Whether new or old, acquiring furniture is always fun yet a challenging task to customize. The primary type of furniture that is usually refurbished or customized is wood. One of the types of wood that is perfect for customizing would be oak.
Oak furniture can be painted on, either by brush or spray paint. However, what’s important is how you prep your furniture so the finishing product is something you love. Painting your oak furniture gives your space a sophisticated, modern look. Most prefer to use spray paint because it’s quicker, but painting by brush gives a more homemade aesthetic.
If you’re interested in painting your oak furniture, look at our guide below on how to paint your furniture, things to consider before you paint, and what kind of paint to use.
Things to Consider When Painting Your Oak Furniture
Starting a new project, especially painting furniture, is always an exciting task. However, before you start rolling on that paint, there are many things to consider before applying it to your oak furniture.
Set A Time To Paint Your Oak Furniture
Sometimes, you want to paint as soon as you get the materials and prep your furniture. Setting a specific time to paint is essential as it takes about four days. The more time you spend painting the furniture, the more likely the end product will meet your expectations.
Clean Off Your Oak Furniture
This is crucial, especially if your furniture has been thrifted. By cleaning the dirt and grime off the furniture piece, you reduce the chances of the paint not sticking to the surface or flakiness.
Deconstruct Your Oak Furniture
A rather tedious task. While you can leave the furniture whole and try to paint around the hinges, this might cause paint to get on it. By taking apart the doors, hinges, knobs, and drawers, it will be easier to paint every nook and cranny of the furniture.
If you’re going to deconstruct your furniture, keep track of what piece goes where by placing them in a ziplock bag and numbering them.
Sand Before Painting
As previously stated, if you do not want to sand your furniture, there are other alternatives. However, sanding helps the paint stick correctly and degloss the furniture.
Related: Sanders For Woodworking
Prime Before Painting
Priming your furniture before you paint will help the paint stick on and prevent the oak part of your furniture from bleeding through. This will act as a safeguard for the paint job.
What Paint Is Good For Oak Furniture?
So you can use paint, either spray or manually by brush, on your oak furniture. However, if you want your furniture to pop, there are a few specific paint options.
Mineral Paint
Mineral paint is a painter’s favorite because it requires minimal to no work. You do not have to prep or prime the furniture with this paint beforehand. Also, it can stick on any surface, and it is waterproof, stain-resistant, and doesn’t require a topcoat.
- All-in-One: Our DIY paint contains built in primer and top coat to paint almost any surface, indoor or outdoor including wood, laminate, glass, metal, and kids toys; wax & sealants are optional
- Quality You Can Trust: Respected manufacturer with over 80 years experience; amazing adhesion; great coverage requiring less paint coats; long lasting durability; little to no prep work required
- Paint for Furniture, Kitchen Cabinets & More: Formulated for furniture, home decor, kitchen cabinets, upholstery, craft projects & more
Chalk Paint
Like mineral paint, chalk paint also needs little to no prep work and leaves a nice matte finish, giving your furniture a shabby chic approach. It dries off quickly, is easily distressed, and can be used in a paint sprayer. The only issue with chalk paint is that it’s hard to find since it’s popular, and stains will more likely bleed through this paint.
- Use on a variety of interior surfaces like wood, metal, ceramic, canvas and easily distress to create a vintage look
- Low-odor, latex formula allows for easy clean up with soap & water
- Dries to the touch in just 30 minutes and covers up to 150 sq ft, 1-coat coverage allows projects to be completed easily. For best results: Lightly scuff high gloss surfaces with sand paper or a...
Milk Paint
Having milk paint will give your oak furniture a soft pastel aesthetic. However, it does tend toward not entirely sticking to the surface. To resolve this, you would have to mix the milk paint with a bonding agent so that it can adhere to the surface. The bonding agent is only recommended for the first coat.
- This paint is self-sealing and does not require a topcoat
- Do not apply clear topcoats over bright white paint, as yellowing may occur due to a reaction to the substrate. Light color paints may also experience yellowing due to topcoat application, but it will...
- Extremely durable premium furniture paint with high adhesion rated for interior or exterior use.
Other Techniques of Sanding
If you’re not sanding our oak furniture, there are also methods of giving your oak furniture a smooth finish. Two of these options would include bonding primer and liquid deglosser.
Bonding Primer
If you dislike the hassle of sanding your furniture, bonding primers offer the same high quality but without the hassle of doing it. Bonding primers work primarily on surfaces like glass, metal, tile, etc., so it’s an all-purpose-based solution. They are a bit pricey, so sometimes the cheapest option is to buy a 2-in-1 paint and primer.
Liquid Deglosser
Liquid deglosser is another solution to do when you don’t want to sand your furniture. It does have a potent smell, so apply it in a well-vented area. It’s perfect to work on more minor details for your oak furniture.
How Do You Change the Color of Oak Furniture?
You can! You can change the color of oak furniture by either staining or painting it. However, sanding is required if you’re staining your oak furniture, but only if you’re trying to change the furniture’s color from light to dark. Otherwise, sanding is recommended but not mandatory.
Oak Furniture Wood FAQs
Can You Spray Paint Oak Furniture?
Spray paint can be used when customizing your oak furniture. However, make sure that the specific spray paint you’re using is all-purpose, so you don’t have to worry if it works on the oak surface.
Can You Paint Oak Furniture Without Sanding?
As previously stated, sand oak furniture is only required if you want a smooth surface. It is not a requirement, but if you’re going to paint oak furniture without sanding, there are ways to do so.
Can You Paint Varnished Oak Furniture?
Luckily, you can paint over varnished oak furniture. Because varnish weathers away, giving it a fresh coat of paint will further rejuvenate the furniture and strengthen its durability. By giving your oak furniture some color, you can also prevent excessive dust, making the furniture easy to clean and maintain.
Final Thoughts
So, to review, can oak furniture be painted? Yes, either spray paint or manually by brush. You also have to sand and prime. We hope this helps you with your DIY painting furniture project!
