Learn How to Refinish Furniture in 5 Steps

If given the opportunity to have beautiful wood furniture in exactly the style you desire, at a fraction of the retail cost, would you buy it? Most of us certainly would. While this idea may seem far fetched – it’s really not with unfinished furniture. Unfinished wood furniture is a brilliant way to get exactly the high quality, beautiful furniture that you desire without paying the high cost for it. You can either leave the furniture in its natural state, or learn to finish the furniture yourself. Here, using these 5 easy tips you can learn how to refinish furniture on your own.

First of all, when you learn how to finish furniture, there are some supplies you’ll want to have. Purchase a pair of cotton gloves, similar to the ones you would use for gardening. These will keep you from getting slivers when you finish the unfinished wood furniture and they will show you where you need more preparation on the wood. Then, you’ll need sandpaper, a tack cloth, primer and paint. You may also want stencils or other decorative additions to put over the paint at the end.

1. Sanding the Unfinished Furniture – No matter what type of unfinished furniture you’ve purchased, whether it’s unfinished bedroom furniture, unfinished kitchen furniture or it’s furniture for another room, the process of finishing it is the same. You’ll need to sand the furniture until it has a smooth feel to it. Always make sure that you sand with the grain so that the sanding doesn’t show when you stain. When you think you’ve finished sanding, run your hand over the furniture with the cotton gloves. Check for places where the gloves snag, and continue to sand those areas if you find them.
2. Cleaning the Sanding Dust – Many people will proudly finish their sanding and then move right onto painting. Forgetting about the sanding dust on the unfinished furniture can have very bad consequences. Therefore, make sure to clean the sanding dust carefully when you finish sanding. Using a tack cloth, clean all areas of the furniture and remove all sanding dust.
3. Using Primer on Unfinished Furniture – Now, you are ready to begin to paint your furniture. Primer is the first step in the painting process and it is very important. While some people decide to skip this step, they often regret it because knots and discolorations in the wood will often show through the paint if it isn’t primed. A latex based primer is easier to use than an is oil based one. Place your unfinished furniture on a drop cloth or a stack of newspapers and apply the primer to the entire furniture piece. Allow it to dry and then sand the entire piece one more time with fine sandpaper. Wipe it down with a tack cloth again after sanding.
4. Painting Unfinished Furniture – Now, the fun begins! There is no limit to your creativity when painting unfinished furniture, particularly it it’s unfinished baby furniture or unfinished kids furniture. Make sure that your paint strokes are smooth and even when you paint. Pick one direction and apply the paint only in that direction while following the grain of the wood. Let the paint dry and then check to see if the primer shows through. If it does, you’ll need to sand the top coat, wipe it down with the tack cloth, and then apply another coat of paint as well. When you’ve finished painting the piece, enjoy extra touches with stenciling, sponging, crackles finishes, marbling and more.
5. Wax – While this last step isn’t imperative, some people like to apply one coat of wax to the furniture after finishing the painting job. The wax will protect the paint finish on the unfinished furniture. Make sure to put a light coat of wax on with a cloth and to rub it in to the entire piece of furniture. Check to make sure that there is no excess wax on the furniture and let the wax thoroughly dry before using your furniture.

With these easy tips, you can enjoy your unfinished furniture for years of great use. For a fraction of the cost, you’ll own beautiful wood furniture that is painted to your liking and decorated to match your style and décor. Have more fun – and save money – by following these tips for how to finish furniture on your own.