How to Redo and Choose Paint Colors for Furniture

Strip the original paint from your furniture with mineral spirits or similar paint thinning solvent. Pour a small amount of solvent on a clean cloth, then dab the furniture with the cloth. Allow the solvent to soak for about 10 minutes. If necessary, apply more solvent to areas that dry up before the time is up.

Scrub the thinned paint and solvent from the furniture. Scrape the furniture with a plastic putty knife to remove the bulk of the paint. Scour the furniture with a soft-bristled scrub brush or 0000-grade steel wool. Apply more solvent and let it soak as needed.

Stir 1/4 cup of trisodium phosphate into 1 gallon of hot water. Use this solution to scrub the wood clean. Rinse the wood and allow it to dry.

Select colors that complement your current decor. Stand in the room with the piece of furniture and take a look at the current palette or color scheme in the room. If you have a lot of neutral tones, choose tan, taupe, cream or caramel brown for the piece of furniture. Pick a bold color if the room is monochromatic.

Get samples of the different colors you think will go well with your decor. Most hardware, home improvement and paint stores will give you small amounts of paint so you can see how each one works with the room.

Apply a coat of wood primer to your furniture. Paint the primer on with a paintbrush, roller or paint sprayer. Allow it to dry. Paint a small amount of each sample over the primer. Allow the sample area to dry and decide which one you like best.

Paint over the samples with more primer. Allow the primer to dry, then paint the entire piece of furniture with the paint you decided to use. As with the primer, the paint can be applied with a brush, roller or sprayer.

Allow the paint to dry. If desired, apply more coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one.

Apply a protective sealer over the dried paint. Sealers vary by manufacturer, so read the label for specific instructions on application and drying.