How to Spray Paint Furniture Without Sanding (The Fastest Way to Paint Furniture)

Tired of furniture projects taking so long? This tutorial shows you how to spray paint furniture without sanding – and it only takes an hour or two!

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Furniture transformations don’t always happen overnight. Sometimes they can take DAYS depending on your primer, the number of paint coats needed, and whether you add a clear coat. Fortunately, a can or two of the right spray paint and these useful tips will give you a beautiful finish in one afternoon!

Spray painting is the fastest and easiest way to paint furniture once you know a couple of tricks.

HOWEVER, spray paint has two shortcomings. It can cause streaking on flat surfaces, and it can be cost-prohibitive. The good news is that I’ll show you how to get a smooth spray-painted finish on any furniture piece without breaking the bank.

You’ll also find out my not-so-secret product that allows spray paint to adhere to any wood surface without sanding!

(As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure HERE).

Spray Paint is the Magic Wand of Furniture Restoration

It’s fair to say that I have completed one of two spray paint projects in my day. In the corner of my garage, you can find a wire shelf with about 50 spray paint cans in a myriad of colors, all left over from projects.

RELATED: Easy Home Decor Spray Paint Projects (FREE Spray Painting Checklist)

I’ve learned one to do and what not to do to get the look of a factory finish with a $6 can of spray paint.

Spray paint allows you to get a durable finish without brush marks or brush strokes.

When it comes to painting furniture, you can use a paint sprayer, foam roller or a brush. Of these options spray paint is by far the fastest method but it’s not perfect.

Spray Paint Pitfalls

With spray painting, your piece of furniture must be spray-painted outside, so it isn’t ideal for a huge dining table that you want to paint in place, indoors.

Spray paint is also not a great option for old pieces with a lot of damage because it can have a hard time concealing imperfections.

Sometimes when painting a flat surface, you can leave streaks or spray paint lines in the surface. Also, flat surfaces seem to more easily catch overspray. This is where specks of spray paint that are already partially dried fall on another part of the furniture than what you are actually spray painting in that moment.

Since these particles of spray paint are partially dried, they fall as little granules on the surfaces, leaving it rough and uneven. But no worries! I have a couple tips that will help prevent streaks and overspray.

Spray paint can be expensive with some designer spray paints costing over $14. A large furniture piece could require 4 cans of spray paint if you are doing two coats and that adds up really fast (especially considering what small can of latex paint costs). Fortunately, I have found some low-cost, high-quality options.

What is the Best Spray Paint for Wood Furniture?

Using the right paint is half the battle. Do not waste time and money on some of the designer farmhouse brands. That’s especially the case with chalky finish spray paints as I’ve used them myself and had really poor results. My favorite spray paint product is Rustoleum, which usually costs about $6 a can.

Rustoleum is not only priced reasonably, but their paint is beginner-friendly and you can get a really nice, smooth finish.

FIND YOUR PERFECT COLOR HERE

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I like to use a satin finish. A glossy finish is the most durable, but it’s not very trendy right now, and it’s not forgiving when it comes to drips. A satin finish is more forgiving and is still a very durable paint finish.

Supplies Needed:

How to Remove Spray Paint From Your Hands

I’ve learned the hard way that it’s always good to have these on-hand, especially when I forget to wear gloves.

How to Spray Paint Furniture for Beginners

For this tutorial, I’m painting a small round side table with a dark brown stain. Elongated pieces or spindles are so much easier to spray paint than with a paintbrush. The only thing we have to watch out for are streaks on the top surface and possibly overspray.

Step 1: Prep for Spray Painting With A Deglosser

Proper preparation is important but instead of lightly sanding, we will use a deglosser, which is more thorough, less messy, and faster. I prefer to use Krud Cutter Gloss Off.

After laying down drop cloths, put a small amount of Gloss Off in a container and wipe a liberal amount over your entire piece with a microfiber cloth. Scrub in a circular motion. This product works like liquid sandpaper as it aids in paint adhesion by removing any sheen on shiny surfaces.

Gloss Off also does an excellent job of cleaning your furniture piece. If your deglosser seems to get cloudy or dirty, do this step once more.

For furniture that is not in good condition, now is the time to do some repairs: How to Fill Deep Scratches and Holes with Wood Filler

Step 2: Spray Prime Your Furniture Piece

Take your furniture piece outside and put it on an old board or piece of cardboard in the grass. Stay at least 4 feet from your driveway or sidewalk.

The most important step is using a good primer. There are many high-quality primers out there, but in my opinion, the best primer is Rustoleum’s Bonding Primer: GRAY PRIMER | WHITE PRIMER

Prime in white or a light color for lighter colored pieces and use dark gray for priming darker pieces. This will decrease the number of paint coats, which will save you money on spray paint.

Spray in a very light coat over the entire furniture piece. It will look blotchy, and you won’t have full coverage, but that’s how it’s supposed to look for this primer step!

Step 3: Spray Painting Furniture Without Sanding

The secret to spray painting is applying several very light coats of paint to get a smooth finish. For your first coat, don’t try to get full coverage. Just apply a light haze of paint on the furniture.

Wait about 20 minutes between coats and do a super light coat each time. Your subsequent coats all need to be between 10 to 50 minutes after the previous coat.

This required about three or four light coats, as it was previously a dark brown.

How to Prevent and Remove a Rough Surface Caused by Spray Paint Overspray

Sometimes spray paint doesn’t always land where we want it to. For example, as I was spraying the legs of my little end table, some overspray got on that second shelf at the bottom.

Normally, that’s not a big deal, but sometimes, that overspray has time to dry somewhat before it hits the painted surface, leaving a really rough, unprofessional-looking finish.

To remove this rough section, wait about 10 minutes after your previous coat of paint and use the abrasive side of a No-Scratch Sponge. Lightly wipe in small circles. This gently removes those little particles that leave a rough edge.

You want to remove this because it will only get rougher and more prominent with every coat of spray paint.

After you wipe off that area, wipe that small area with a damp cloth to remove sanding dust and wait about 30 minutes to recoat. You can do this as many times as you need to.

This is especially helpful on flat surfaces that are more likely to get a build-up of overspray.

How to Prevent Streaks/Stripes When Spray Painting Furniture

To get the best stripe-free paint job, work in one continuous direction from one side of the flat furniture surface to the other. Go from left to right continually without stopping in the middle. Work from top to bottom in light coats.

Wait at least 10 minutes between coats. When you start a new coat, turn the table 90 degrees and do the same again. This overlap will give you the best finish without the striping that so often occurs with spray paint.

STEP 4: Apply a Spray Paint Clear Coat (Optional)

If your project is a heavy-use furniture piece, adding a couple of light coats of a spray clear coat can give it the most durable finish.

Apply the clear coat in the same way you painted and use the tips above to avoid streaks. This Rustoleum Clear Coat in a Dead Flat sheen always gives me good results without taking a lot of time.

Spray 2-3 coats at 10-50 minute intervals and let the piece dry for 48 hours before using it.

And here’s how my end table turned out. If you spray coats at 10 minute intervals, you can probably do this in under an hour.

I’m really happy with how smooth the top and lower shelf turned out.

RELATED: Cute Ways to Decorate Your Home With Scripture

RENOVATE YOUR FAITH: Why Resting in God is the Most Productive Thing You’ll Do All Day

Most of my projects include a corresponding devotional. For more spiritual encouragement, click here for the rest of my project posts that also include Renovate Your Faith devotionals.

Last but not least, I decided to do a Seadrift finish to the top. This is my favorite faux paint finish and my easiest one. You can find it here: Seadrift Faux Finish Tutorial

More Posts Related to Spray Painting Wood Furniture

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Chalk Paint, Milk Paint and Latex Compared
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The Best Top Coat for Furniture
The Best Way to Paint Kitchen Cabinets (Free DIY Kitchen Cabinet Roadmap!)

Final Thoughts on Free Farmhouse Botanical Printables

Spray painting furniture is just a way to give new life to any thrift store fine or antique. With this step-by step process, I’ll show you how to get the best results by spray painting furniture the right way. Even if it’s your first time painting furniture, these simple steps will give your wood furniture a professional finish and a fresh look.

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

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

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