Painting Already-Finished Wood Furniture a Different Color

Clean the surface of the wood furniture with a degreasing cleaner, such as trisodium phosphate. Use a soft cloth to wipe the solution on the wood. Rinse the wood thoroughly by wiping the trisodium phosphate solution off with a cloth dampened with clean water. Rinse and wring out the cloth frequently to ensure you rinse the surface thoroughly. Wipe the wood dry with a clean, soft, dry cloth.

Fill in any gashes, scratches or other irregularities in the surface, using a wood filler product and small putty knife. Follow the manufacturer's directions as to hardening time before sanding.

Sand the entire piece with 150-grit or finer sandpaper. Do not press hard; the goal is to rough up the surface, not smooth it out. The roughed-up surface gives the primer something to grab onto, making for a tighter bond between the primer and the wood surface.

Remove the sanding dust using a brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner. After using the vacuum, let the dust settle in the room for a few minutes, then wipe off any remaining dust or sanding particles on the wood with a tack cloth.

Apply one to two coats of primer, using a disposable foam paintbrush. These disposable paintbrushes minimize the appearance of lines in the paint from regular paintbrushes and make cleanup easy. Although primer is offered for sale in white, the paint store can tint it for you. Have the primer tinted a color slightly lighter than the new paint color you have chosen for your wood furniture. Depending on the original color of the piece and the color you are painting it, a tinted primer may allow you to get away with applying a single top coat of your chosen paint color. Let the primer coat dry, following the manufacturer's recommendations.

Smooth out the primer coat by gently wiping over it with extra-fine steel wool. Remove the steel-wool dust by wiping over the piece with a tack cloth.

Paint the wood furniture its final color, using a disposable foam paintbrush. Begin at the bottom of the piece, working up towards the top. Paint the top of the piece last, whether it is a dresser or a table. This reduces the possibility of marring the paint on the most visible surface as you paint the sides and legs of the piece. Let the paint dry according to the manufacturer's label instructions. Apply a second coat, if desired, following the instructions in Steps 5 and 6.

Apply an optional clear top coat to protect the paint from chipping. Use polyurethane or regular varnish, applying it following the label directions for type of brush and drying time.

Smooth out the final top coat with extra-fine steel wool, after the final coat of paint or sealer has dried completely. Follow it with a tack cloth to remove the sanding debris.