We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›
I recently gave my bookcases a much-needed makeover. Ever since I had painted the room a deep blue, this faux-wood furniture had been lost in the dark hue of the walls. A transformation was needed, and a crisp, fresh coat of white paint on the bookcases was the perfect solution.
Step 1: Sand the workpiece.
To begin, I gave each bookcase a good sanding with my orbital sander (hands down, my favorite power tool). These bookcases are made of a particle board-like composite with a faux-wood laminate exterior. It was important NOT to sand too much since the surface is essentially paper, but it was important to get them ‘roughed-up’ enough so the paint would absorb into the surface.
Step 2: Prime the surface.
The next key step is to prime all the surfaces. I used Kilz Primer, which blocks, seals, and preps the surface to which the paint will adhere.
Primer is important, especially when painting over laminate. Unlike wood, laminate is a smooth, nonporous material, so it really needs something to grab onto—primer will do the trick! It’s suggested that primer takes seven days to completely dry.
Tried-and-True Advice
“I’ve used Jenna’s technique to refresh several pieces of furniture. It’s effective, and it doesn’t cost a whole lot! I do have a couple of things to add from my own experience.
Having an orbital sander makes the job a lot quicker, but they can throw dust everywhere. If you can work outdoors or in a garage that’s great. If not, doing it by hand will still get the job done, there’s less dust, and lower risk of going right through the laminate. Wrapping the sandpaper around a block makes life easier. Any old scrap of 2×4 or something similar will work.
Before you paint, make sure there’s none of that dust left on the piece to contaminate the finish. Give it a quick wipe down with a slightly damp cloth. Oh, and always wear a mask and eye protection when you’re sanding. Fine dust can be really irritating to your eyes, nose, and throat.”
—Bob Beacham, Contributing Writer
Step 3: Apply paint over the primer.
After sanding, priming, and making a few updates, it was time paint. I used a brush for the corners and a roller for the flat surfaces. In certain areas, I used a brush first, then went over the same surface with the roller to achieve a smooth, stroke-less surface.
Pro tip: If the surface isn’t sanded or not sanded enough, then the paint will “bubble” or spot, as shown on the right, because it’s not properly adhering.
I’ll be honest, these bookcases took about three or four coats before I felt they were fully covered. And even after they were dry to the surface, I didn’t put anything on the shelves for at least a week. Paint takes about 30 days to fully cure and since heavy books and accessories would be sitting on the bookcases, I didn’t want to risk the paint job being ruined or beginning to peel!
And this is the result…
So refreshing! Now it’s time to add the books and accessories.
Painting laminate wasn’t difficult, but I did find it more time-consuming than painting wood furniture. To sum it up, the most important steps are to sand and prime all the surfaces before painting. If you were to skip those two steps, your paint would have nothing to adhere to and would most likely peel right off. Going into this project, I wasn’t sure if the paint would even stay on such a smooth, but thanks to the correct preparation, I was thrilled with the outcome.
Jenna Burger, the creative force behind SAS Interiors, is both a home blogger and a professional interior designer, not to mention a wife and mother. She has been passionate about interiors from an early age, though got her start in the field through architecture. After graduation, she switched gears and her dream of becoming an interior designer finally became a reality.
