How to Paint Furniture Light Gray

Clean the piece of furniture you want to paint with deglosser and a nylon scourer. Wear gloves while cleaning. Wipe over the surface with a damp tack cloth and let it dry fully.

Go over the whole piece of furniture with a medium-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface and get it ready for receiving the primer. Wipe over the surface with a dry tack cloth to remove sanding dust.

Paint on a coat of white primer. Read the primer manufacturer’s instructions for appropriate drying times and application procedure. Follow the directions for your particular brand of primer.

Apply a thin coat of light gray paint to the furniture and let it dry. Sand the piece of furniture very lightly with a fine-grit sandpaper, which will polish the surface of the paint without taking off too much color. Lightly sanding between coats of paint achieves an even, satin finish on the furniture. Wipe the furniture down to remove dust.

Paint a second coat of gray paint on top and let it dry. Examine the furniture to check that an even hue has been achieved over the whole piece of furniture. If not, lightly sand and repaint a third time.