Painting & Distressing Laminate Furniture

Wash the furniture piece if necessary. Remove doors, drawers and shelves.

Sand the piece with 220-grit sandpaper. Use a palm sander if it’s a large furniture piece. Sand by hand any nooks and crannies you can’t reach with the palm sander. Sand until white flecks appear on the surface of the furniture and the shine is gone.

Vacuum dust in the room. Take a clean cloth and wipe down the furniture piece. Remove all of the sanding dust because it will interfere with paint adhesion and ruin your paint job.

Apply a primer designed for laminate using a foam brush or a foam roller. Check out your work once its dried. Apply another coat if necessary. Let it dry.

Sand the furniture until the surface is smooth to the touch.

Apply a thin coat of interior latex paint with a foam brush or a foam roller. Let it dry. Gently sand away any uneven areas on the furniture piece with 220-grit sandpaper. Apply another coat of paint if you like. Let it dry.

Use the palm sander to remove paint from areas on the furniture piece that normally show wear and tear. Sand legs, arms, rungs, corners and edges so the furniture looks distressed.

Wipe away sanding dust with a cloth.