Taking an old piece of furniture and giving it a new lease on life is easy with a little bit of paint, but preparation is key to a good paint job.
Acrylic paint is easy to apply and comes in a multitude of colours to suit every décor. To note: Wooden furniture will generally have a topcoat such as a varnish, or an oil based coating, and if you do not remove this topcoat, the paint will not adhere to the surface.
Slightly sand the piece with 220 grit sandpaper, either with a power sander or by hand, sanding just enough to rough up the old paint and/or finish to give the new paint something to stick to.
To ensure the surface is clean after sanding and there is no trace left on the furniture, use a damp micro fibre cloth to remove residue.
For a nice, smooth finish, use a 3/8-inch nap mini roller to paint on the primer and then wait for about two hours for the primer to dry.
Depending on what you want as a final texture, you can either paint your colour on with a roller for full coverage or, if you want a more rustic look, a paintbrush will leave strokes on the paintwork. To achieve this effect, after covering the surface with a roller, take a brush and back brush (without dipping it in paint) to create a modest brush stroke effect.
Wait between coats for the paint to dry if you are applying several layers.
Stand back and admire your handywork!