Paint Wood Furniture Without Sanding

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Do you have a piece of old furniture that you’d like to paint?
In this post, you’ll learn quick tips to paint wood furniture without sanding! I’m also sharing my tips on how to determine if your wood furniture has lead-based paint.

Painting your older wood furniture is a quick win you can easily accomplish in just one day. So, if you’re looking for an easy and easy DIY project, give this painting wood tutorial a go!

When I first moved out of my parent’s home and went off to college, I was on a strict budget for decorating my apartment. I knew that I could make my place nice and as an art major, I was pretty familiar with painting various objects already.

Off I went to the local Goodwill and thrifts for my furnishings and came back to paint and sew.

Here’s a fun shot of me back in the day, and the wall behind me was decorated with a thrifted bed sheet that I tie-dyed. Purple and yellow…which definitely aren’t my colors now, haha!

On the bed, I had an Indian-style bedspread from Pier One and a sheepskin throw. Fashion-wise I recall bleaching out my bell bottoms and fringing the ends.
Style comes back every 30 years and just take a look now at some of the sites like Anthropologie or the Coachella Festival and you’ll see what I mean. But I digress to talking about painting wood furniture.

When I shop for used furniture in thrift stores, I look for pieces that have authentic old paint when possible. It’s difficult to replicate the look of paint that has been on a piece for decades and is often quite easy for me to distinguish when a painted surface is new.

When thrift shopping, make sure the piece is in good condition and avoid anything with deep scratches as it will probably need wood filler and it will turn in to into a more complicated renovation project. I usually try to stay away from laminate furniture or pieces with wood veneer tops.

The table below is one that I found years ago hiding in a corner of an antique shop like a forgotten jewel. I adopted this half-table orphan for $10 and love the white paint that is all chippy and shabby. Surfaces like this really speak my language style!

How Can You Tell If You Have Lead-Based Paint?

It’s safe to assume that any furniture painted before around 1960 would have lead-based paint. Don’t be alarmed about it though, and DO NOT sand it unless you take it outside and wear basically a full hazmat suit and respirator! You probably don’t want to do that though.

I have a couple of recommendations instead if you want to mingle old painted pieces into your home.

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Can You Paint Over Lead-Based Paint?

If you are concerned about lead being in your old pieces, you can purchase an inexpensive test kit that will tell you. Find that HERE. If your piece does test positive for lead you have choices.

Do Nothing

This is what I do since the lead doesn’t leach out and I have no babies who might teeth on it or dogs who might naw on it.

Seal It

If you see paint peeling off, then it’s time to coat it with a sealer. THIS SEALER is a particularly good one and will prevent any issues and go right over your painted surface.

Prime It First

If you are going to paint over furniture a safe bet is to prime it first. THIS is my favorite primer by far and we use it in our home when we paint over any old paint that might be oil-based or have lead.

Paint Over It

Yes, you can paint right over old painted furniture without sanding. You will need something called a DEGLOSSER and you can use this on OLD KITCHEN CABINETS to prep for new paint as well! Find my favorite Deglosser HERE.

How To Paint Wood Furniture Without Sanding

Unless it’s a piece of furniture that you have painted before, you likely won’t know if the existing paint is oil or water-based. If it’s water-based you can repaint it with whatever you’d like. Where you’ll run into trouble is if the current paint is oil-based and you are planning on updating it with water-based. Not impossible though, you’ll need to take some steps to prevent the paint from peeling.

Remember: Oil resists water but water does not resist oil.

Do you have to sand furniture down before painting it?

I purchased the nightstand above years ago (a matching set of two) and it had the factory finish on at the time. I have repainted it several times since, but with the first rendition I knew that I needed to prep it with the lacquer finish it had. I didn’t sand it and instead chose to prime it with a stain-blocking water-based primer.

Before attempting to paint wood furniture without sanding, be sure to wipe off any dust and dirt from your furniture. I like to use tack cloth, but you could use an old white t-shirt.

If it’s too grimy, use TSP mixed with water to remove the dirt.
I could have easily used a deglosser as mentioned above, but when painting light colors over dark colors, it’s important to remember to use a good primer to prevent bleed-through.

Above is the nightstand today in a beautiful shade of blue called Mystical Blue by Benjamin Moore #792. It’s regular semi-gloss wall paint, that’s right…WALL PAINT!

How many coats of paint does it take to cover wood furniture completely?

I have been painting my furniture with wall paint for over 30 years and never have had an issue with durability. I do make sure to prep everything beforehand, pick the right paint for the project and use the appropriate tools. Some pieces need a special paint brush for detailed work, others a foam roller if there’re larger surfaces, etc.

For this piece, the only prep work I did was to clean the furniture off and gave it a first coat. Then, I finished it with a second coat of paint to get this pretty finish.

Do you have to add a sealant when painting wood furniture?

There is no sealer or wax needed and it should hold up well to all of the abuse that it might be giving going forward.

Favorite Types Of Paint For Wood Furniture

These are some of my favorite types of paint for wood furniture. All have their benefits and are simple and easy to use.

Latex Paint

It’s my favorite because it’s inexpensive and durable and I like the smooth finished look. There are many brands these days that are low VOC so fewer paint smells and they dry quickly. For intricate furniture or to make the job go faster, you can opt to use a paint sprayer. I have the Wagner Flexio Power Sprayer and have used it often to paint chairs.

Chalk Paint

I’m not the biggest fan of chalky paint and have used several types of it.
There’s nothing wrong with it per se, but the texture that chalky finish paint offers is not up my alley. I’ve seen far too many “shabby chic” renditions that are more on the shabby than the chic side. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide!

Milk Paint

I love milk paint! One of my favorite pieces of furniture is my family room coffee table that I painted with milk paint about 25 years ago. The finish is like butter and I waxed it only once upon completion.
Milk paint is one of my ultimate favorite painting options. Is the one that I feel can replicate the appearance of “old paint” while having great durability. It certainly is a long-lasting painting option that can endure the wear and tear of time.

Mineral Paint

Another fave!

If you’re looking for the best outdoor paint for your DIY project, consider mineral paint! It’s one of the most durable paint options for DIY outdoor projects on the market.

It’s one of the best options to paint without sanding as mineral paint has a fantastic adhesion to almost any surface. It comes in different sheen options which is a huge plus too!

What is the best furniture paint?

After years of painting furniture, I can tell you that there is no such thing as the best paint for wood furniture. It’s all a matter of your preference and the project at hand.

You’ll need to experiment and see which you like to work with, what purpose your furniture piece will have in the long run, and what paint gives you the look you’re after.