This post is brought to you by Kilz.
Yesterday I told you a little bit about my newest furniture find, a dated armoire that I scored for free! I spent last weekend in the garage as I primed, painted, and completely updated the armoire to make it my own.
{Check out the full post on where to get second hand furniture}
The armoire was in great shape. Strong and sturdy, with great storage space. The piece is intended to hold a boxy t.v., and possibly old VHS tapes (did I just date myself?).
It has beautiful detail on the top and bottom including the feet.
The only thing about this armoire that wasn’t ‘perfect’ was that it was partly made out of laminate (pressed wood). The doors specifically, while I think the casing may be real wood. I know this because of the gash at the bottom of the door. You could see the layers of particle board peeking through!
I knew immediately that I wanted to paint the piece a bright, glossy white. Normally the first thing I’d do to prep is sand down the wood stain and start from scratch. This time though, I wasn’t sure there was any real wood so I didn’t want to take the risk of ruining it with my electric sander.
HOW TO PAINT LAMINATE FURNITURE
Materials:
Sanding block (medium grit)
Sand paper sheet (medium grit)
3 Paint brushes (bristle or foam)
Several cloths
Screw driver
Painter’s tape
Primer (I used Kilz Max)
Paint in your choice of color
Polyurethane
Directions:
Step 1:
PREP!
Wipe the piece down with a damp cloth and let it dry.
Remove the hardware including knobs (I left the hinges on but you can choose not to).
Add painters tape to the areas you want to avoid painting.
Make any necessary repairs. This piece had a chip on a door so I simply sanded it down to an angle.
Go over the entire piece with the sanding block. This takes some time but it is absolutely necessary! You need to remove the gloss so that the primer will adhere, otherwise it’ll scrape right off.
Wipe all of the dust off with a damp cloth and allow to dry completely.
Step 2:
PRIME!
Don’t skimp on primer, buy the best for great results. I chose Kilz Max because its a water-base primer, sealer and stainblocker developed with new technology that’s formulated to perform like an oil-based product. Oil based products are usually the best for furniture, but they take ages to dry, and have an incredibly strong odor. Kilz Max primer dries incredibly fast; by the time I finished the first coat I was able to immediately start the next.
Also, Kilz Max is perfect for interior spaces cause it battles tough stains including heavy water damage, rust, smoke, grease, tannin, ink, pencil, felt marker, pet stains and more. KILZ MAX also seals pet and smoke odors.
Do not skip this step! It’s extremely important in order to be sure that your paint adheres well to the piece you’re working on.
Add a light coat of primer, and once it’s dry go over it with the sanding block again. Use the sandpaper sheet to go over the corners.
Wipe the dust off, and repeat the process one more time.
Step 3:
PAINT!
Using a fresh brush, add your first coat of paint. Let it dry, and add another coat. Paint doesn’t dry as quickly as the Kilz Max does so if possible, allow it to dry in a cool dry place overnight.
Do you have dried drip marks? Click here to learn how to quick fix them!
Step 4:
PROTECT YOUR WORK!
Add 2 coats of polyurethane and allow it to dry completely.
Step 5:
Replace the knobs and other hardware.
How pretty are these knobs from World Market? They’re mercury glass and only $4 each, SCORE!
As you can see I painted right over the metal detail and just replaced the knobs. I love how it looks, and it matches with the rest of the armoire’s look.
And here it is in my living room…
The bright white against the dark grey wall is FABULOUS!
While there is no overnight process to painting laminate, it certainly is possible to do! If you prep properly, and use the right tools like Kilz Max primer, you can easily update the look of dated laminate.
I am thrilled with my new piece! This armoire was definitely not something I planned on getting, but I am SO HAPPY I have it!
Now that you know how to paint laminate wood, what can YOU update around the house?
Linking up to Remodelaholic.com
Sheree says
Great tutorial! What paint did you use? I have never tried painting furniture, but I’m going to paint my laminate childhood desk.
Barbara @ Chase the Star says
Sheree, I just used regular latex paint! The color is ‘Polar Bear’ by Behr.