How to Paint Laminate Furniture: It’s All About the Prep!
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This is a question I get a lot, and the answer is yes, you can paint laminate furniture! In fact, it is a fantastic candidate for a paint makeover, since stripping and staining are out of the question. While it is true that paint has a harder time sticking to a smooth surface like laminate, you just need to keep a few things in mind when you are prepping the piece for paint. So the next time you see a piece of furniture that is all laminate or has a laminate top, know that it is a great candidate for paint!
When I first started painting furniture, I really didn’t know there was any difference. The first laminate top I came across I did what I normally did, and the paint scratched right off. So I figured laminate pieces were off-limits and avoided them. Until one day I was given one for free by a friend. I figured out I needed to change my prep work a little. And guess what? Success! So if you’ve had a bad experience or are intimidated, I promise you that it’s totally doable!
Key Takeaways: Painting Laminate Furniture
- Yes, you can paint laminate furniture with proper prep work; focus on scuff sanding and using a bonding primer.
- Laminate is a smooth, non-porous surface that requires special prep to avoid paint failures.
- Quality varies in laminate furniture; avoid low-quality pieces but consider vintage or solid wood frame options.
- With the right prep, painted laminate furniture can look as beautiful and durable as painted wood.
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What is Laminate?
Simply put, laminate is a synthetic surface made that can be a solid color or made to look like wood. This surface is extremely durable and holds up to wear and tear better than traditional wood. It makes a great surface to paint over because you don’t have to worry about repairing any wood damage. The dresser pictured above is a great example and has a white laminate top.
Veneer vs. Laminate
Understanding the difference between these two is important! Veneer is a thin sheet of real wood that is glued to a substrate (wood or particle board/MDF). Veneer takes stain and paint the same way that wood does. Laminate is synthetic substance that is glued to the substrate. It cannot be stained and has more issues with paint adherence.
Can You Really Paint Laminate Furniture?
Yes, you really can, I promise. I know there is lots of conflicting advice out there about this. But I’ve successfully painted many pieces of laminate furniture over the years, and it is because I prep them properly. There are two key pieces of prep that must be done:
- Scuff sanding: Create a rough surface for your primer and paint to adhere to by scuff sanding.
- Use a bonding primer: Be sure you are are picking the right primer for the job, a bonding primer.
Why Laminate Is Harder To Paint
Laminate is a smooth, non-porous surface. Primers and paint don’t have anything to “stick to” and tend to scratch right off. which means the prep work is the most important part of the process. In my experience, most paint failures on laminate furniture happen because of inadequate prep, not because of the paint itself.
Types Of Laminate Furniture
Often people think of laminate furniture as being cheap and low quality. While this can certainly be the case, it isn’t always. This dresser for example, has a solid wood frame and is a quality vintage piece of furniture with a laminate top. Many MCM pieces have laminate tops for increased durability. The laminate itself sits on top of wood or a higher quality pressed wood. These make great for great paint makeovers!
However, many lower quality fast furniture pieces use thinner laminates over particle board. While these pieces can absolutely be painted for personal use, I generally don’t choose them for refinishing projects I plan to sell because I can’t charge enough for it to be worth the work.
What About High Gloss Finishes?
Wood furniture, especially newer wood furniture, may have a hard and glossy factory finish. While not technically laminate, I treat these surfaces in the same way and will prep them like I do laminate.
Steps to Paint Laminate Furniture
For this project, I used a vintage Dixie “Campaigner” style dresser. The sides are wood and the top is laminate. The original finish on the dresser was white paint with matching white laminate. The process for painting laminate is pretty much the same as painting traditional wood furniture; you just need to really focus on the sanding and priming steps (steps 2 and 3 below). For the rest of the dresser, I used my process for repainting a previously painted piece of furniture.
Step 1: Clean. Just like any furniture makeover, cleaning is an important first step. I clean laminate the same way would clean wood furniture, scrubbing with a good degreaser, such as Krud Kutter.
Step 2: Scuff Sand. Using 120-180 grit sandpaper, scuff up the laminate surface. I recommend scuff sanding before painting all furniture but it is extra important with laminate furniture!
Scuff sanding tips
1. The goal of scuff sanding is to get rid of the smoothness of the old finish and give some “teeth” for your paint and primer to stick to.
2. When scuff sanding laminate, I use a lower grit (120-180) than that for a real wood finish (180-220).
3. You can easily scuff sand by hand, but if you have an electric sander, it will make this step a whole lot faster.
4. In the end, you want it to feel a bit rough, but you don’t want any sanding marks that will show in your paint. Start with a lower grit and go back up if it needs to be smoothed out
Step 3: Apply a bonding primer. Using a brush or roller apply a bonding primer. When choosing a primer, be sure to pick a bonding primer. This is very important when painting laminate! Do two coats, allow the primer to dry overnight, lightly sand smooth with 400 grit, and wipe clean.
Step 4: Paint and seal with a top coat. Paint and seal as you would for any piece of wood furniture. For paint, either hand paint your piece with a brush or use a painting spray gun. Then seal your painted furniture. I painted this dresser in a custom color mix using ONE by Melange Paints and sealed with General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat in Flat.
Bonding Primers Compared
I happened to have both Melange Paints Clear Bonding Primer and Fusion Mineral Paint Ultra Grip on hand, so I did a quick comparison. I divided the top in half and applied one to each side. After letting the primer set overnight, I painted with two coats of paint and did a scratch test with my fingernail. Both held up very well and I wasn’t able to scratch either one off. I’ve used INSL-X Stix before and had good results (I just didn’t have any on hand to use in this side-by-side comparison). But I’m very comfortable recommending any of these three when painting laminate furniture.
Step 5. Finishing touches. Add any extras you’d like! I lined the inside of the drawers with a beautiful peel-and-stick-wallpaper. I also cleaned up the original hardware. After cleaning, there were some dots and splotches that I couldn’t remove, so I decided to paint the hardware. Using spray paint, I started with a dark gold spray paint, then added a brighter gold on top, and sealed it with a clear topcoat.
Painting Laminate Furniture FAQs
Yes, absolutely! With the proper prep work you can get a lasting and durable painted finish over laminate. Scuff sanding and using a bonding primer are key.
Veneer is real wood and will likely have some wear or imperfections in the surface. Laminate is smooth and uniform. If you look at an edge on the back of a piece of furniture you will often be able to see the layers and can tell if the top layer is wood or “plastic-y” laminate.
Any quality furniture paint will stick to laminate furniture with the right prep work. Scuff sanding and using a bonding primer are what will make the paint stick.
No, you always need to give the surface some “teeth” and something for your primer and paint to adhere to. Scuff sanding is absolutely necessary.
Yes! Painting your own IKEA furniture is a great way to update you space. I don’t like to re-sell painted IKEA pieces though because they aren’t considered high quality construction that is built to last.
Summary
As you can see, there is no need to be intimidated when faced with laminate furniture! While it does require a little extra attention during the prep stage, the process is completely manageable for beginners and experienced furniture painters alike. The key is understanding that adhesion matters more than anything else. A thorough cleaning, proper scuff sanding, and a quality bonding primer will set you up for success. I’ve painted many laminate furniture pieces over the years, and when those steps are done correctly, the finish can be just as durable and beautiful as painted wood furniture.
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