Can you paint without sanding? Yes, painting without sanding is totally doable! Let me show you how I painted this side table without sanding it.
My cuñado found this side table that looked like it had made a run from decades past. It was on the sidewalk just waiting to be picked up by someone. It might not look like much to most, but it’s made out of solid wood and if you are a solid wood lover on a particle board budget, well then you know that this baby is gold, solid GOLD.
ALSO READ: Beautifying a Discarded Piece of Furniture with Wood Stain
The side table languished for months waiting for some attention. My cuñado started sanding it by hand, but got tired of that and eventually he was going to put this little lady back out, but I saved her from trying to get picked up by strangers on the street all over again because I knew that once I had a little bit of time I could give her a makeover and love her like she deserves to be loved.
Now, since cuñado started sanding her, I couldn’t leave her as is, the parts of her that were sanded looked tired and beat up, she had seen better days. I wasn’t about to sand her by hand and I don’t have a power sander nor do I want one because then I would have to use it and I am not a fan of sanding. Luckily, I KNOW the secret to painting furniture without sanding.
So how do you paint furniture without sanding it? Easy. You need a no-sand primer. I use (affiliate link*) Zinser Bulls Eye Primer and Sealer. I like the water-base version because it’s easy to use, has very little odor and the clean up is a breeze. This stuff is pretty awesome because it sticks to just about any surface without sanding, it dries quickly and is easy to paint over.
ALSO READ: How to Paint Furniture without Sanding
Once I had my piece of furniture all nice and clean, I took the drawer out and decided I wouldn’t be using it because it was missing some rails and didn’t slide in and out easily, plus I like the idea of having the side table have an open shelf kind of nook instead of a drawer. I gave it a good coating with the primer using a sponge brush.
Once the primer was dry I used some Valspar Ultra Paint + Primer (I chose it because it is zero VOC- basically it does not release yucky volatile organic compounds into the air) in a black-ish color that I’ve used before and like. I did three light coats with a bristle brush and really let it dry and I mean REALLY let it dry. What I have found with painting furniture without sanding it is that the time and elbow grease that I save by not sanding needs to be reinvested in the project as drying and curing time. If you rush the process and start using the piece of furniture before it is cured then you will scrape it and be bummed. I let my piece dry for three days before putting it in my living room, but it won’t actually be cured for about 21 days, so yes, I am using the piece, but I am being very careful with it and only put stuff on it to show you for this post. My kids and hubby have been warned to keep their drinks off of it until I give the go-ahead.
ALSO READ: Mission Possible: Simple Kitchen Updates
Now check out my little street-find all done up and ready to be loved!
* If you click through my affiliate link and make a purchase, there will be no additional cost to you and I will earn a commision.
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Very nice, it came out great!
I’m doing this! Just saved! THANK YOU. xx
I love it and do it all the time, BUT please listen to me and let the paint dry really well before you put it into heavy usage. I had a bedside table and a dresser that we did a long time ago and they are still going strong.
Looks good. How long between the primer (I think I’ve used that on a ceiling water spot BTW) and the first coat of the final paint?
thanks
I wasn’t in a hurry (for once) and the weather was beautiful. I primed it early in the morning, let it sit outside all day, then did the first coat of paint the same evening. I’m thinking maybe 8 hours in between, although the primer dries pretty quickly, I’m sure I could have done it sooner, but I was out and about anyway. Then the next morning I did the second coat of paint.
Would this work on kitchen cabinets?
Look at this post from my buddy, this is better for kitchen cabinets and doesn’t require sanding either. http://www.mamalatinatips.com/2012/08/my-kitchen-makeover.html
Will this work on any type of wooden furniture?
As far as I know yes it works on all types of wood furniture. I’ve used this method three times for different pieces of furniture in my home. The primer that I used was the water based version there is another version that is oil based and supposedly even stronger at adhering to non-sanded surfaces, but it smells much stronger. Depending on what you are painting you might want to consider using the oil based Zinsser primer. Also, I found that the more you let the paint cure the stronger it becomes. A dresser that I did years ago is virtually unscratchable now, but it took about a couple of weeks for it the paint to really cure.
My hubby is concerned with furniture polish build up on the 2 pieces I plan to prime and paint without sanding. Do you know if that would be a problem?? Thank you in advance for your help!!
I did clean the piece before painting it, but you know it was old and
there was a lot of stuff on it so I couldn’t get it all that free of
residue. The primer seems to have done the trick and the table is going strong with the new paint job.I will say that you need to let it really cure before you use it or you will get some nicks, but once the paint has been on it for about two to three weeks, it seems to be on there for
good.
Good luck!
What was the actual color name you used? Looks blackish brown…
I think it’s called cracked pepper. It’s not a true black.
Love the table! I have a question if you don’t mind me asking… how do you become a Lowe’s creative blogger??
I can’t give you a clear path for becoming a Lowe’s Creative Blogger. Somehow they found me and approached me.
Would this process work on lacquer? Trying to find a way to make outdated look newer.
I have not tried it on lacquer myself, but I have been told that it works on it as well. I would caution that you really will need to let the pieces cure for a couple of weeks so that the primer and paint really get a chance to adhere to the lacquer and don’t scrape off. I love this primer and have used it on many items in my home and it works really well.
Hiya! This is fantastic advice. Do you happen to know if this works on laminate furniture? I have this stuff from the 80’s that I’ve been fretting over for five years. I’d love to update it. It’s just so useful that I can’t see spending money on something else that will fall short.
Zinsser makes two types of primer, the water-based one that I used and and another one Zinsser B-I-N (I’ve included a picture) with an alcohol base. For laminate I would use the B-I-N one even though it will smell some at firs and is harder to get off of your brushes and stuff.
Good luck!
I have a question for you – How do I join the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Blogger Network? my husband and I have been doing several pretty big transformations in our home (and buy all needed supplies from Lowe’s in fact 😉 and i want to join
I’m actually not working with them anymore. I was a part of the network for about three years. They reached out to me and I’m not sure how I got on their radar to begin with. Since then they have changed the way the way the network operates and they don’t have the same people in charge. See if you can find contact info for their in-house PR Dept. and try to reach out to them that way. Good luck.
Do you recommend polyurethane on the paint after it has fully cured? Thanks.
I did not use it, but it sounds like a great idea and certainly won’t hurt.