When it comes to painting chairs, there are only two good paint options. Forget chalk, milk, and latex paint when it comes to chairs. These either will not adhere to the wood well enough to last through the use that a chair gets or they will require a topcoat. There’s a much better and easier way. A one-step process actually. Read on to learn more about the only paints I ever use on chairs.
There are only two paints I use on chairs. Both have a low-lustre, semi-gloss sheen.
- Oil based paint
- Water-based (acrylic) enamel
Oil based paint is ideal. It adheres to the wood surfaces and any polyurethane on them. Oil based paint is the most durable paint you can buy.
However, since I paint quite a bit of furniture, I prefer to work with water-based products. So a great alternative to oil is a water-based acrylic enamel paint.
Unlike latex paint, which can take up to 60 days to fully cure, the enamel paint hardens in just a few hours and is far more durable than latex, chalk or milk paint.
If you were to leave a chair outside that was painted with latex paint, after a year (maybe less), the paint would start peeling off the wood like wallpaper from a wall. That’s not what you want to see happen to your painted furniture.
These chairs were lightly sanded. Very lightly actually. I hit the flat surfaces with my electric rotary sander (I use THIS one or THIS one) to remove some stuck on dirt, but left the poly on the spindles and legs to get a smooth finisher there.
I experimented with painting directly over the poly on THIS bed. And do you know what I found? The result was a smoother finish.
You cannot do this with all paints. But the enamel paint I use adheres so well (even to the poly) that I can paint right over it.
Wipe down the chairs to remove any sanding dust, then paint on a thin coat of the enamel paint. The above picture shows how the paint will look after your first coat. Don’t panic. That will cover very nicely with the second coat. You may need to touch up with a third coat if you missed a few areas.
Note: If your paint is white or close to white, you will need a primer for full coverage, but you won’t need to prime with a dark color paint.
The result is a super smooth finish that hardens in just hours (not the weeks or months that latex paint requires).
You can find out the exact brand of enamel paint I use on chairs along with tips on how to manipulate the paint for a smoother (no brush strokes) finish in my Painting Furniture ebook…
You can learn more about the exact paint I use in my Painting Furniture ebook.
Click image to learn more…
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products I use myself.
Laura says
Love this! I have been looking to paint my kitchen chairs black but would like a flat finish with distressed appearance. So my question is, does the water based enamel perform well (if available) in a flat/matte finish and if I only apply one coat and am satisfied with the coverage?
Vicki Blazejowski says
Laura, If you’re looking for an unfinished distressed look, then 1 coat may be enough (see photo in post). If you want full coverage but the look of light distressing in only certain areas, then you’ll need at least 2 coats. Keep in mind that enamel paint hardens quickly and is very difficult to sand back once dried. You may be better off not adding the second coat to those “distressed” areas. The water base performs well and comes in both a semi-gloss and a low lustre finish. Would love see before and after photos. 🙂
Jane says
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your expertise! I have 6 golden oak dining chairs that I hope to start painting (duck egg blue) soon and was wondering what paint to use and your article(s) were so helpful. Your chair project looks so smooth, what do you recommend using — a paint sprayer (brand?), bristle, or a foam brush?
Vicki Blazejowski says
Hi Jane, This angled clearcut brush is the only one I use. https://amzn.to/3bQPryq . It’s super trim and applies the paint in nice thin layers. I usually saw off half the wooden handle to make it easier to get into tight spaces. I also highly recommend you get this “Painting Furniture” ebook which tells you exactly which enamel paint I use. https://entriways.com/painting-furniture/ . Happy painting!
Jane says
Thank you so much! And for the links, that’s great!
Nikki says
Hi! Have you ever used a paint sprayer with this type of paint? Thanks!
Vicki Blazejowski says
I have not used a sprayer with this paint. It dries very quickly so if you try that you may have to thin it quite a bit.
Irene says
Hi
Can you give me advice on what color of acrylic enamel is best for my wooden sofa chair. Our house is kind of small… so I was wondering what will be the best color of my wooden sofa.or should i just varnish it again??
Vicki Blazejowski says
Irene, Happy to help. Can you send me a few pictures of the furniture?
Donna says
Have oak chairs that I have already painted black. Unfortunately I believed I used a latex pain. Do I need to sand them completely down before I repaint them with the correct paint? Or can I primer them and then use the enamel paint???
Vicki Blazejowski says
Donna, I’ve used latex paint with a primer on many chairs before I discovered the enamel. With a primer the latex should be ok. Without a primer, the latex paint applied to bare wood will likely peel, but that could be a few years down the road. If you want to apply an enamel, you may need to remove the latex if it’s not adhered well, but it’s hard to say without seeing it.
Cindy says
Is this the best paint for unfinished paint grade cabinets?
Vicki Blazejowski says
It’s great on cabinets as well as the other paint I mention in the ebook. The paint adheres really well to every surface I’ve ever applied it to. However, if the cabinets have never had any coating, you may want to apply a primer. A tinted primer if painting a dark color.
Pamela J Caudill says
Could you tell me what your approach is when painting spindled chairs? Where do you start (spindles, seat, legs??) Do you paint the underside of the chair seat as well? Thank you.
Vicki Blazejowski says
Yes, I paint the entire chair. Here’s a post with the on How to Paint a Wooden Chair: The Process & The Products
Susan C Pierson says
I Like Behr water based, acrylic, enamel.
Vicki Blazejowski says
Enamel paints are great. I haven’t tried the Behr though. Good to know.
Lulu says
I have Broyhill Fontana “orange” solid pine kitchen chairs that are in excellent shape. I think there’s a light coat of poly. Would this method work? Should I clean with tsp, then lightly sand all over, then use oil enamel? Should I add a topcoat? This will be my first time ever painting anything. Thanks so much.
Vicki Blazejowski says
You should not need a topcoat is you’re using an oil-based enamel. If you’re painting a light color be sure to use a primer (oil-based if you’re using oil paint).