How to Paint Wood Furniture (Without Sanding or Priming)
It is daunting to think about having to sand and prime before painting furniture. If you’re looking for how to paint wood furniture without sanding or priming with no topcoat needed… and a beautiful brush free finish with budget friendly supplies, then this is for you!
Whether you’re a DIY pro or just getting started, this project will give your furniture a modern and stylish update without some of the tedious prep work. These painting furniture ideas make it super easy to turn old wooden pieces into something fresh and beautiful. Let’s dive in!
We picked these oak end tables up from the thrift store for only $10 each! I couldn’t believe it! Here are more best places to get good furniture for cheap! They were in great condition… but they’re outdated and need some love.
This is the best type of furniture to paint if you don’t want to sand or prime! There wasn’t any damage to repair, and the original finish still looked great. This means we can skip the prep work and get straight to the fun part – painting!
Plus, if you’re a beginner, working with furniture that is already in good shape can give you confidence and help you hone your painting skills without worrying about potential mistakes.
And if you’re a seasoned DIYer, having the option to skip some of the prep work can save time and energy for other projects.
Supplies Used to Paint Wood Furniture Without Sanding or Priming
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Pretty simple huh??
Remove Hardware and Clean Wood Furniture
If your furniture has knobs, handles, or anything similar, it needs to be removed before anything happens. This literally took less than 1 minute with my electric screwdriver. Then fill in the holes – here are the different ways of filling holes when replacing furniture hardware.
And now we have an easier surface to work with. Then, we need to clean the furniture. I like to clean my furniture with Krud Kutter because it easily cuts through the grease, oils, and grime that can prevent paint from sticking to the wood.
Just spray it on, let it sit for a few seconds, and then wipe everything away with a clean, damp rag. Get more tips on how to clean furniture before painting here. And then let the furniture dry.
How to Paint Furniture Without Sanding or Priming
Now it’s time for the paint! This is Farmhouse Paint in the color Pumice Stone.
It’s a waterbased, all-in-one formula that says it doesn’t need a primer or a topcoat and that it has ultra-adhesion. Check out more of the best all-in-one paints for furniture here, and these best paints for furniture without sanding here.
For laminate pieces, check out this guide on how to paint laminate furniture without sanding! If you have particle board furniture, here’s our detailed guide on how to paint particle board furniture without sanding.
Farmhouse All in One Paint Scratch Test
I mixed the paint well, and then I brushed some of the paint onto a few different areas of the furniture. Sometimes the different surfaces are made of different materials, so I like to test it all over just to make sure it will work on the whole piece.
If you’re nervous about your paint sticking to your furniture without sanding, you can paint a couple of samples just like this to test it out before you paint everything.
We let the samples dry overnight, so they ended up drying for 17 hours. And then I scratched at it with my fingernail.
Typically, if the paint comes off easily when I scratch at it 24 hours later, then I don’t trust it to stick well enough for no sanding or priming. This paint scratched a little bit, but I had to dig in to get it to scratch a little bit.
So, at this point, I completely trust that it’s going to stick, especially after it cures in a month.
UPDATE: Months later, this paint still was soft enough for me to scratch off decently easily. So, knowing what I know now, I would recommend that you at least prime with a BIN Shellac Primer to help the paint stick better.
Painting Tables with Farmhouse All in One Paint
So, I painted the first coat on. I used a Zibra Round paint brush to brush it on, and I didn’t do anything special to the paint. Until part way through. I added some water to the paint to thin it out and help it create a brush free finish.
I don’t know that I really needed to thin it out, but I really don’t like brush marks, so I didn’t want to chance it.
I love these round paint brushes, though! They are about $10, and the shape of them makes it so easy to paint furniture. You can easily paint round surfaces like these legs, flat surfaces, grooves, and details.
To help reduce any brush marks, I went over the paint with long brush marks once it was on the furniture. I also watched for drips in the paint and brushed them out before they dried.
Then I let the 1st coat dry for a few hours. It looked streaky, I could still see the wood underneath, but the paint felt really smooth.
The first coat always looks bad with light paint colors, so I wasn’t worried. So I painted 2 more coats, letting it dry in between coats.
Attach New Hardware
The old hardware isn’t my style at all, so I changed them out for some cup pulls that I had in my hardware stash. If you’re an Amazon shopper, head on over to the Best Amazon Deals for these cup pulls and more.
They’re the same size as the original hardware, but I feel like that original hardware was a little too high up, so I drilled new holes a little further down, but where I could still cover up the original holes.
I used this KREG hardware jig to easily figure out where to drill the new holes, and then I used my Ridgid drill to drill the new hardware holes.
And here’s what they look like now! These tables are so stinking cute now! The paint seems to be an eggshell finish. It’s not matte, but it’s not shiny either. I love it!
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I scratched at the paint a couple of days later, and it came off when I scratched hard. I’ve seen similar results with other paint, and after 30 days, it shouldn’t scratch.
UPDATE: Months later, this paint still was soft enough for me to scratch off decently easily. So, knowing what I know now, I would recommend that you at least prime with a BIN Shellac Primer to help the paint stick better.
This makeover cost $97 between the paint, cleaner hardware, and brush. They took less than 5 hours total to paint, and I can use those supplies on a few more of these makeovers, too!
How to Prepare Wood Furniture for Painting
The best way to prepare wood furniture before painting is to remove the hardware, clean, scuff sand, and prime. All of these things will help the paint not scratch or ding easily. Here’s exactly how to prepare furniture for painting.
What happens if you don’t sand furniture before painting?
If you don’t sand furniture before painting it, the paint might scratch, peel, or chip easily. This is especially true if little kids or pets are near the furniture. You can learn more about what happens if you don’t sand before painting here, and the importance of sanding before painting furniture here.
How to Get Paint to Stick to Wood Without Sanding
You can get paint to stick to wood furniture without sanding if you use a primer and/or paint that has excellent adhesion. Here are the best bonding primers for furniture, especially laminate furniture.
Best Paint for Wood Furniture Without Sanding
Not all paints are created equal. The best kinds of paint to use on furniture if you want to skip the sanding are mineral paint, chalk paints, acrylic paint, and all-in-one paint.
You can check out your options for the best mineral paint for furniture here and the best acrylic paint for furniture here. And here are the top chalk paint brands! Here are more specifics about each type of paint in our best paint for furniture post.
We have a list of the best spray paint for furniture without sanding if you’re looking to paint without any other tools. You can also check our chalk spray paint review where I tested chalk spray paints, and you can see how they stick to wood furniture without sanding or priming.
How to Paint Furniture Without Brush Marks?
If you brush paint onto furniture, you’re most likely going to be left with a bunch of brush marks in the paint. Here are a few ways to minimize the brush marks, though!
Use a self leveling paint that will flatten out as it dries. The brush you use matters, too! Use a high quality synthetic paint brush to brush the paint on. Here are a couple more tips and tricks on how to paint furniture without brush marks.
Is it better to spray paint or brush furniture?
This is a matter of opinion and what kind of space you have for painting your furniture.
A paint brush is easier for beginners to paint furniture because you can paint anywhere without worrying about getting overspray on everything. But spraying paint will get the job done faster if you have a large project.
A paint brush might leave brush marks behind, but you can get a completely smooth finish with a brush if you do it right. It’s easy to get a smooth finish when you spray paint.
What works best for you? And what look do you want? Here are the best paint brushes for painting furniture and the best HVLP paint sprayers for furniture, so you can decide on the perfect tools for your project.
How to Seal Painted Furniture
Painted furniture can be sealed with waterbased polyurethane. Some paints can be sealed with wax instead. Here’s a comparison post of wax vs polyurethane if you’re not sure which one to use. If you’re leaning towards polyurethane, learn about the best polyurethane for furniture here.
In this makeover, this Farmhouse Paint can be sealed with a waterbased polyurethane if you want (but it’s not required.) Learn all about sealing painted furniture here, and check out your options for topcoats for painting furniture here.
What do you think of this makeover? Are you looking for a simple project like this, or would you rather sand and prime??
What are the potential risks of painting wood without primer?
Skipping the use of a primer on furniture before painting can lead to a variety of potential risks.
Firstly, without a primer, the paint may not adhere properly to the surface and can easily chip or peel off over time. This can be especially problematic if the furniture would be frequently used or exposed to harsh elements.
Secondly, without a primer, any stains or imperfections on the furniture may show through the paint, resulting in an uneven and unprofessional finish. You can learn more about priming and how to stop stains from coming through paint here.
Lastly, a primer can also help to seal any pores or knots in the wood, preventing them from showing through the paint and creating an unwanted texture. Here are the best knot blocking primer options you can use!
In addition to these risks, not using a primer on furniture before painting can also result in wasted time and money. If the paint does not properly stick or the finish is not smooth, you may have to redo the entire project, costing you more time and money in the long run.
How to Paint Furniture Without Primer
If you choose to paint furniture without using a primer, make sure the furniture is clean and free of any dirt, grime, or previous coatings. Choose a high quality paint with good adhesion properties, or consider using a self leveling paint. You should also use a topcoat to seal the paint and protect it from wear and tear.
However, keep in mind that the risks of not using a primer may still apply. It’s always best to use a primer when possible for the best results.
Can you repaint furniture without sanding?
If you have a piece of furniture that has already been painted and you want to change up the color, you may be wondering if you can skip sanding before repainting. The answer is yes, but it depends on the condition of the old paint.
If the existing finish is in good condition, you can repaint without sanding. But if it’s peeling or chipping easily, it’s best to remove it first. Using a chemical stripper is an effective way to quickly remove multiple layers of paint without having to sand. Get more tips on painting finished furniture in this post.
This will save you time and effort, especially if you’re working on a larger piece of furniture. You can learn more about how to remove paint from wood without sanding in this guide. And here are the best tools for removing paint from wood.
Once the old paint has been removed, prep the piece by removing the hardware and cleaning it thoroughly. Then, just like the previous steps discussed, you can skip sanding and priming and go straight to painting.
If you’re set on skipping sanding, but open to using a primer, it’s still a good idea to prime the surface before painting. Priming will really help with adhesion and helps with wood tannins or paint bleeds.
Here’s how to repaint furniture to guide you when you’re ready to give your old painted furniture a new look. And check out these repainting dresser ideas for some inspiration!
Sanding and priming are important steps in painting furniture, but they can also be time consuming and tedious. Skipping these steps has its risks, but with the tips and tricks in this guide on how to paint wood furniture without sanding or priming, you can give your furniture a fresh new look without all the extra work!
How to Paint Wood Furniture (Without Sanding or Priming)
Give your furniture a makeover that is beginner and budget-friendly. Here's how to paint wood furniture without sanding or priming!
Instructions
- Remove old hardware from the furniture with the electric screwdriver. Then clean it for paint with Krud Kutter. Spray Krud Kutter, let it sit for a few seconds, and then wipe everything away with a clean damp rag. Let dry.
- Paint the tables with the Farmhouse Paint in the color Pumice Stone using the Zibra Round paint brush. You can add some water to the paint to thin it out and help it create a brush-free finish. Watch out for any drips in the paint and brush them out before they dry. Paint 3 coats in total and let dry between coats.
- Attach your old hardware back or add new hardware.
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