paint is a satin latex from Glidden.  The color -Peacock’s Plume # A1249

Before and After

I could not get a decent shot of the chest of drawers in my daughter’s room after it was painted– the room was too narrow to get a better angle.

Supplies Needed:

Paint, primer, high quality (Purdy is my favorite) angled paint brush, foam paint roller or a high quality low nap roller, paint tray, tack cloth, sander or sanding block, sandpaper of various coarseness – fine to medium, screwdriver, sandwich bags to place hardware in, paint stirring stick

Optional: paste wax and soft cloth

I find a sanding block the best and easiest way to sand the surface of the furniture to rough up the finish so the paint has something to adhere to. You can see the one I use in the above photo. It have had it for a long time!  It is one of those well designed tools that stands the test of time.  If you have an electric sander then use  that especially if the surface is very slick or beaten up. Sanding with an electric sander will smooth the surface imperfections making the piece not only look better, but accept the paint better.  Use it with medium grit sandpaper. Coarse sandpaper is too rough and will leave deep scratches in the surface.    When I do touch up sanding between coats of paint – the sponge style “Fine Grit”sanding block works perfectly.

When painting furniture, if you are not using “Chalk Paint”, you will need to use a primer first.  Do not skip this step or your paint will come right off or will discolor.    (My next tutorial will be on Chalk Paint)

The priming and prep are the key to getting a perfect finish.

My go-to primers are Glidden Gripper and Kilz Original.  Glidden Gripper is best used when you are painting over shiny or slick surfaces.  It is water based. It comes in 2 formulas – grey – to use under dark and vivid – and white.  I used the white formula on my kitchen cabinet makeover.

If you are painting over a piece that has knots or smells like pine or is bare wood – use Kilz. It is the best all-around primer. If you are not sure what primer to use, you can not go wrong with Kilz Original.  It is oil based – but don’t let that scare you.  It only smells a little bit and dries in 30 minutes.  Since it is a primer – you can use latex over it. I use a sponge roller and/or brush when using it so I just throw them out when done.  There are a few different formulas of Kilz that are water based. I have tried them all  – they work, but you need more than two coats to block the stain from seeping through.  I used Kilz on my dining room hutch.

P.S. There is a brand new formula of Kilz  – called Kilz MAX. It is said to be up to par with the oil based formula for stain blocking.  I have not used it, but it is worth trying out if you want soap and water clean up.

1.  Remove hardware and place in a baggie. Mark the back of hinges and knobs with a magic marker or wrap painters tape around them and use the tape to write on what door or drawer they came from so you can put everything back exactly where it was originally.   It will save you frustration as doors will not line up if the hinges are not placed back exactly in the same spot they came from.

2. Sand all surfaces to remove as much of the shiny surface as you can.  You don’t have to take it to the bare wood, but just remove the shine.

3. Clean the surface with a tack cloth.

4.  Apply a coat of primer. When painting furniture use, 2 light coats of primer and 2 light coats of paint, letting each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next.  Use a foam roller on the flat surfaces and a high quality angled brush on the beveled and raised sections.

Make sure to paint the inside edges where doors and drawers go.  If you don’t do this when you place the drawers or doors back on you will see a sliver of the inside wood and your efforts will not look professional.

I line up drawers on a drop cloth and use a roller to paint them.  The angled brush comes in handy if any paint drips.

5. For this chest of drawers I used Glidden Gripper in Grey since the turquoise is a very vivid color. I noticed on one drawer that the stain bled through in one area even after 2 coats. It is a latex product, so I rolled on one more light coat.  When the primer is dry, you should not see any brown color seeping through the paint. If you do – roll on another coat.  When the primer is dry, use your sanding block to go over any areas that need smoothing.  Clean with a tack cloth before applying paint.

Time for paint. I chose a latex satin, but you can paint furniture in any finish you like.  Satin, semi-gloss, or gloss will give you more of a polished look – satin the least shiny – gloss the most shiny.  If you can find a latex enamel paint in the color you want, then I would go with that as enamel has a very durable finish and is perfect on kids, bathroom, and kitchen furniture where a lot of abuse and moisture can occur.

6.  Once you have a coat of paint on and it is dry, look for placed where dust has settled, drips, or bugs that have dried into the paint. I go over the areas with the sanding block covered in fine grit sandpaper.  I then use a tack cloth to remove all the sanding dust and roll on the next coat of paint.

Optional:   Many years ago I used to poly over painted pieces, but I no longer find it necessary with the very durable paint formulas that are on the market today. I have found however on some pieces adding a little bit of polish in the way of paste wax brings the paint color to life.   This step is totally optional. I have painted plenty of pieces where I skipped this step and they still look great.  Certain colors just seem to pop when wax is applied.  You can test it on the back of a piece if you are not sure if it will make a difference in your color vibrancy.    I used satin latex for this piece and the wax also does give a thin layer of protection.

To apply wax:  Wait until the paint is thoroughly dry or overnight to wax.  Only use wax that is clear – Johnson’s is clear. Minwax is not, it is orange.   Apply a very,very thin coat with a soft cloth.  Rub it on in a quick circular motion. Less is more – so use just a little bit of wax.   After it dries, buffing it will bring out the shine and color vibrancy.

After the wax is applied – let it dry. Drying time can vary depending on the temperature.  3o minutes to overnight.  You will know when it is ready to buff as it will look a bit hazy and feel slightly tacky or sluggish when a dry cloth is wiped over it.   If you don’t have a soft cloth like a diaper – balled up pantyhose are said to be a good buffing cloth.

Once dry – buff with a very soft cloth using circular motions until when you wipe over the surface it feel slippery or smooth.

Place hardware back on.

If you don’t need to use the piece right away – let it sit for a few days before using so the paint can cure. This should be done with or without waxing.   After a day or two you can start to use it and will be rewarded with a beautiful finish for many years to come.

Tagged as: Before and After Furniture Makeover, Glidden, Kilz Original, Painted Furniture