How to Paint a Dining Room Table & Chairs

If you would like to paint a dining room table and chairs, you will need to focus on a pair of important issues. First, because dining room furniture is usually varnished, you must execute specific preparation techniques to encourage paint adhesion or the finish will peel up over time. In addition, you will need to employ a specific application strategy that will help to prevent sagging and brushstrokes in the final finish coat. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Clean the dining room table and chairs with soap. Rinse all surfaces thoroughly using a damp rag. Allow the furniture to dry completely.

2

Sand off the shiny varnish coat. Sand with the grain of the wood. Continue sanding the dining room table and chairs until the finish appears dull.

3

Wipe sawdust from the dining room table and chairs using a tack cloth.

4

Cover any parts of the dining room table and chairs you want left unpainted with painter's tape. Cover flooring beneath the furniture with drop cloths.

5

Apply a thin coat of oil-based primer to the dining room table and chairs using a 2- to 4-inch paintbrush for use with oils. Allow the primer to dry for three hours.

6

Wash the 2- to 4-inch oil-based paintbrush with mineral spirits.

7

Pour one gallon of acrylic latex paint into a 2-gallon painter's pot. Dilute the paint to encourage a smooth, professional looking finish by stirring in one ounce of water. Stir for five minutes.

8

Apply two thin coats of acrylic latex paint to the primed dining room table and chairs using a 2- to 4-inch latex paintbrush. Do not overapply as this may lead to sagging and brushstrokes in the final finish coat. Allow two hours of dry time between coats.

9

Clean the 2- to 4-inch latex paintbrush with water.