Painting Natural Wood Furniture

Set old newspapers on your work surface. Place the furniture on top of the old newspaper.

Examine the piece of furniture closely, rubbing it with your hand, feeling for rough spots, splinters or imperfections in the wood.

Wear your protective goggles and dust mask. Gently sand smooth any of the rough spots or flaws you've found in Step 2. The rougher the imperfection, the rougher the sandpaper grit you should use.

Sand the furniture piece all over with a piece of fine or very fine sandpaper, rubbing with the grain of the wood. If the furniture item is already extremely smooth, you may skip this step.

Move the furniture off the old newspapers. Pick up the old newspapers and pour the sawdust into the trash, away from the furniture. Recycle the old newspaper and replace it with fresh newspaper.

Wipe the entire piece of furniture down with a tack cloth to remove all dust. Set the furniture on top of the newspaper.

Set the latex primer atop the newspaper. Open the primer and stir it as directed on the container using a paint stir stick. Pour some of the primer into a paint pan and reseal the lid on the primer. Paint the entire piece of furniture with the primer using a paintbrush, keeping the strokes smooth and even and in one direction. Cover all sides of the legs and back of the furniture piece, if desired. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Repeat Step 7, using the latex paint instead of primer. After the paint has dried, examine the furniture to determine whether it needs another coat of paint. Repaint if necessary and allow it to dry thoroughly.

Seal and protect your furniture by painting it with two or three coats of polyurethane sealer. Brush the sealer on with a foam brush, keeping the strokes smooth, slow and even to prevent bubbles. Gently wipe any wet drips with the foam brush. Allow polyurethane to dry completely between coats, per container directions.