The Ultimate Guide to DIY Furniture Painting Without Sanding

Skip the sanding and still get a durable, smooth finish on any furniture project with this easy guide to DIY Furniture Painting Without Sanding!

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I’ve always been a die-hard proponent of sanding furniture before painting. But after discovering this step-by-step process, I’ll show you how to get a beautiful finish without the mess of sanding!

Whether you are a beginner or an old pro at refinishing furniture, I’ll show you my best no-sand tips and products for getting a smooth, well-bonded finish on your next furniture project.

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If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know that I’m a advocate of doing things right the first time. And for me, doing things right when it comes to furniture painting, always meant sanding first.

Sanding has always been important to remove the sheen from the old furniture finish. Because if you try to apply paint to a shiny finish, it won’t adhere which means scraping off paint and redoing the furniture piece all over again.

However, there is more than one way to remove that shiny finish on furniture projects. This step-by-step tutorial will show you the steps to take to ensure that your paint finish adheres beautifully for years to come!

This is my late grandmother’s secretary desk that is at least 90 years old, making this one of my most meaningful and important paint projects.

This is also the first furniture piece I have ever painted without sanding!

Supplies Needed: DIY Furniture Painting without Sanding

STEP 1: Prep Your Furniture Piece

Vacuum up or wipe off any loose dirt from your furniture piece, including dust, spider webs, and whatever other ‘treasures’ you find!

(In this secretary desk, I found an old family slide, wedged behind a drawer. When I hold it to the light, it looks like a pic of my mom’s family when she was young on a fishing trip.)

I like to disassemble my furniture projects as much as possible before I paint.  By breaking down this secretary desk into smaller pieces, I save a lot of time because I can use a roller to paint more flat surfaces instead of trying to get into tiny areas with a small brush. 

Even with the extra step of disassembling and later reassembling, this step saves a lot of time and frustration.  Win-win!

The first thing I removed was the top scroll work which was in pretty rough condition.  Fortunately, I was able to unscrew it from the top of the secretary.

You can see how I removed the back, shelves, doors and even the detailed mail slots from the inside. 

I will paint the smaller pieces on my covered dining table and the main body of the secretary will be painted in my entry way.

Now that your piece is disassembled, it’s time to degloss!

Step 2: Use Deglosser on Your Furniture Piece

For this tutorial, we will be using a deglosser instead of sanding. In most cases, the deglosser replaces the role of sanding by removing the sheen or scuffing the furniture’s surface. 

However, did you know that Krud Kutter Gloss-Off also cleans your furniture piece?

That’s right, we are skipping not only the sanding step but also the cleaning step with this product: Krud Kutter Gloss-Off

Before applying the Gloss-Off, I got two containers.  The smaller rectangular container has about an inch of Gloss Off in the bottom and the other round container is about half full of water.

I highly recommend getting these no-scratch sponges to avoid any damage to the surface of the furniture: Zero Scratch Scotch Brite Sponges

Dip your sponge in the smaller container of Gloss-Off and wipe it on the surface of your furniture piece in circles with some pressure.  I like to apply deglosser to one section at a time.

Don’t be afraid to apply some elbow grease as you are scrubbing the surface.  With this step, we are not only deglossing but removing any dirt or grease that would prevent the primer from adhering to the surface.

Once you are finished with that section, dip a clean rag in the water and wipe down the section you just deglossed.

If your rag looks dirty, that’s a good indicator that you need to scrub that section with Gloss-Off one more time.

After you scrub that section again, Go onto the next section or side of your furniture piece and do this step again to that section.

When you are done with the entire surface, wipe off any excess moisture with a dry rag and let it dry for an hour before priming.

STEP3: Prime with Cover Stain Spray Primer

Because we aren’t sanding this furniture piece, I opted to spray prime it outside to reduce brush marks in the final finish.

If you don’t feel comfortable spraying on the primer, use Cover Stain in the can and the roller I mention in the supply list.  Also, use a cheap brush for getting stain in tight corners and just throw it away when you are done.

If you are new to spray painting and want to give it a try, get this free printable here:

For pieces you are not sanding, always use an oil-based primer to help the primer adhere better.

I used Univeral Bonding Spray Primer in white for the inside and Universal Bonding Primer in gray for the outside. (Any Rustoleum spray primer will work!)

By priming in a shade close to the color depth of the final finish, I get better coverage with my primer and save time and money because I don’t have to apply a second coat.

Shake your spray primer and spray it on the furniture piece.  I believe I did two coats of primer, waiting about 20 minutes between each.

You’ll notice the unevenness in the primer surface which looks kind of like tiger stripes.  That’s completely fine.  The primer doesn’t have to be pretty in terms of coverage because it’s just is to help the paint stick to the desk.  Then, it’s the paint’s job to be pretty!

After it dried, I brought it in and repaired the damage to the wood with wood filler:

How to Repair Furniture Damage Before Refinishing

If you have any rough surfaces where the spray primer dried too fast in the air before landing on the furniture, lightly scrub those off with the scratchy side of a DRY sponge.  You can tell I’m really committed to this whole “no sanding” method.  (A foam sanding block works great for this too!)

I like to wait until the next day to paint but you usually don’t have to.  Just follow the directions on your can of primer.

STEP 4:  Painting Furniture To Get a Smooth Finish

When painting furniture, use a good roller on all surfaces possible.  Then,for the areas that you can’t access with a roller, use a high-quality brush to get in tight corners. 

My Favorite Roller For Furniture | My Favorite Paint Brush for Furniture | Cheap (But Still Great) Brushes

Be sure to roll and brush in long strokes doing one side at a time.  When you get up to paint the next section, check the section before last for drips and so on.

Don’t waste time washing your brush and roller between coats. Just put each in a ziplock bag and put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to paint again. When it’s time for your next coat, your brush and roller will be ready to use!

Right before the last coat of paint, look for any mistakes in the paint surface that catch your eye.  This might be a paint drip or area where the brush strokes are super obvious. 

Use painter’s tape on edges where two different colors meet.

Using a roller on the window inlay proved to be a lot easier than using a brush.

If you find any paint imperfections after your coat has dried, you can use the rough side of a dry sponge to sand scrub out these imperfections.  Wipe them with a damp rag before adding your final coat.

I spray-painted my hardware in Rustoleum Metallic in Gold and was happy with the finish!

To give the inside of my cabinet more dimension, I added beadboard wallpaper to the back panel. You can see how to do that here: How to Install Beadboard Wallpaper So It Looks Like The Real Thing

STEP 5:  Reassemble Your Furniture Piece

Place the main body of your secretary desk in the location where it will “live” in your home.  Then assemble it in place.  

My foundation is somewhat uneven and the doors on my secretary don’t close the same in one part of my entry way verses another.  So that’s why it’s a good idea to assemble it in place.

With antique furniture pieces, doors might not fit together just right after painting them so you can use a wood plane to keep that door’s edge from sticking.  Then just touch up that area with paint and a small brush.

And here is how my grandmother’s secretary desk turned out! I’m so excited with this furniture transformation. It’s so appropriate that this special piece is the first thing you see as you walk in my front door.

I added this rose applique to give it a feminine and personal touch as rose growing is my favorite hobby.

Can You Get a Smooth Finish On Furniture Without Sanding?

While there are some visible brush strokes, I’m really impressed with how this piece turned out considering I didn’t sand it.

Because of the deglosser I used, we were able to skip the cleaning AND the sanding step. To make sure our paint bonded well on a non-sanded piece, we used oil-based primer to increase adhesion.

Also, I used spray primer to minimize brush strokes and it actrually took less time than rolling on a primer.

All in all, I feel confident that this piece will be as durabe as it is beautiful for another 90 years to come. Fortunately, this step-by-step process allows you to have a great final finish without the hassel, time and mess of sanding.

Stop! Don’t forget to take a pic.  When you are done, post the pic on Instagram and tag me @renovatedfaith! ❤️

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Final Thoughts on How To Paint Furniture Without Sanding

It’s truly amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to an antique piece of furniture. Furniture painting has come a long way and fortunately, with the right products and this process, you can get the best results without sanding! With these useful tips, you can get a beautiful and tough finish on any furniture piece without the mess and hassle of sanding!

I love to hear your thoughts and questions!  Scroll down to leave a comment and I WILL reply! ❤️

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

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