How to Paint Laminate Furniture
I love Ikea because of their huge selection of stylish, functional furniture at a reasonable price! While they have introduced more colors in the past few years, they still don’t have a huge color selection. And sometimes you want a specific color for a piece of furniture to help transform your space. It only takes a few steps to paint laminate furniture—but they are all essential! While it seems like an easy “how-to”, there are some considerations you need to take into account when painting a piece of Ikea furniture. I’ve reviewed a handful of different tutorials and blogs to outline the best processes and products when painting laminate furniture, to give you a beautiful and durable result!
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Materials Used:
- All-Purpose Cleaner
- Microfiber Cloths
- Gloves
- Tack Cloth
- Liquid Sandpaper
- Primer
- Alkyd Paint
TOOLS Used:
- Foam Roller
- Paint Brush
- Paint Tray
Step 1: Clean
Simple Green is a great cleaner to use to get dirt and grease off. Opt for a microfiber cloth to avoid leaving behind fibers. The cleaner you’re able to get your furniture—in all the nooks and crannies—the better the primer and paint will adhere.
Step 2: Sand
Sanding your surface before applying primer and paint will help with adhesion and ultimately, durability. You can either use sand paper or a liquid sander and/or deglosser—I opted for the Liquid Sander. Most laminate surfaces have somewhat of a gloss finish, but after this step, you will notice the that it no longer looks glossy.
I applied the liquid sandpaper with a microfiber cloth. Follow the directions on the bottle, as some may be different. I applied and wiped in a circular motion, then allowed to dry.
Step 3: Prime
Primer is a necessary and crucial step when painting hard to adhere surfaces, like laminate furniture. Choosing the right primer is paramount to making your paint job last. Especially when painting cabinets or furniture—better yet, hard to adhere to surfaces like Ikea furniture—primer is key!
Water-Based or Latex Primers
Pros: Very good adhesion. Latex emits fewer odors and VOCs than oil-based paint, and it cleans up much more easily.
Cons: Not recommended for raw wood or MDF because water content can cause swelling.
Cost: $
Oil-Based Primers
Pros: Good for interior and exterior projects. Blocks stains and odors, and hides dark colors.
Cons: High odor, use in ventilated space. Thickest consistency, making some brushstrokes visible. Clean-up requires mineral spirits.
Cost: $$
Shellac-Based Primers
Pros: The best for adhesion and durability. Permanently blocks stains and odors.
Cons: Strongest odor, use in well ventilated space. Use gloves—sticky and hard to clean. Do not use Shellac Primer in a paint sprayer!
Cost: $$$
primer for laminate furniture
I applied the primer just as I would paint, using a brush around tight spaces and a roller on flat surfaces.
While any primer would work, durability is key. And let’s be honest, some primers are just going to hold up better than others over time. While I used Kilz 2 Primer for this flip, in the future I will be opting for a Shellac primer. If you have the option to paint your furniture in an outdoor or well-ventilated space, from all the reviews I read, it will give you the best, long-term results.
Step 4: Paint
Choosing the right paint
You don’t want to use just any can of paint you have laying around for furniture or cabinets. Because of the heavy use of doors and drawers, you want a paint that will hold up to the constant use. Paints made specifically for cabinets and furniture have excellent flow and leveling characteristics, which means a smooth and durable finish.
*Price/gallon reflect prices displayed on store website and/or app in January 2023*
So, what makes these paints so different from other paints? Let’s discuss the differences between paints.
Latex & Acrylic Paint
Latex is probably the paint you typically see in the store—it’s a water-based paint made from acrylic resin. Like Latex, Acrylic paint is also made from acrylic resin, but is a chemical-based paint, instead of water. This allows Acrylic paint to be a bit more elastic than Latex paint. Latex is easily cleaned with soap and water, and is a popular choice for painting walls. However, because Acrylic paints can withstand expanding and contracting with temperature changes, they won’t flake like Latex.
Enamel Paint
Enamel is a durable paint option for cabinets and furniture because it dries as a hard and glossy substance—hello, durability! However, Enamel paints are oil-based and therefore have a very strong odor and can be challenging to clean up.
Alkyd Paint
Alkyd paint is the best of both worlds—durable, yet easy to clean-up with low VOCs. It’s great for cabinets and furniture because it mimics the durability of oil-based paints, but cleans up like latex paints. It dries with a hard surface (similar to Enamel), typically without showing brush strokes or roller marks. It is a great option for cabinets or furniture in a high traffic area!
Keep Paint Finishes in Mind
The glossier the finish, the better it will hold up. Gloss finishes—gloss or semi-gloss—reflects light, which limit the appearance of dirt and fingerprints, while also making them easier to clean. Satin is another finish option, but will be slightly less durable over time, as well as show more distress.
While matte finish is very popular, it is not practical for furniture and cabinets, as it is hard to clean and could effect its durability over time.
Because I selected a Sherwin Williams paint color, I often purchase my paint from Lowes so I don’t pay the hefty price tag at the Sherwin Williams paint store. I opted to use HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams—the Lowes brand of SW paint—in the color “Agreeable Gray.” This is a water-based, or latex paint and is probably one of the lowest quality options. I also chose a satin finish, which I think is acceptable for furniture, but would likely go with a semigloss for cabinets. Next time, I will be trying either Benjamin Moore’s Advance or Valspar’s Cabinet & Furniture Paint, as they are both Alkyd paints.
you live, you learn…
For my next Ikea flip, there are a few things I’d change. First off, I used the “easier products” for this DIY. Having done more quality research after completing the flip, I know that water-based primers and paints will probably give me decent results, but may not do the best over time.
I have more furniture to flip, so I’ll be testing out the other products I detailed above to share with you!
