The Best Primers for Painting Furniture (and How to Choose the Right One)

Painting furniture is a great way to give an old piece a new lease on life. But before you start painting, it’s important to prime the surface. Primer is one of the important furniture painting tools and supplies you’ll need for a successful project, and this guide will feature the best primers for painting furniture!

There are a lot of options in the market, and it can be tough to choose. Whether you’re working with wood, laminate, or IKEA furniture, we’ll help you find the perfect one. Plus, learn how to apply it like a pro!

A primer’s main job is to give you a smooth and even base for your finish to stick to, so you get better coverage and it lasts longer. While you may be tempted to skip this step and dive right into painting, trust us when we say that it can make all the difference in the final result.

Not only does it help with durability and paint adhesion, but it also helps with any surface imperfections or discoloration – it prevents bleedthrough stains and cover any wood grain texture.

Different furniture types might need different primers, so picking the right one for your project is key.  From waterbased to oil based, there are many options, so keep reading to discover which ones work best for different surfaces and projects!

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Do I need to prime before painting furniture?

One of the most important steps is to apply a primer before painting. When you don’t prime first, there are a few problems that can come up.

Primer creates a bond between the paint and the furniture. On wood furniture, it helps to prevent tannin bleed through that can bring out stains. It also prevents scratches and uneven coverage.

When you skip this step, you may find that your finish doesn’t stick well to the furniture, that it scratches easily, or that the color and/or sheen is uneven.

Primer really is essential for a good paint job. So, if you’re thinking about not using it, you might want to reconsider! Learn more about the importance of priming wood for painting, plus tips here.

And once you’ve primed your furniture, you’ll need to know what paint to use for wooden furniture, so check out your options in our post.

The Best Primer for Painting Furniture

But what’s the best primer for painting furniture? It depends on what you’re painting, what paint you’re using, and what you want to get out of it.

Best Primer for Wood Furniture

When working with wood, it’s important to choose the right primer. It will help with adhesion, but also, it will prevent tannin bleed through from appearing through your finish.

It will also give you better coverage so you don’t use as much coating, and better coverage so you can’t see the wood grain variations.

1. BIN shellac based primer is a good option for preventing tannin bleedthrough. It also provides good coverage and helps create an even sheen in your final finish. However, it’s important to note that shellac based primers are stinky, and need to be cleaned up with denatured alcohol or ammonia (which also stinks bad!)
2. Another great primer is Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3. It also helps to prevent tannin bleedthrough and provides good coverage. It’s much easier to work with than shellac based primers, though it doesn’t have quite the same power to prevent bleedthrough. It’s waterbased, so cleanup is easy with soapy water, and it doesn’t have harsh fumes.

Note: I like to use clear shellac as a primer on my furniture. It works great with mineral, acrylic and chalk based paints. I haven’t tested it with all types of paint. But it’s also the easiest way to paint furniture without sanding – see this makeover where we skipped this prep step and still got great results by using it.

Also, check out the best spray primer for wood here for spray can versions that work well with wood and make applying primer easier and quicker.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	Clear Shellac	Zinsser 123
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Coverage	Excellent	No	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray
Tintable	Yes	No	Yes
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Works Best with Mineral, Chalk, and Acrylic	Any Type of Paint
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	45 Minutes	1 Hour
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Interior	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

Best Primers for Laminate Furniture

With laminate surfaces, using a bonding primer that will help the paint stick to the slick surface is most important (sanding before painting furniture will also really help!) Laminate doesn’t have tannin bleed through issues. So no worries there.

1. BIN shellac based primer has superior adhesion to laminate and plastics. But, it has a strong smell and cleanup requires denatured alcohol or ammonia. You can brush, roll or spray it (spray in a spray can, it’s very combustible, so it can’t be used in all sprayers.) It is also tintable.
2. STIX also has superior adhesion to laminate and plastics. And it is a water-based primer, so it cleans up with soapy water. You can brush, roll or spray it. It is also tintable.
3. Zinsser 123 primer has good adhesion properties. It will work on laminite furniture, but it’s definitely not as good. It’s also waterbased, and you can brush, roll or spray it. It comes in a grey or white base, and it can be tinted.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	STIX	Zinsser 123
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	No	Good
Coverage	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor	Low Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water	Soap and Water
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray	Brush, Roll, Spray
Tintable	Yes	Yes	Yes
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Almost Any Type of Paint – Alkyd, Acrylic Latex, Urethane, Epoxy, and Lacquer Finishes	Any Type of Paint
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	3-4 Hours	1 Hour
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Both	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

Best Primer to Cover Wood Grain

If you want to fill in deep wood grain, like oak wood grain, honestly, you’re going to need more than just a primer. You’ll need to fill the wood grain in with a wood grain filler, or thinned out wood filler before you prime. Here’s a great tutorial on how to hide wood grain when painting furniture.

If there is only a small amount of wood grain on your furniture, and it’s not very deep, any primer will be able to fill that in… if you apply it correctly.

The most important step is to either brush or roll the primer on. The brush or the roller will be able to push the primer into the wood grain, and help fill it in. If you spray the primer on, the primer will just sit on the surface and not get into the wood grain.

Some primers are better than others when it comes to covering wood grain though.

1. Zinnser 123 primer is a thicker primer, so it fills in the grain very well.
2. BIN shellac based primer is a lot thinner, but it still does a decent job of filling in very minimal wood grain texture. But, BIN shellac based primer is very very good at blocking stains that come from the wood tannins in the wood grain.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	Zinsser 123
Adhesion	Excellent	Good
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	Good
Coverage	Excellent	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray
Tintable	Yes	Yes
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Any Type of Paint
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	1 Hour
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now

This leads us to the next type of primer.

Best Primer to Stop Tannin Bleed

Tannins are found in many woods, and when they come into contact with water or moisture, they can bleed through paint, leaving behind unsightly stains. Stain blocking primers are designed to prevent this from happening, and they can be a lifesaver when it comes to painting furniture.

When applied correctly, they provide a barrier between the wood and the paint, making it much less likely that tannins will bleed through.

1. BIN shellac based primer is an excellent choice for this purpose, as it seals the wood and prevents tannins from coming through. It has a strong odor though, but it can be sanded into a fine powder after about an hour after application.
2. Oil-based primers like Zinsser Cover Stain work really well at blocking bleedthrough as well. But, beware, oil-based primers have a strong odor (similar to shellac-based primers), but they also take a long time to dry, and if you try to sand within 24 hours, it will gum up your sandpaper. Check out my Zinsser Cover Stain Primer review here for more on this product.
3. Zinsser 123 primer works as well. But since it’s water-based, it doesn’t do as good of a job for the heavy bleeders. It also needs to dry longer before you paint over it so it has better potential to block stains. But, it’s water-based, so cleanup is easy, and there isn’t a strong odor. (Note: The spray can version of 123 is oil based and so it will help block stains better.)

Whichever primer you choose, be sure to apply it liberally and give it plenty of time to dry before painting. Learn more about bleedthrough (what it looks like) and how to stop stains from coming through paint here. Check out a more in-depth post on the best primers to stop tannin bleed here.

Honorable Mention Primer to Stop Tannin Bleed

Kilz Restoration waterbased paint boasts that it has oil and shellac performance for blocking bleedthrough, even though it’s a water-based paint. I personally haven’t tried it yet, but when I do, I’ll update this post.

My guess is that it works about the same as Zinsser 123 primer.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	Clear Shellac	Zinsser 123	Cover Stain
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Coverage	Excellent	No	Excellent	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor	Strong Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water	Mineral Spirits
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray	Brush, Roll, Spray
Tintable	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Works Best with Mineral, Chalk, and Acrylic	Any Type of Paint	Oil and Latex
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	45 Minutes	1 Hour	1 Hour
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Gums Up Sandpaper
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Interior	Both	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

Best Primer for IKEA Furniture

Choosing the right primer for your IKEA furniture can be tricky – especially since they are made with so many different materials. First, consider the type of surface you’re working with.

If you’re painting laminate or plastic, for example, you’ll need a really good bonding primer that sticks well to any surface. Otherwise, you may find that the paint doesn’t adhere properly.

If it’s raw wood IKEA furniture, then you’ll need a good stain blocking primer to block bleedthrough, and a primer that gives a good layer of coverage.

If the wood has a topcoat on it, your primer will need to have excellent bonding properties.

1. BIN shellac based primer covers all of these bases. It will stick to basically anything. It also blocks bleedthrough stains, and it provides great coverage for your paint. It also works with any paint, and it dries quickly. Additionally, it is easy to sand only an hour or so after you paint it on. It won’t gum up your sandpaper like oil based paints do. The biggest downside is that is has a strong odor and cleanup is with denatured alcohol or ammonia.
2. STIX primer is great for laminate IKEA furniture since it has excellent adhesion to all the slick surfaces. But it doesn’t really block stains. So it’s not very good for wood furniture that has bleedthrough possibilities (mahogany, cherry and oak for sure.)

Check out this IKEA makeover to learn more about what to do and what not to do when painting IKEA furniture.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	STIX
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	No
Coverage	Excellent	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray
Tintable	Yes	Yes
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Almost Any Type of Paint – Alkyd, Acrylic Latex, Urethane, Epoxy, and Lacquer Finishes
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	3-4 Hours
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now

Best Primer for Dark Paint

When painting furniture a dark color, you probably don’t want to use a white primer, right? The white tinted primers will then make you have to paint more coats of the dark paint. There are a few options when it comes to priming before using a dark colored paint…

1. Aqua Lock primer comes in black! Aqua Lock primer has great adhesion properties (can be used on laminate furniture in conjunction with scuff sanding.) It also blocks some stains, but I don’t know that it is as good as a shellac-based or oil-based primer. It’s water-based so cleanup is easy, and the dry time is quick too. I’ve sprayed it (thinned 10%) and it sprays beautifully! I love this primer when painting with dark paint.
2. Zinsser 123 gray base primer. Yep, the same Zinsser 123 primer we’ve been talking about comes in a gray tinted base. And it can be tinted additionally to be closer to the color you’re painting. You can get a much darker primer color if you start with and tint the gray base instead of the white base.
3. Clear shellac is great to use on furniture when using dark colors because a lot of time the furniture is already dark wood. In these cases, I love to just have a clear primer and not change the color.

	Aqua Lock Primer in Black	Zinsser 123 Gray Base	Clear Shellac
Adhesion	Great	Good	Excellent
Prevents Bleedthrough	Good	Good	Excellent
Coverage	Excellent	Excellent	No
Odor	Low Odor	Low Odor	Strong Odor
Cleanup	Soap and Water	Soap and Water	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray	Brush, Roll, Spray	Spray Can
Tintable	No	Yes	No
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Latex or Oil	Any Type of Paint	Works Best with Mineral, Chalk, and Acrylic
Dry Time Before Painting	1 Hour	1 Hour	45 Minutes
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Both	Both	Interior
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

best primer for furniture Comparison

Here are the primers all lined up by each other so you can compare easier and decide which one is best for you and your project.

	BIN Shellac Based Primer	STIX	Clear Shellac	Zinsser 123	Cover Stain	Aqua Lock Primer
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Great
Prevents Bleedthrough	Excellent	No	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Good
Coverage	Excellent	Excellent	No	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor	Strong Odor	Low Odor
Cleanup	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water	Denatured Alcohol or Ammonia	Soap and Water	Mineral Spirits	Soap and Water
Application	Brush, Roll, Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray	Spray Can	Brush, Roll, Spray	Brush, Roll, Spray	Brush, Roll, Spray
Color	White	White	Clear	White or Gray	White	White or Black
Tintable	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes and No
What Kind of Paint / Topcoat	Any Type of Paint	Almost Any Type of Paint – Alkyd, Acrylic Latex, Urethane, Epoxy, and Lacquer Finishes	Works Best with Mineral, Chalk, and Acrylic	Any Type of Paint	Oil and Latex	Latex or Oil
Dry Time Before Painting	45 Minutes	3-4 Hours	45 Minutes	1 Hour	1 Hour	1 Hour
Easy to Sand Soon After Dry	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Sands to Powder	Gums Up Sandpaper	Sands to Powder
Interior / Exterior	Interior and Spot Exterior Use	Both	Interior	Both	Both	Both
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

How long to let primer dry before painting furniture?

It depends on the type of primer you’re using, and it also depends on the temperature where you’re painting. The hotter, and drier it is, the faster your primer will dry. If it is colder or humid, the primer will take longer to dry. Ideally, aim for 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and low humidity.

If you are trying to block tannin bleedthrough, it’s better to let your primer dry overnight before painting. The longer dry time will help the primer block the stains.

	Dry Time Before Painting
BIN Shellac Based Primer	45 Minutes
Zinsser 123 Primer	1 Hour
STIX	3-4 Hours
Clear Shellac	45 Minutes
Zinsser Cover Stain	1 Hour
Aqua Lock Primer	1 Hour

Once the primer is dry, sand it lightly with fine grit sandpaper to smooth out any imperfections. Beware that if you use an oil based primer, the sandpaper will gum up if it’s not completely dry.

Waterbased and shellac based primers dry quickly and can easily be sanded an hour or so after application without the sandpaper gumming up. Check out my list of the best water based primers here.

All in One Paint and Primer for Furniture

You’ve probably seen all-in-one paint and primer paint in the paint aisles of your hardware store.

This is not the same as using primer. The primer in these paints is more to help with getting better coverage out of your paint. But they don’t really help the paint adhere, or prevent bleedthrough stains like these other primers do.

Some furniture paints are called all in one paint and a lot of paints say they have a built-in primer. That’s great! But 9 times out of 10, the built-in primer isn’t enough. You’ll need one of these real primers that I mentioned earlier. Learn more about all-in-one paint and primer paint here.

Can you use chalk paint as a primer?

No. Chalk paint doesn’t prevent bleedthrough stains, and it doesn’t have the excellent adhesion that these primers have. Yeah, chalk paint has better adhesion than latex (wall) paint. But that’s about it. These primers mentioned above have far superior bonding, and stain blocking abilities.

99% of the time, even when I use chalk paint on furniture, I still use a primer before I paint the chalk paint on. See how well chalk paint hold up without sanding or priming in this post about how to chalk paint furniture.

How to Apply Primer on Wood

Once you’ve chosen the best primer for your project and after cleaning and sanding your piece, it’s time to get started on applying it. Depending on its type, you can apply it with a brush, roller or use the spray can version.

How many coats of primer on wood?

There isn’t a rule saying we need a specific amount of coats. One coat will probably be enough, but if you’re feeling meticulous, want the best coverage, or if you’re worried about bleedthrough, go ahead and apply a second coat after the first coat is dry.

If you’re using a brush or roller, use smooth and even strokes in the same direction as the wood grain. This will help prevent visible brushstrokes once the paint is applied. Be sure to cover all surfaces evenly and get into any nooks and crannies

If you’re using spray primer, make sure to shake the can well before applying. Hold the can about 8-12 inches away from the surface and spray in a sweeping motion. Be sure to cover all surfaces evenly and get into any tight spots or details as well. Then, let the primer dry completely before moving on to painting.

More Painting Furniture Resources

• Best Painting Furniture Supplies
• The Best Spray Paint for Wood Furniture
• Best Paint Brushes for Painting Furniture
• Best Sanders for Furniture
• How to Stop Wood Knots from Bleeding Through Paint

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