Repaint Kitchen Table and Chairs the Easy Way with These 12 Steps

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Does your wooden kitchen furniture look old, tired, and in need of a refreshing? Don’t buy new! Just repaint your kitchen table and chairs in 12 easy steps.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Decide the Perfect Color for Your Kitchen Table and Chairs Repainting Project
• 2. Decide on the Best Type of Paint for Your Kitchen Table and Chairs Repainting Project
• 3. Purchase Materials for the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Project
• 4. Protect Your Floors From Paint Splatters
• 5. Degrease the Wood on the Kitchen Table and Chairs Being Painted with Windex
• 6. Sand All the Wood on the Kitchen Tables and Chairs
• 7. Grab the Windex and Paper Towels and Degrease Again
• 8. Make Sure to Tape Off Non-Paint Parts of the Kitchen Table and Chairs with Painter’s Tape
• 9. Open Your Paint Can and Get the Party Started
• 10. Let the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Process Begin with the First Coat
• 11. Add a Second Coat on the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Project
• 12. Repeat and Do a Third Coat of Paint on the Kitchen Table and Chairs

When the family gathers around the kitchen table for a meal, magic happens.

Kids tell about their day, great food is consumed, and stories are shared. 

However, if the kitchen table has seen better days – it might be time for an upgrade.

If your kitchen table and chairs are dated, tired, chipping, or just plain ugly – then upgrade the easy way and repaint.

When my husband and I purchased our new-to-us 1960s home, we were on a tight budget.

The move was expensive, and we had to make do with the furniture we already owned.

With that in mind – I decided to get to work and repaint my kitchen table and chairs – and created some pro tips to share along the way.

So – let’s get into it!

I had just finished re-painting my kitchen cabinets with a Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kit and looked at my kitchen table and chairs and decided to keep on painting.

I was extremely impressed with the paint for the kitchen cabinets, so I decided to order an additional can of the Nuvo Cabinet paint in titanium and redo the kitchen table and chairs, too.

Since the top of my table was a faux marble, I left that alone and focused only on repainting the legs of the table, the under area, and the chair legs.

1. Decide the Perfect Color for Your Kitchen Table and Chairs Repainting Project

With so many choices of colors to paint existing kitchen tables and chairs, it can be a difficult choice.

I decided to pull the white titanium color from my kitchen cabinet repainting and tie in the color with the kitchen table and chairs.

By selecting the same color, I felt it provided a cohesive look for the kitchen.

If you are still unsure what color to pick – consider what is currently trendy.

The nice thing about painting is – if it doesn’t work, you can always repaint it again.

Some popular color trends for kitchen tables are currently:

• Bright blue chairs with grey/beige table
• White chairs with a white table
• Grey chairs with a dark grey table
• Bold pink chairs with a grey table
• White-washed chairs with white table

There are so many great ways to upgrade a kitchen table and chairs to create a new look and style.

Mixing and matching colors is a fun and inexpensive way to change up the vibe of the kitchen quickly.

2. Decide on the Best Type of Paint for Your Kitchen Table and Chairs Repainting Project

Be sure to select the best kind of paint for your kitchen table and chairs project – not all furniture is the same.

Popular types of paint for furniture include:
Acrylic

I continued with the same paint as my kitchen cabinets, Nuvo Cabinet Paint.

This type of paint is acrylic and went on extremely well.

I found it was easy to use and offers great coverage.

Some benefits of acrylic when re-painting kitchen tables and chairs are:

• Short drying time
• Low odor
• Adheres well to surfaces
• Clean-up is simple with soap and water

Latex

A popular option for repainting kitchen tables and chairs is latex paint.

Known to be easily accessible, latex paint dries quickly and comes in a large variety of colors. There are a few downsides to latex.

This type of paint takes a long time to cure, making it prone to chipping and scratching when painted on heavy-use furniture. 

Chalky

Chalky paint has created a big buzz in recent years since when applied, it can create a vintage look to furniture. 

When applying chalky paint to kitchen tables and chairs, it goes on thick and builds easily with added layers.

Some drawbacks to chalky paint include fast drying time can lead to unwelcome brush strokes. 

3. Purchase Materials for the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Project

Now that the type of paint and color is selected, it’s time to create a supply list.

Kitchen table and chair re-painting supply list:

• Paint
• Drop cloths or painter’s plastic (for the floor)
• Windex (for degreasing)
• Paper towels
• Handheld sanding block (two one for each of us)
• Sandpaper
• Tiny brushes (three different sizes)
• Painter’s tape
• Clear tape
• Paint mixing tool
• Paint can opener
  
  

4. Protect Your Floors From Paint Splatters

With the supplies purchased, it’s time to prep for the kitchen table and chairs repainting process. 

The first thing to prep is the floors.

Make sure to put painter’s plastic or drop cloths underneath any area that will be painted.

It’s extremely easy to accidentally spill paint or have a few drops come off the brush while painting. (I learned this the hard way.)

Pro tip: If using painter’s plastic, add a few pieces of scotch tape to secure the plastic to the floor. This makes it much easier to walk around on the plastic while painting.

5. Degrease the Wood on the Kitchen Table and Chairs Being Painted with Windex

This may be one of the most important and often overlooked, steps in repainting kitchen tables and chairs. 

Degreasing removes anything that might be caked on the wood surface from use.

I used a simple duet of Windex and paper towels and sprayed and wiped all surfaces that would be painted.

6. Sand All the Wood on the Kitchen Tables and Chairs

Probably the absolute most important step in furniture painting is sanding.

Now I know there are some furniture painting kits out there that boast “no sanding necessary.”

I checked and saw that the Nuvo Painting Kit did suggest light sanding. 

In general, paint has a difficult time adhering to smooth and shiny surfaces as well as older woods.

Since my kitchen table and chairs had a protective film over the wood, I had to do more than light sanding – it was quite a sanding workout.

I used a few different grit sandpaper types as well as a sanding block. The 100 or 150- grit sandpaper is best to start with, then go over the area again at the end with 220-grit sandpaper. 

The sanding block was great for the long portion of the kitchen table legs as it didn’t tire my arms and hands out as much as the sandpaper.

7. Grab the Windex and Paper Towels and Degrease Again

After sanding, degreasing again is imperative. 

The second round of degreasing with Windex and paper towels removes all the sanding residue as well as any dirt and grime that was unearthed.

If you paint before degreasing again the paint will not adhere to the wood properly.

8. Make Sure to Tape Off Non-Paint Parts of the Kitchen Table and Chairs with Painter’s Tape

Be sure to apply a good painter’s tape (I used Frog Tape) to protect areas of the kitchen table that aren’t being painted. 

I made sure to tape off the faux marble portion underneath the table as well as the sides to protect it from accidental paint splatters or strokes.

I also taped off the padding on my kitchen chairs to make sure nothing got on the seat cushion either.

9. Open Your Paint Can and Get the Party Started

The next thing to prep before painting kitchen tables and chairs is getting the paint ready. 

Open the can of paint using: 

• Flathead screwdriver
• Putty knife
• Paint can opener
• Painter 6-in-1 tool
  

To remove the lid off the paint can gently pry the edging with one of the tools above.

Slip the edge of the tool (whichever one is chosen) under the lip and lift upward (slowly) then move to another area and lift again until the lid eventually pops off. 

Pro tip: Be careful when the lid pops off as there could be some paint on it.

Once the paint can is opened, now is the time to mix it.

Mixing the paint is important as paint components, can and often do, separate. 

To prepare the paint, gently use a paint mixing tool (such as a wooden stick) to churn the paint. 

10. Let the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Process Begin with the First Coat

After all that prep work – the fun is about to begin! It’s time to start painting.

I used a variety of brush sizes to hit every nook and cranny of the kitchen table legs and kitchen chair legs. 

Pro tip: While painting, make sure to keep brush strokes consistent – I recommend painting up and down for a fluid look.

11. Add a Second Coat on the Kitchen Table and Chairs Painting Project

After allowing ample drying time, you will basically repeat step 10.

Keep paint strokes consistent to match the style from the first coat of paint.

12. Repeat and Do a Third Coat of Paint on the Kitchen Table and Chairs

The last coat of paint is to make sure the kitchen table and chairs are thoroughly painted, and the brush strokes are consistent. 

Final thoughts

Repainting dated or ugly kitchen tables and chairs is an easy and cost-effective way to revitalize a room.

I absolutely love the final product of my repainting project. 

Although my kitchen table and chairs worked well with dark wood at my previous house, repainting the table legs and chair legs with titanium white worked perfectly to brighten my new kitchen.

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Your turn!

Are you thinking of repainting old furniture to repurpose it?

If you were going to repaint kitchen table and chairs at your home – what color would you pick? Let me know in the comments.

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