How to Paint Furniture Without Brush Marks

Discover how to paint furniture without brush marks and get a smooth finish with our top 7 tips and tricks. You don’t have to have a paint sprayer to get a brush free finish on your painted furniture makeovers! And you don’t have to have any special skills or spend a bunch of money on tools.

These painting techniques for furniture are easy to follow and will help you get professional results. Say goodbye to those pesky brush marks and hello to a beautiful, flawless finish!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also may earn from other qualifying purchases with other companies or get free product to review and use. All opinions are my own.

When painting furniture, one of the biggest frustrations is dealing with unsightly brush strokes. These marks can ruin the overall look of your piece and make all your hard work feel like a waste. It comes from using a brush as well as factors like the type of paint, application technique, and even the weather.

But don’t worry, you can prevent these brush marks and get that smooth finish you want! With the right techniques and tools, you can easily get a brush free look on your painted furniture and make it look like a professional job.

So this guide will walk you through how to paint without brush marks and how to get a smooth finish when painting furniture. From the prep work to the final step, we’ll cover everything you need to know. Let’s dive in!

How to Paint Furniture Without Brush Strokes

We’ve compiled our top tips for getting a brush free finish on painted furniture so you can avoid brush marks on your next project. Without further ado, here they are!

How to Get a Smooth Finish When Painting Furniture

If you are like me, you probably want to get the smoothest finish as possible on your painted furniture. The good news is that with these few simple tips, you can get a very smooth and professional finish on your next furniture makeover!

Make Furniture Smooth Before Painting

If you want to get a smooth finish when painting furniture, you have to start with a smooth surface! If the old finish is failing, you’ll see it in your painted finish. You’ll also see large dings, scratches and any damage that’s on the surface.

So take a few minutes before you pick up your paint brush to smooth out the surface. That might mean that you need to sand the surface down a bit with some 220 grit sandpaper. Learn more about the best sandpaper for furniture painting here.

If there is any damage, fix the damage and sand it all smooth before painting. Check out our favorite ways of repairing old furniture here!

Use Best Smooth Finish Paint

Not all paint is created equally. Among these types of paint for furniture, self leveling paint is one of the absolute best ways to paint furniture without brush marks. A self leveling paint takes a little bit longer to dry, but as it dries, it will flatten out, creating a brush free finish.

Some self leveling paints for furniture are:

• General Finishes Milk Paint
• Paint Couture Paint
• Rust-Oleum Milk Paint
• Sherwin Williams Emerald Trim Urethane
• Benjamin Moore Advance
• Chippy Barn Amulent Paint

I personally have used and love painting with General Finishes Milk Paint, Paint Couture Paint, Amulent, and Sherwin Williams Emerald Trim Urethane. Here’s our Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel review for more on this paint and brand.

If you use a self leveling paint, you don’t have to worry as much about the other tips and tricks below! The paint basically does it all!

Thin Paint for Painting

Adding a little water (water for waterbased paint, mineral spirits for oil based paint, etc.) will make the paint dry a little slower, which will give it more time to level out while the paint dries. It also makes it so the paint can be brushed on in thinner coats, instead of thick coats that are full of ridges from the brush.

I never really measure the paint here, but a good rule of thumb is to not thin it out more than 10%. You can also use a product called Floetrol, but honestly, water works really well.

Use Quality Brush for Painting Furniture

Can you believe that the brush you use can make a huge difference, even if you’re using a paint that isn’t self leveling? It sure can! Especially when you use a slightly damp brush! (Yep, get it slightly wet before using it!)

The best budget friendly paintbrush is a Zibra paintbrush. I love Zibra brushes because they come in fun shapes that make it easier to paint. (The round paint brush is my favorite because it makes it easier to paint details and spindles.)

But, if you’re willing to spend a little more on a paintbrush, there are a couple of other great options that make the paint look brush free.

And I would argue that I think these are the best of the best when you want a brush free finish.

• Country Chic Paint Oval Brush
• Staalmeester Paint Brushes
• ClingOn Paint Brushes

Country Chic Paint’s painting sponge is also a great “brush” to help you get a brush mark free finish! Here’s a makeover of painting a wood bench with this sponge.

Check out more of the best paint brushes for painting furniture here. If you’re working with chalk paint, here are the best chalk paint brushes. If you still get those pesky marks, here’s how to fix brush strokes in chalk paint.

And don’t forget to clean your brushes to maintain their quality – check out my guide on how to clean paint brushes here!

Spray Water Mist Before Brushing Paint

This is similar to thinning the paint with some water before brushing it on. Before brushing the paint onto your furniture, spray a little mist onto the furniture and onto the paint brush. I use this continuous water mist bottle.

This will help your paint go on smooth and thin, which helps create a brush-free finish. (To be honest, I was kind of leery of this method. But I tried it and I’m totally hooked on it! It really does help create a brush-free finish!)

Brush Paint in Direction of Wood Grain

Yep, slapping the paint on in every direction isn’t going to get you the best results here. Instead, brush the paint on in the direction of the wood grain. And then before you move on to the next small section, brush over the paint with long brush strokes. This will make any brush marks that are left behind look like they are part of the wood grain.

Sand Between Coats of Paint

If you do end up with brush marks when painting furniture, you can sand them away before you paint the next coat. I like to use 220 grit sandpaper for this, and depending on how thick the brush marks are, I use a power sander to help remove them.

My favorite sander is my SurfPrep sander (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order), but if that’s not in your budget (it wasn’t in my budget for a few years!) then an orbital sander works great for flat surfaces. Read this post to learn more about the best sanders for furniture!

Paint Furniture with Paint Sprayer

Last, and definitely not least, if you don’t want to worry about all of those things, using a paint sprayer is the quickest way to paint furniture without brush marks. It’s personally my favorite way to get a brush free finish!

This is the paint sprayer I started with. The Wagner Double Duty is a great beginner level paint sprayer! (The Double Duty has been discontinued and the newer model is the Wagner Control Spray 250. You can check out our Wagner Control Spray 250 review for more on this sprayer.)

But, if you’re looking to invest in a really amazing paint sprayer, this Fuji Q4 Platinum paint sprayer is my all time fav. Here’s my honest review and thoughts on the Fuji Q4 paint sprayer and guide on how to use the Fuji Q4 Platinum paint sprayer if you’re curious about its performance.

And check out these best HVLP paint sprayers for furniture for other options!

How to Remove Brush Strokes from Painted Furniture

If you’ve already painted your furniture and ended up with the unsightly brush marks, you can still save the project! Here are some simple steps to help remove those brush strokes and get a smooth, professional finish.

First, let the paint dry completely. This is important because trying to remove brush strokes from wet paint can cause more damage and ruin your project. Once the paint is dry, lightly sand the surface using a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. Again, be sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain for a more natural look.

Now for the next coat, you should use a different method of application to avoid creating more brush texture. Like we mentioned above, use a high quality brush or sponge, or even better, a paint sprayer! Make sure the paint is properly thinned this time as well, and apply it in thin, even coats.

You’ve now learned some easy tips and tricks for painting without brush marks! Whether you use a brush or choose to invest in a paint sprayer, these techniques will give you the smooth, professional finish you’re looking for on your furniture projects.

More Painting Furniture Resources

• Best Painting Furniture Supplies
• How to Paint Furniture
• How to Paint Laminate Furniture
• The Best Spray Paint for Wood Furniture
• Spray Paint VS Brush Paint Furniture

Follow us on YouTube to get more tips for painting furniture. Or share your project with us on our Facebook Group and be part of our community. See you there!