How To Paint Laminate Furniture

How to Paint Laminate Furniture

Painting a beloved, but perhaps slightly dated, piece of laminate furniture empowers you to easily freshen up your space — without spending a lot of money.

Can you paint laminate? Yes — and it’s actually quite simple. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to paint laminate furniture, including project-specific tips for painting laminate cabinets, desks, coffee tables, bookshelves and dressers.

Key Watchout

You cannot stain laminate, since it is not real wood. However, you can easily paint it, as outlined in the steps on this page.

Supplies Checklist: Painting Laminate Furniture

Rag

Water

Dry cloth

Medium-grit sandpaper (220 or finer)

Paintbrush or fine finish roller

INSL-X^® STIX^® Primer or Fresh Start^® High-Hiding All Purpose Primer

ADVANCE^® Interior Paint

What is Laminate

Often called “fake wood,” laminate furniture is made of a synthetic material, usually plastic, that is used to create a thin exterior layer on furniture or other surfaces. Unlike natural, solid wood, laminate is created by layering and bonding different materials together.

Step #1: Clean the Furniture

Clean the surface of the piece you are painting thoroughly using a wet rag to ensure there is no dirt or debris on the furniture.

Step #2: Sand the Laminate

Sand the piece using 220-grit sandpaper in sweeping motions up and down the entire surface area. Vacuum the debris and wipe with a microfiber towel.

Step #3: Prime the Furniture

With a high-quality paintbrush or fine finish roller, apply primer evenly to the entire surface of the piece. INSL-X STIX Primer is our strongest bonding primer. Let dry completely.

Step #4: Paint the Furniture

Apply an even coat of paint to the furniture with a brush: ADVANCE Interior Paint is our recommended product to get the job done. Let dry completely. You may need to apply an additional coat or two of paint to achieve the desired smoothness of your finished piece. Make sure you let each coat dry completely before applying another.

Tips for Painting Different Types of Laminate Furniture

Painting Laminate Cabinets

For best results, remove doors and lay them flat to paint, as opposed to painting upright.
Remove the hinges before you start the painting process. Make sure to re-apply once the paint is completely dry.

Painting Laminate Desks

Remove drawers before painting. When painting the drawer, painting the interior is optional, but it is typical to paint the interior face of the drawer.
Place smaller pieces legs up on a workbench or other elevated surface. Remove any hardware, if possible, before you start painting. Cover the bench or surface and the surrounding floor. Work in a downward motion on a flipped piece (meaning legs first).

Painting Laminate Dressers / Bookshelves

Remove drawers before painting. When painting the drawer, painting the interior is optional, but it is typical to paint the interior face of the drawer.
Position larger pieces like bookshelves away from walls and over drop cloths. Always watch for drips and runs, especially at joints, corners and fine woodworking details.

Painting Laminate Tables

For heavier or larger pieces, work in a downward motion toward the legs.

Laminate Furniture Dos and Dont's

Do use a powerful bonding primer like INSL-X STIX, which offers powerful adhesion properties to any surface, even shiny ones like laminate.

Do use sandpaper that is finer than 220-grit.

Do sand the shiny surface down to a dull finish before applying paint.

Don’t try to stain it.

Don’t paint a dirty surface — make sure you clean first.

Don’t skip sanding. Because laminate has a synthetic, glossy surface, sanding is especially important.

Don’t oversand. Laminate is a thin material, so be gentle to make sure you don’t break through the top layer.

Get Advice & Complimentary Swatches

If you need help in choosing your colour, come by any of our stores today to see all our colours on display. Our colour experts will also be glad to assist you in choosing the shade that truly suits your space. Also, you get to bring home complimentary swatches which are true to colour for your consideration.

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