How to Paint Wood Veneer Furniture to Make It Shabby Chic

Sand the entire piece of furniture. Take out all drawers, and take off any hardware that the furniture may have. Wipe the piece down with a soft cloth to remove the dust from sanding.

Paint a coat of primer over the furniture piece using the paintbrush or roller. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Allow to dry per the instructions on the primer before proceeding.

Apply your first coat of paint with the paintbrush or roller. Apply a gray first coat if you plan on painting the piece white. That way, you can sand the white down to the gray color for the shabby chic look. If you are using a darker final color, apply a lighter shade for the first coat so that you can sand back to the lighter color. Let the first coat dry completely.

Paint a second coat in your final color of choice. Let dry.

Apply your third and final coat of paint in the same color as the second coat. Let dry completely.

Sand various areas of the furniture piece down to the first coat of paint. Assess the piece of furniture for where wear and tear would most likely happen. If it is a table, for instance, the edges and surface would have wear marks. A drawer would have wear marks around the handle, around the edges and on top of the unit.

Stand back from the furniture regularly to assess the overall look. Sand little parts at a time, then see how the piece looks from a distance before proceeding. Keep sanding off little portions at a time until you reach your desired shabby chic look.