Painting Furniture: Black Stain vs Black Paint
How to use black stain instead of black paint on a piece of wood furniture to achieve a super smooth durable factory-like finish.
When assessing what furniture to keep for a client’s room makeover, I thought of a way to change the look of two country pine tables she had. Instead of buying new black tables to add modern style to the room, I stained the existing pine tables black to give them more modern appeal and save her money at the same time.
These pine tables with a clear polyurethane finish on them are clean-lined and classic in form. The natural pine finish just had to be changed to update to look to more modern.
I wanted the pine tables to have a solid black finish, but I didn’t want to use paint to make them black. If you have ever painted furniture with latex paint, then you know it can get thick since you need a coat or two of primer and then two light coats of paint.
Transforming a piece of furniture using paint this way adds 4 layers – which can make any piece look painted. I wanted a sleeker look for the tables and knew I could achieve that with stain. Yes, stain. Not wood toned stain, but solid color opaque black stain.
I particularly like Minwax PolyShades in Classic Black and have been using it for many years. This stain formula comes in a satin or gloss finish. I have also found that General Finishes Gel Stain works just as well.
Black Stain vs Black Paint on Furniture
Here are a few reasons why I think you may want to consider using black stain instead of black paint on a piece of furniture.
1. The black Minwax wood stain I use is thin and sheer looking. It won’t look thick or heavy on your furniture the way paint sometimes looks on furniture when dry.
2. The black stain has both color and polyurethane in it and can be applied in 1 step – which gives you a thin and durable finish. The stain does take time to cure – a few days to a week or more depending on the humidity level before the finish will be super durable.
3. Black stain can be applied right over any existing finish. I usually just take a piece of fine grit sandpaper over the surface quickly to roughen up the surface before I apply the stain.
4. I love the results – smooth with a factory finish-like!
The only thing I don’t like about using black stain versus black paint on a piece of wood furniture is the fact that stain is oil-based. Your paint brush will need to be cleaned-up with paint thinner. I don’t let this bother me too much though, because the finish comes out perfect – it is worth having to clean up the brush or just throw it out.
How to Use Black Stain On Wood Furniture Instead of Black Paint
When using a solid color stain on furniture, don’t skimp on a cheap paint brush that will leave brush strokes or bristles in the dried finish.
The staining brush I use is made by Wooster. It is a little more expensive than a basic foam brush, but worth it as it will give your piece a nice even finish. I have also used Polyshades stain successfully with a wide Wooster bristle brush made specifically for staining.
supplies needed:
- Minwax Polyshades in the color Classic Black
- Wooster Paint & Stain foam paint brush
- Tack cloth
- Large piece of cardboard to use as a drop cloth to protect floor from stain or plastic or canvas drop cloth
- Optional: Painting lifts will make it easier to paint bottom of furniture legs. Or use pieces of styrofoam under each table or chair leg.
1. Rub a piece of fine to medium – 100 grit sandpaper over the surface of your piece. All it needs is a quick roughing up you do not have to sand to the bare wood. Clean off the sanding debris with a tack cloth.
2. Make sure you stir the stain well before applying. Stir…stir… and stir until the stain is mixed well.
Dip the tip of brush into can of stain and start applying it to the surface from the center of your items out to the edges using long light strokes. You don’t want to apply the stain too heavily. 2 or 3 light coats are much better than a heavy coat to get complete opaque coverage. Let dry.
3. When staining over a furniture finish that has a clear topcoat finish already on it – like these two tables shown above did, you may get this spotting.
If spotting that happens – don’t worry – you haven’t failed.
To Fix Spotting When Staining a Piece of Furniture
If spotting appears in the finish of a just applied coat of black stain, let the coat of stain dry. Once completely dry, go over the surface with 180-220 fine grit sandpaper again to smooth the finish a bit. You do not have to remove the coat of stain. Clean the surface with a tack cloth to remove the sanding debris.
Apply another light coat of stain. Let dry. The spotting will be gone. If needed, apply another light coat of PolyShades making sure to use long light strokes to get the coverage you want.
Helpful Tip When Applying Black Stain
When staining or painting any piece of furniture black or a very dark color, make sure you have a few good light sources directed on every side of the piece you are staining. This way you can see if you are covering the surface completely and catch any drips before they dry.
Black Stained Furniture Makeover After
No more country pine tables. Hello… modern and chic black tables.
You can see how smooth the solid color stained finish is… black stain is so much better than black paint when you don’t want a “painted furniture” look on furniture.
The long table went in the client’s dining room.
I love the way it looks against the white board and batten walls.
The end table went in her living room next to her sofa.
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