How to Paint Laminate Furniture (Easy with the Right Products!)

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How to paint laminate furniture is easy with the right products and steps. Learn how to paint laminate furniture successfully!

Hello wonderful friends! Happy Tuesday is the day of neglected treasures!

Have you had a heat wave in your area? I don’t think it will ever end!! Haha! It’s been so hot here, for days and days, I mean weeks and weeks! And no end in sight. I’m a summer girl, but even I feel like fall might be nice right now. Ooooh!

Anyway, not only are we building our covered porch to provide more living space (with specific needs in mind), but we also installed a new front door/side doors last weekend! Oh my!! We’ve had the door since November and I painted it a while ago, so I’m so happy it’s finally in place.
I love him!!
But installing it in extremely hot weather was not fun. It was hot for hours in our house and the flies were having a great day in there! It was so miserable but it’s done!! And now I feel so luxurious every time I walk in or out of our house. Haha! It’s so beautiful and something we’ve wanted to do for years.

Here’s a quick look! (I’ll share more about it soon)

The protective film is still on the glass in this photo.

Anyway, let’s talk about today’s treasure refinishing process and the tutorial I’m sharing with you. Have you ever struggled with painting laminate furniture? Or have you ever wondered if you could paint laminate furniture? Well, you can and I’m going to show you the products you can use to achieve success!

Here’s what I found at the ReStore for renewal!

In all its laminated glory! Ha!

No, actually, it’s laminated on all sides, so it’s the perfect piece to show how to paint laminated furniture.
Actually, it’s not as hard as it sounds. However, it can be disastrous if not done correctly. And herein lies the hesitation, I’m sure.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete this project:

I started removing the devices.

sand

Preparation is key.
Preparation is always key.

I’m sure there are times when you could do without sanding, but why risk it? It really doesn’t add much time or effort to the job. Obviously the larger the piece, the more work it takes, but you’re not sanding to remove layers. You’re just lightly sanding, by hand, to remove some of the “shiny” or “slip,” etc.

Cleaning

Use a soft cloth or paper towels and clean thoroughly. I use TSP replacement in one of our continuous sprayers. (You can find this and all the products I used for this change in the pink box labeled “Materials List” above.)

Primer

Not just any primer! This is an adhesive primer and I think it’s the key to the success of this project! Ultra Grip is an amazing bonding agent. It’s exactly that…a powerful grip!

I used our microfiber roller to apply Ultra Grip but you can use a paint brush as well. Make sure to apply a thin coat and let it dry for at least 12 hours before applying paint. (However, you can paint after 2 hours)
Ultra Grip goes on clear once it dries, but make sure you apply it smoothly because you’ll need a smooth surface to apply the paint.

Once it was dry and the allotted time had passed, I applied the paint.

Painting tools

I painted the hardware with spray paint that somewhat matches the gold stripes on the drawer fronts.

I decided to paint not only the legs gold, but also the decorative piece that connects them.

paint

I chose Victorian Lace. I love this white color. It’s probably my favorite in this collection.

As you can see below, you can’t tell that I used Ultra Grip. Remember I mentioned that it dries clear.

At first, I thought I would just spray paint the gold details on the drawers with the same paint I used for the metal parts. However, they were in such good condition, so why? I glued and painted over and around them instead.

I simply used FrogTape on each one, then using an Xacto knife, carefully cut each edge.

Add transfer

This is the transfer I chose to use on the drawer fronts.

I arranged them and then carefully applied them to the drawer fronts as they were placed next to each other.

Once applied, I used an Xacto knife to gently cut the two drawers apart.

Want to know how to apply a decor/furniture transfer? I wrote a whole post with all the details here:
How to use decorative transfer

I did the same thing where the holes are for the hardware areas.

To make removing painted FrogTape easier, be sure to score it with a razor blade or Xacto knife first.

It will then pull off cleanly without taking any paint with it.

I used a buffing pad to polish the edges of the transfer before applying a coat of Tough Coat Topcoat to protect the transfer.

You don’t have to apply a top coat over the paint once you’ve finished painting the laminate. However, you can do so to give it extra protection. I chose to apply it to the entire piece, not just the area that had the transfer.

Insert

There were some nail polish stains in both drawers, so I used some acetone to remove them.

Unfortunately, it left some residue that I couldn’t remove.

I planned to add some spots anyway.

I used one of our new oil stain and finish colors. (Fusion has several new stain colors… Walnut, Hardwood, Dark Brown, and Light Oak)

Heartwood, which has a purple tint and a very cool tone.

I thought this might be a good choice with the pink and purple floral colors in the transfer I used.

However, it didn’t really translate to “purple” as I had hoped!! Haha!

But it looked so much better!

Nice – good.

Our Stain and Finish Oil is a joy to work with. It’s a stain and a finish in one. But not like PolyShades where it simply sits on top of the surface. Our Stain Oil absorbs into the wood just like regular stain but has a built-in finish. It’s super gentle!

I applied one coat and was done!

reveal

Is she a little pretty now???

I am very happy with the result I got!

This piece was so sad and tired before but now it’s ready for a whole new life!

Think you’d be able to handle a piece of plywood right now? Don’t dismiss it when you see it just because it’s plywood or melamine. You can do that too!

Pin it to save it!

Don’t forget to jump in and visit my friends too!

Confessions of a DIYer
stray pieces
Saving Inspirations

Have a great week!!

kisses and kissing