DIY Kitchen Table Painting Ideas

Give your kitchen table an update with these furniture renovation ideas.

Renovating furniture is a great option for updating a room. Taking an old piece of furniture and giving it a fresh new look can completely change the style of your space. Plus, who doesn't love to avoid the expense of a new kitchen table and chairs.

Give your dining room table a makeover for very low cost and high appeal. With so many different colors of paint and wood stain, it's easy to find a solution to updating your dining area. Try out any of these DIY kitchen table painting ideas for an easy and affordable furniture refresh.

What You Need to Know to Refinish a Kitchen Table

Supplies You Might Need

Paint or spray paint
Coat of primer
Sealant top coat
Wood stain
Rags for stain
High grit and low grit sandpaper
Orbital sander
Paint brush
Paint sprayer
Painter's tape
Lint-free cloth for cleaning
Drop cloths
Milk Paint
Chalk Paint

Start With a Good Piece

Like any DIY project, you will want to begin with an old table that is decent quality. Wood tables are ideal over other material. You can see more details on how to pick out the right piece of furniture and other prep here.

Prep Work for Refinishing a Table

Although we are discussing kitchen table painting, these tips apply to any type of DIY table or furniture makeovers you are completing. I used the same principles to refinish our painted bar stools. If you put in the hard work during preparation, your finished furniture pieces will look much better.

Remove the Current Finish and Hardware

The best way to begin a dining table makeover is to remove the current finish and take off the existing hardware. Whether that is stripping paint or removing stain by sanding it down, you want to start with a clean base.

Sometimes it isn't completely necessary to remove all the paint, but you will at least need to get enough off to have a smooth finish with your paint job.

Sanding

Sand down the top of the table really well with an electric sander. This is especially important for the top since it will see the most wear and tear.

You can also lightly sand the table base and table legs with higher grit sandpaper. It's a good idea to sand off any flaky paint or uneven paint.

Cleaning the Table

Don't forget to wipe down your furniture at the end of the sanding process. Use a vacuum to suck any dry dust particles and then use a cloth to wipe away anything else.

Painting Options for Kitchen Table and Furniture

Once you get past all of the prep work, the next step is applying primer, then paint or stain. Let's look at the type of paint you can use for your kitchen table makeover and what I have used on previous tables.

Milk Paint

Milk Paint - Paint that comes in a powdered form so you can control the consistency. This paint is designed to "chip" for a distressed look, but you can also make it a smooth finish.

The great thing about milk paint is it soaks into the wood. This helps to create a more durable finish. Milk paint will chip when it can't soak into the wood.

Chalk Paint

Chalk Paint - This type of paint sticks to just about everything. You don't even have to sand the wood before paint. However I would still recommend roughing up and then removing all the dust and grime.

It also sands nice and smooth because of its chalk-like texture. Annie Sloan chalk paint is a good option.

Latex Paint

Latex Paint - Hands down the best paint for holding up with little kids and longevity.

Cons of latex paint:

It doesn't go on quite as smooth as a chalk paint or milk paint. When you sand latex it can ball up rather than sand to a chalky smooth finish.

Pros of latex paint:

You can run it through a paint sprayer. This will give an amazingly smooth finish. I have never had much luck running milk paint or chalk paint through a sprayer. If you don't have a paint sprayer here are some tips to get a smooth finish with a brush.

Finishing the Table Top

If given the preference on the ultimate DIY dining table makeover, I would use a stain on the kitchen table top and paint on the rest of the table. We used this technique when redoing our table for our farmhouse kitchen. A pop of color is a fun accent to have on a table. We went with color for refinishing our bar stools.

Areas that are high traffic like your table top will wear much faster. Take the time to apply several coats of a clear protection sealant coat or go with a stain on top for longevity.

Final Coats for Painting a Table

When your table is all painted, it is time to add a sealant for a final step. A sealing coat is a must to make sure your final coat of paint is long-lasting. Use an oil-based sealant or water-based depending on the finished look you desire.

Oil-based sealers

Tend to look yellow over time
Thicker and can leave paint brush lines
Harder to apply and longer cure time

Water-based sealers

Goes on clear
Safer to apply with less hazard to self and environment
Shorter cure time
Thinner coats

Additional Ideas for DIY Kitchen Table

Whether you prefer farmhouse style or modern style, there is something for everyone's decor choices.

Not interested in paint? Try bleaching your wood.
Look at this wood seat replacement if your seats are falling apart.
Touch up your furniture when you can see wear and tear.
Learn to distress your furniture without using a sander.
Try a fluted table for a modern design.

Our updated farmhouse table looks beautiful with our pine floors and next to our farmhouse pantry. When you can tie in your decor to your home style, the outcome looks so much better.

Enjoy these DIY kitchen table painting ideas that you can also use on any furniture renovation project.

Looking to Refinish Other Pieces of Furniture?

Check out these other tutorials below

Happy DIYing!

Brooke