Painting with Valspar Furniture Paint
My go to paint for the last few years has been Annie Sloan Chalk paint, I love that you don’t have to prep much, its easy to distress, its so versatile. But waxing and buffing wear my arms out and with the number of projects I am usually working on I have been looking for alternatives, just to add a little variety. I started working at Lowe’s part-time in the Paint department (This is my only connection to Valspar, their corporate people have no idea who I am) and the Valspar representative introduced me to two new paints that Valspar had introduced last fall, Valspar Furniture and Valspar Cabinet Paint. The difference between the two is that the Furniture Paint is a satin finish and the Cabinet paint is a semi-gloss finish. Valspar boasts that there is no sanding or and no brush marks.
I had a dresser that has been in my garage for about three years, it was a nice piece, solid wood and a lovely dark green color with wood knobs. It needed some repair so after taking care of that we brought it inside I bought a quart of Midnight Fog and went to work. This is what it looked like before, I took the drawers out before the picture (whoops).
You can see where I did use a little primer, there were some knots showing through and I just was a little skeptical. The first coat when on great.
One minor drawback to this paint is the dry time. You must wait 8-12 hours in between coats. I waited the full 12 and probably longer before adding a second coat. The Valspar Cabinet Paint laid down great, I was very happy with the results. I did put a third coat on the drawers, it was a bit thin in some areas probable due to the user not the paint.
On the top I wanted a little contrast so I used Minwax Polyshades in Espresso, the knobs were a little tricky, do you like my knob tree?
The finished product, all reassembled:
I really enjoyed using Valspar’s Furniture Paint and have already mixed another quart up to use on another project. So far it has lived up to all of Valspar’s promises. Leave me some comments I would love to here from you.
Looks great! I’ve been a valspar enthusiast for years; I think it’s the best paint out there… My ?, after using the furniture paint, did the grain show through? I can’t tell from the pix. I want to paint my bathroom sink vanity and want to get rid of that old oak grain…..THANKS!!!!
Thank you Sandy! The grain does not show through at all. Although I will tell you that I did paint three coats on the drawers before I was happy with them. The first coat should be fairly thin especially if you are painting a slick surface, this will prevent the paint from running.
I painted a bathroom vanity that was stained oak. I used Valspar Furniture Paint, a chocolate brown color called “Leather Chair” and it covered beautifully. I added some contrasting ceramic knobs that looked like some kind shells, and it was perfect. I liked the paint and the color so much I painted our island’s woodwork the same color and it looked fabulous with the granite top that had about 20 shades of brown and white in it. Very happy. I’m pretty sure both projects only needed one coat.
I love it! I have been using chalk paint for a couple years now but have never tried Annie Sloan. I’m getting ready to paint my kitchen cabinets and assumed I was just going to go with Annie Sloan UNTIL I saw this furniture paint at Lowes and thought maybe I would go this route! What is your opinion on using this furniture paint on kitchen cabinets vs chalk paint? Is this satin very shiny? I was going to use a satin poly over the chalk paint instead of wax. Thanks:)
Thanks Carissa! Although I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint I would definitely use Furniture paint for your kitchen cabinets, its an enamel paint and is very durable. In fact my daughter recently repainted her cabinets with the Furniture paint because the chalk paint just wasn’t holding up. The satin isn’t too shiny, I prefer as little gloss as possible and have been very pleased with how the furniture paint turned out. If you do use a satin poly over your chalk paint use a polycrylic sealer, it is water based and the oil based sealers will yellow your paint.
I am so glad I found this article and hope you still check here lol I want to paint my kitchen cabinets and they have chalk on them and like your daughter it is just not holding up and I don’t want to have to keep waxing it every so often because they dry out so fast. How did she prep the cabinets before she used the Valspar cabinet paint?
Hi Mary, if you waxed them the most important part of prep is to get the wax off. Mineral spirits does a great job of that, just wipe them all down and get as much as possible off. Then I would prime with a good sealer/bonding primer just in case it didn’t all come off then you will be all set to go ahead and paint.
Is there a way to get the (lite) distressed look using the furniture paint? Could you still use a glaze with it?
Hi Kelly, I talked with the Valspar Rep at my local Lowe’s and he told me using glaze does work well with this type of paint. For distressing you can sand the paint after it dries or you can wipe it back when it is wet.
I’ve been searching around wondering if you’d recommend using polycrylic over the furniture paint? I am currently painting some twin beds for my 4 year old (and eventually his little brother). I love the finish on the paint itself and am worried the poly will change that too much. Also, sanding between coats will be a pain as it has turned spindles/legs. Do you think it’ll be durable enough without it! Looks like you might be a few months in with your piece, so would love to hear how it’s holding up 🙂
Hi Sarah, its really not necessary, the finish is pretty tough, it’s an oil modified paint and should stand up to your boys. If you are using a light color sometimes using polycrylic can cause the paint to appear yellow and although it hasn’t been my experience it’s something to consider.
I’ve used the ultra white before and love it, but I’m currently doing another piece with a gray color. It’s a bit darker than what I wanted so was thinking I could distress it and try a white glaze over top to tone it down. Since it’s oil enriched I’m worried nothing will really adhere well. I emailed valspar and they said because of the finish they don’t recommend using anything else. In searching online I’ve come across forums where people have done this with other oil based paints. Have you attempted to use a glaze or any other medium over the furniture paint?
Hi Crystal
It will adhere, I did my daughters bedroom furniture in white and then used a dark glaze, its been about a year and its holding up fine. Another thing you
might try is a white wax. Annie Sloan makes one of those. Or to give you even more options you could dry brush a lighter color of paint on it.
Hi there! Your piece is gorgeous! I love the color. I’m about to paint my wood chairs to match a table that I bought. I have the valspar furniture paint. My question is, how much sanding is required for the paint to adhere?
Hi Nikki
Usually a light sanding as if you are wiping them down. I Have also started priming everything after several pieces started to flake and chip after several months. You can always do a test spot on one of the chairs and see if you can scratch it off after it’s completely dried.
Hi Kim,
Can the Valspar furniture paint be sprayed? If so, does it require thinning and what do you recommend?
Thanks
Tony
The manufacturer recommends against spraying but I know a few people who have sprayed cabinet with it and had good results. It should not need any thinning.
Did you use a brush or roller on this piece? I never know which to use ?
Hi Jolene! I use a brush but it can be rolled also.
Very good website – bookmarked
Hi Kim,
We just painted our kitchen cabinets with Valspar Cabinet paint in Asiago. I would like to add a glaze to them but I’m not sure what to use. The Valspar glaze I looked at said it won’t work with the enamel base paint. I want a greige color glaze. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks so much, Deb
Hi Deb, I haven’t added glaze to a piece that was painted with furniture stain before but I do know that wiping stain would work on it because it is an oil based product. You might also just experiment with the Valspar glaze using some scrap wood. Manufacturers tend to be too careful in their restrictions, I have seen many people use some crazy techniques and their pieces turn out beautiful. Let me know how it turns out.
P.S. I love your dresser!
Thanks!
Just a quick question…using Valspar Furniture paint on kitchen table top. What would you use or recommend for a top coat because of frequent use?
I used this paint in our office furniture and absolutely love it! Just want to be sure it’s protected good on our kitchen table.
Hi Deanna, I generally don’t use a topcoat on enamel paints but completely understand you wanting to on a table. You can use a polycrylic (Minwax makes a good one) top coat, it is water based and won’t yellow at all, lightly sand with a high grit sandpaper in between coats (as high as you can find) and for application of the poly I use Wooster sponge brushes for stains and clears. Thanks so much for asking.
Hi- I painted my entire bedroom set of very high end furniture using the furniture paint. For extra durability on the top of the dresser and nightstands, I simply did multiple coats, I think four in all. They’re hard as a rock and impenetrable. Plus, they clean up with just water. Try this method- the paint goes on much easier after the first coat. One thing: it took a few weeks for the paint to really cure to its most solid, so keep that in mind.
Thanks Doug!
Hi my wife just recently painted our coffee table with Valspar furniture paint and followed the recommended wait time between all 3 coats. She use a good brush but it has obvious brush marks and you can see the veneer grain which isn’t good because it centric pattern with a boarder. Any ideas?
Thanks, E
At this point instead of starting over, which would be very frustrating, I would add a few more coats and see if that helps. It is also a preference of mine to use a soft bristle brush even when using stains because they are less likely to leave brush stokes. Pieces with pronounced grains in them will usually need to be sanded first to eliminate the grain popping through. On the dresser I did, I painted four coats on the drawers because I could still see some knots through the paint. Thanks you for asking and I hope adding a few more layers will work for you.
My project is six bend wood table chairs. The chairs have cushion seats that I will have to recover and attach back onto the chair. When I bought my paint, which was about six months ago, I had it tinted a light grayish green. I have not been able to find any fabric I like to go with the color of the fabric. The chairs have not been painted yet. Now here’s the ?. Can I use artist acrylic paints to change the color of my can of paint? I do have a paint stirrer I can use with a drill.
Hi Dale, using acrylic paints most likely won’t give you the color you want. The tints that are added to paint to produce colors are very concentrated. I would go back and pick out a color you like and see if the paint associate where you bought the paint can do a correction. It would have to be a similar color and then the computer does all the work, they will be able to tell you if they are able to change it. I am also always concerned that by adding something that is not meant for mixing with particular products you may be changing the integrity of the paint and it may not perform as well.
This was so helpful! I was deciding between chalk paint and furniture paint, and went with the furniture paint based on this post! However…I have a bit of a problem. I used a Minwax poly for the top coat (it’s a kitchen table) and the brush marks of the top coat are SO noticeable. What can I do to salvage it at this point? THANK YOU!
Hi Katie, So sorry for the lateness of my response. I would use a very fine grit sanding block, a 320 would work well, sand the top back and then recoat with a Wooster sponge brush (the one for stains and clears), you will get a nice smooth finish. One other thought, if you are using a light color be sure to use the Polycrylic topcoat (Minwax in the blue can). Polyurethane will yellow lighter paint colors.
Hi there, quick question — did you use the Furniture or the Cabinet paint on the dresser? I initially thought you used the furniture paint, but then in your 4th paragraph it says, “The Valspar Cabinet Paint laid down great, I was very happy with the results.” Unsure if that was a mistake or you did use the cabinet paint…? I am trying to decide if I want to try using this paint for a bathroom vanity, but I have read a bunch of reviews on the Lowe’s page about people being very unhappy with the results (brush strokes showing even though they used several coats, etc) that now I’m a little leery. Thanks!
Hi Erika, The only difference between the Cabinet paint and the Furniture Paint is that the first is a semigloss finish and the second is a satin finish. I prefer a less shiny finish so I used Furniture paint. I think most of the issues with using this paint as well as most paints is using a poor quality brush, not waiting the required dry time (8-12 hours) and/or painting too thick of a coat. I just finished a run of cabinets I am using in my family room and they turned out great, I hope to have some pictures up in the next few days. I hope this helps with your decision.
Kim.
I am getting ready to use Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Paint on oak kitchen cabinets. The Lowe’s sales lady said I did not need to sand yet when I read the label it said to sand on shiny surfaces. I would rather not sand, any advice? Also, would it be advisable to use a good quality primer before using the Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Paint? Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Hi Tony,
My best advice is to do a test patch. If you paint a small section and then after it dries you can scrape it with a fingernail you should definitely prime. I have learned the hard way (now I prime everything) to check, and if you need to, use a good bonding primer. When they say to sand they mean rough it up, it’s like wiping down the cabinets with sandpaper. Doing kitchen cabinets is a huge job, so again just test a small area. Hope this helps.
Kim
Hi there!
I just used this paint in an off white to paint the table legs of my dining room table. (The top is stained with a General Finishes High Performance top coat in Satin). My friend used this product on her table legs and although everything swears up and down that it does not requite a top coat of any kind, her table legs have been scratched and chips from bodies, chairs, shoes, etc. rubbing past them. Have you ever put a top coat over this type of paint. I am considering a wax so that it won’t yellow and will remain a matte finish. Any experience with this? My table is sitting in the garage awaiting the final touches!
Thanks so much!
Jaime
Hi Jaime, this paint doesn’t need a top coat but it does need time to cure. It takes about eight or nine days depending on humidity and temperature. Another consideration when using this paint is how well you know the piece of furniture that you are painting. If a piece isn’t cleaned well or has laminate on it, it’s always best to use a good bonding primer first. I had painted a pair of nightstands with furniture paint after I had already used chalk paint and wax, it looked good for over a year then I noticed a little nick so I lifted it a bit and the whole top peeled off.
Hi, Love your blog, and thanks for taking the time to answer questions about this. I am painting a chair with the Valspar furniture paint. The gentleman in the paint department had me purchase a spray on primer and advised I use it before trying to paint my chair. He also told me I would only have to wait a couple of hours to apply additional coats of this paint. All and all I think I waited variable times between coats between 2 hours and overnight. The final coat was applied about 1 day ago. When I went to lightly sand in between coats it quickly went to the primer. Also, it is scratching off pretty easily. My first question is. Will this eventually cure and stop scratching off. My second question is. I also distressed with Americana Decor dark brown creme was a bit. I love the look, but am concerned about durability of the piece. Any recommendations would be really welcome!! Thanks
Hi Cindy, While primer won’t hurt anything it is usually not necessary with this type of paint. It is also an enamel paint which means it is oil modified and this eliminates any need for sanding in between coats. I usually let my pieces dry over night and Valspar recommends 8-12 hours. You also said it was scratching off which is telling me it was either very slick such as a laminate or there was a waxy type top coat on the piece originally. The guy in the paint department should have suggested a bonding primer. Cure time should be about three or four days. You might want to let it sit for a few days and then give it another coat. Then I would wait until the following day to put your cream on. I haven’t ever used glaze on Furniture paint, you may have to experiment on some scrap wood and see how it does.
which binding primer would you recommend if i want to paint a laminate or already painted piece?
Valspar makes one just called Bonding Primer. Fusion Mineral Paint also makes one called Ultra Grip and Sherwin-Williams makes one called Extreme Bond. There are others, these are just a few I am familiar with. Valspar will probably be most readily available and is very good but I love Fusion products for furniture.
Hi, Kim. I am painting a kitchen table and am trying to decide between using Valspar Furniture Paint or Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. I’ve used both paints before, with success, but I want to use whichever one will provide the most durable finish on a kitchen table. Any thoughts?
Hi Erica, I am not familiar with the Sherwin Williams Emerald trim paint so I can’t compare the two. I guess I would say use your gut on this one since you have used both.
Getting ready to use this furniture paint. I sanded my table legs bc it had a waxy/glossy coat but some parts are sanded down to bare wood while others aren’t. Should I prime first? I also read that I need an oil based primer then? Is that true?
Hi Terri, I would prime first with a good bonding primer. Valspar makes one. Your primer does not need to be oil based unless the piece you are painting is fairly old and you are concerned about bleed through from the old stain.
Hi, Kim. I received my grandparents old furniture set as they got a new one. The man at Lowes said that I would not need to sand the wood with this paint, instead he recommended cleaning it with TSP. My boyfriend and I did two cleaning with TSP and then painted the furniture with two or three coats depending on how it looked (it includes a headboard, a long dresser with a trifold mirror, a tall wardrobe-esqe dresser and a nightstand). Would we benefit from using something to seal it? I notice if I scratch at some parts that the paint does chip slightly, but only if I actually scratch it somewhat hard. Should we seal it? If so, what should we use?
Hi Elizabeth, It shouldn’t scratch off after it has cured (seven days). If it has cued long enough and is still scratching off you can use a polycrylic sealer on it.
Help…… I have loved refinishing furniture for the last year or so and have used both Annie Sloan and Valspar chalk paint. I am in the process of refinishing a dresser, used the Valspar chalk paint – black. It turned out fabulous, but decided to put on a poly coat (Minwax – semi gloss) to give it more protection in my son’s room. Since I’ve always used wax and not poly to seal, I started with the drawers. Unfortunately, it appears that they all have like water spots that have shown up? Any suggestions for what to do. I’m holding off the main dresser piece until I can solve this issue? Thanks
My first question would be did you use a polycrylic topcoat which is water based or a polyurethane which is oil based. When topcoating any chalk paint or latex paint it has to be the polycrylic unless you use a stain on top of the chalk paint. If you did use a polycrylic than I would say it’s possible it had not dried all the way through. I would experiment on one drawer and sand it back (you may have to recoat with paint and let it dry for 24hrs) and then top coat with polycrylic and use a sponge brush for stains and clears. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out.
Kim
I recently purchased the Valspar furniture paint and am loving the way it goes on. I too found that three thin coats were necessary and I did use a primer. I also glazed over it (with the Valspar Glaze) on some moulding I used to frame out a mirror…turned out beautiful. My question is: Have you ever used it with a foam roller? I have a fairly large armoire and I am thinking that a foam roller might really speed up the process.
Hi Carlene, I have only used foam rollers for chalkboard paint and didn’t like the way the foam rollers covers spun when I painted, they seemed to get hung up. I have seen smaller traditional covers that would probably work better but then again it could have just been me. I am sure it will speed things up quite a bit and if you don’t like how it looks you can always paint over it.
I have used Valspar Furniture paint to paint a dining room table. I used the antique glaze on the top as well. Do I need to do a clear top coat on this to prevent any issues in the future?
Hi Debbie, I think it’s a good idea because it is on top and will wear off over time. If it were just on the legs or on the edges I would say you could probably get by without it. If you do decide to use it just make sure to use a water based top coat otherwise it will yellow.
Hi Kim. I decided to paint my grandmothers dining room set in black. I went to Lowe’s to buy chalk paint but the man there told me I should use the Valspar furniture paint instead. I stupidly did not read the label before painting and just trusted the man when he told me it was no prep. The dining room set has a glossy sheen as well as Venere tops. I already painted the buffet before I read the back of the can which says I should have prepped first. I went back to Lowe’s today and the man said there’d be no use in covering it because it would peel even with a top coat. I still have the China cabinet and the legs of the table (keeping the table top wood). What do you suggest I do before painting the rest? Primer, sand, gel paint stripper? This post has made me feel much better about the paint. Really hoping it holds up. Thank you!
I would wait seven days from the time you painted it which will give it time to cure and then see if it peels or scratches off, it’s possible that it will be fine. If it does come off then sand it a bit, use a bonding primer and then repaint. Hope you won’t have to do a thing though.
Thank you!
Hi there.I am new to all of this and I want to redo the hutch and table set that my in laws gave us. I bought the furniture paint. What is good brushes to use? I did one chair and i can see brush strokes like crazy. It has been 3 days since and still there. I do plan to use an oil based primer.
My favorite brush is the Purdy White Bristle Brush. Chairs can be difficult to paint particularly if they have spindles. I try to tell people that the first coat will look terrible because it is thin but don’t be discouraged, with each coat you will see smoother results. Each coat should be light, don’t load too much paint on the brush and take your time.
I just painted to bedside tables for my grandchildren’s room and used Valspar furniture paint. I think I would like and more semi-gloss finish instead and was wondering what you would recommend as a clear coat on top of the furniture paint.
You could use a polycrylic top coat in semi-gloss, it is water based and you should get the result you are looking for.
I am currently switching from chalk paint to furniture paint for my projects. However, I glaze everything. Do I need to seal the furniture prior to using this Valspar powder glaze?
No, you don’t have to seal unless you are going to glaze the entire piece. You may want to use a polycrylic sealer on top after you have glazed.
I just started painting my kitchen cabinets with the Valspar furniture paint. I put the coats of paint on with a foam roller and small purdy 1” brush…I painted a second coat within 2 hours and the third coat 8-12 hours later. I love the smooth finish I received with this paint. My question is…would you leave just the third coat your final coat or should I put a top coat due to increase use of the cabinets? What would you do, you seem very knowledgeable.
I would just leave the third coat as the final coat but be careful when you start using you cabinets. This paint takes seven days to fully cure. It may also take a bit longer because the recoat time was so short between the first and second coat. Thanks so much for asking and visiting my site!
Would it hurt if I put polycyclic as the top coat or do recommend not to in case they chip, then I can easily touch as often as I like if the chip in the future
Putting Polycrylic on it won’t hurt it at all. This paint is an enamel so you really don’t need to and it should hold up fine.
Thanks so very much, I appreciate your input!
Hi!
I recently built a bed with my husband, and have caught the refinishing bug:)
I have a table I’m looking to paint. Legs are wood- top has a type of laminate on it. I purchased the Valspar furniture paint. Do I need to sand prior? I’m reading conflicting answers online.
Thanks!
Hi Deanne, its always best to prep first. Laminate can be tricky, sometimes primer isn’t needed and sometimes it is, but by the time you find out it’s
too late. I would clean it well and then give it a coat of good bonding primer sanding isn’t necessary but the primer is. If you should decide to sand give it a light sanding before the primer.
I am working with Black Valspar Furniture paint on a dresser. Really having problems with brush strokes. I have a good, angled Purdy white brush. I know I am putting too much paint on my brush but I see spots that were not covered and I go back over. Would it help if I added a little water to slow drying time?
If you are seeing spots through the paint there is something on the dresser that is preventing the paint from adhering. I would sand those areas lightly and then use a bonding primer. That should take care of the problem. These types of paints shouldn’t be watered down according to the manufacturer but I have had customers tell me they watered it down or used Flotrol and had no problems.
Hi there, I just put on my first coat of Valspar furniture paint and am also seeing brush strokes really bad. I lightly sanded the whole piece before I started . I’m wondering if it’ll look better with the second coat??
Thanks!
Hi Heather, if you are getting a lot of brush strokes you may be painting it on a bit too thick. Thinner coats work best for this paint. Another reason may be the brush you are using, every one has their favorite but I prefer a soft bristle brush which is usually a Purdy. I have also tried Zibra bushes and I have found those are also great to use for thin smooth coats. As the paint drys it should smooth out a bit, it is self leveling, don’t forget to wait 8-12 hours between coats. Hope this helps.
Hello. I painted bedroom furniture with valspar furniture paint. I’ve used chalky paint in the past with the clear wax and antiquing wax. I’m wondering if the valspar clear wax would go over the furniture paint and help protect it from scratches. Thank you!
It really doesn’t need any type of top coat to protect it. It is an oil modified paint and is pretty tough.
That is a beautiful piece. I’m refinishing and love this blue you uses. And I’ve painted with the valspar furniture paint and love it. I think it’s a lot easier to use than chalk paint. Do you happen to remember the name of the blue you had them mix?
Sure do! It’s called Tempest Skies, HGSW 3332, it’s a Sherwin Williams color but they will have no problem mixing it into a Valspar product.
I painted over a 1970 buffet in a custom color I ordere, I sanded and stained the top. Love love love the paint. Needs at least 2 coats, i et it dry 24 hours inbetween the coats. Going to get another container of custom color and paint my side of the road dining room chairs painted. I will be staining the seats I feel they will last longer,
Have you had any instances where you needed a 4th coat in some areas? If so, do I need to give the entire piece a 4th coat or can I just touch up those areas and then wait 7 days for it to cure? My project is a pedestal table with two leaves and ten spindle-back chairs. Your post was a life-saver. Thanks for sharing your ideas!!
Hi Kendra, I haven’t needed a fourth coat on anything but if you feel some areas do, just touching up would be fine. The cure time is important especially for pieces that will get heavy use. Thanks so much for reading!
Hello! I have a 1950’s glossy white kitchen pantry cabinet I want to repaint. It has been stored in my in-laws breezeway for 40 years and is quite dirty. What is a good way to clean it? Also, I hesitate to do any sanding since I feel sure it is coated with lead based paint. Would you recommend a bonding primer? Chalk paint or furniture paint? Thanks so much for your input.
Hi Dana, I would clean it with some Dawn and water or TSP but nothing stronger than that. To prime it I would use a good primer/sealer, an oil based one will do the best job. Both Zinsser and Kilz have good ones. Most bonding primers are water based and won’t seal the lead based paint in as well as the oil based primers. As for a top coat it is really a personal preference, both chalk paint and furniture paint are good options. If you choose chalk paint you will need to top coat with either a wax or polycrylic, with furniture paint you won’t have to.
So glad I found this! I am going to paint my bedroom set and was leaning towards the chalk paint, but ended up buying the Valspar this weekend. So glad to see your feedback. Thanks!
Thank you Danielle!
Quick question…I was “googling” and came across this fabulous wealth of information..woohoo! I am very new to this refinishing furniture process.
Here’s my question. Could I use the Valspar paint as base and a chalk or milk paint to do a layered kind of distress look? I’m trying to very quickly redo an old mission style child school desk for upcoming fundraising auction. I really like the multiple layer, I guess chabby chic” look. My valspar color I already have is a spa pool blue (from Valspar line at Lowe’s). I was thinking maybe an oatmeal or dark type brushed light coat on top then do some distressing. Would super love to hear your thoughts on that idea…or any other suggestions. Thank you!
It’s best not to mix different types of paint the cabinet and furniture paints are enamel paints and would not layer or distress well. Lowe’s does carry a chalky paint that layers and distresses well and they can mix it into any color you choose. It would need to be waxed or top-coated to seal the paint. Milk paint is great for the chippy look but is usually used alone on top of wood pieces, allowing it to show through where the chippyness has occurred, it to would then need to be top-coated. Hope this helped.
Hello, I am painting a desk. I sanded it down very well before hand and cleaned it of all dust as well. I’ve only painted the drawers so far. I do have a couple questions about the Valspar furniture paint though. As this is a desk and it’s going to be getting a lot of use, will it hold up over time? (The desk top holding up against various things, the drawers not peeling from being pulled in and out over time.) or should I use a protective top coat even though it is an enamel paint?
It should hold up very well and not need any sort of topcoat. The only caution I would give is to be sure to wait 8-12 hours between coats and when you are finished let it sit 5-7 days for full curing. Enamel paints are made to withstand heavy use so you shouldn’t have any problems with wear.
Hi Kim!
I am so thrilled I found this site! However, I wish I did my research and found it prior to finishing my project. I just finished painting our master bathroom cabinets with Valspar Furniture Paint, satin, base 4. The color added was a Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth color (darkest brownish to black we could find). My problem, now that I read through the hundreds of times you said to wait 8-12 hours between coats, is that I am so impatient and added a second coat pretty quickly. I am not even going to admit how quickly (ha) and now I am afraid I will need to wait a month for it all to cure so I can get the doors back up and faces of the drawers back on.
I never had the brush stroke issue that others mentioned, unless I applied a thick layer. I just kept going back and forth to thin and smooth it out. This paint (smells like stain), is amazing. I wish I knew about it years ago when painting my daughter bedroom furniture. My next project is our kitchen cabinets, but I think I need to make sure I do my homework first, as the cabinets are a super smooth/shiny. Look at all this fun we are having during this time of quarantine!
This site was a GREAT find! Thank you for sharing your knowledge…stay well!
Hi Erin,
I am so happy that you enjoyed my site. I think quite a few people are spending this time painting and doing all the projects that have been neglected. When you tackle your kitchen cabinets, clean them well to get any oils off and then I would prime them with a bonding primer. It is like glue, it sticks to the cabinet and then grabs the paint when you put it on. You may not need to use it but I had a few pieces that I did where I could literally scrape the paint off with my fingernail. So now I prime everything. Thanks again!!!!
Hi again –
It has been a few months now, so I thought I would check in to let you know that I waited 5 days before hanging my cabinets – and spent a week being extra careful and delicate when opening and closing (my husband did not want to add hardware to the cabinets….I tried, but picked my battles). They look amazing and have not scratched at all.
PS: I have not tackled the kitchen just yet because I cannot pick a color! I will be sure to use primer first!
Erin
HELP! In March I painted a dining room table for a friend using the Valspar furniture paint in black. The guy at Lowes recommended applying 3 coats of sealer so I did. My friend just sent me a picture and the paint is
peeling!
Hi Manda, unfortunately I don’t have good news. Usually when this happens it’s because the paint could not grip the surface properly. I have done it myself I put furniture paint over wax and it came off in sheets. There had to be something in the original finish of the table that caused this. Is it peeling all over or just in spots? There might have been some oil of grease on it. If its just spots you may be able to sand it to raw wood and start over just in those areas. If its the whole table then it would have to be stripped, primed and then painted. After my “incident” I always prime, just in case.
Have you ever distressed a piece using this paint without any problems?
If I am going to distress a piece I would use a chalk type paint instead especially if I am going to heavy distress it. This is an enamel paint paint so I suppose if you used a finer grit sandpaper (220) that would probably work but would be time consuming. One thing you could do is while the paint is still wet wipe it with a damp cloth where you would want the distressing to be.
I used the Valspar Cabinet & Furniture paint in Satin (black) on some ladder shelving units which will be used to store heavy kitchen appliances, dishes, etc. I’m concerned the paint will not hold up and easily scuff. Do you suggest I topcoat the shelves with a water-based polyurethane (I have General Finishes in mind). I’d rather do the poly now vs. having to redo the shelves. I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
Hi Brenda, thanks for asking. The Valspar Cabinet and Furniture paint is an enamel paint so you should not have to top-coat. I would limit use until the paint has cured which is around three days. That being said, if you would like to top-coat for extra protection it certainly won’t hurt anything.
i want to pain a old dresser. should i use the furniture paint or the flat interior paint??? lowes worker told me the interior would work? also have you tried the glaze?
Either would work, sometimes regular latex has a tacky feel when its done so I try not to use it but there are plenty of furniture flippers who do. I have Also used the glaze, here’s a link for that process. https://thirteenchairs.com/valspar-furniture-paint-update-using-glaze/
Can I dry brush chalk paint onto furniture that has been painted with Valspar Furniture paint to give it that whitewashed look?
Absolutely!
So thankful for this blog. I don’t know if you will respond but will ask anyways and hope for answer. I painted my table top with a merlot color and black, I kindof wiped it off some to blend and get distressed look. After 2 days I re applied black on some spots that needed touch up. I mixed paint well with the wooden stick. I have since let it dry for 3 days but the black lopks milky and not satiny like the other paint. Will it cure differently? I don’t know what to do now because it is a very noticeable difference. I preped and cleaned table first. I wish now I would not have applied the extra black because it was beautiful before touching up bit had noticeable white spots that needed touch up. Thanks for your help.I used the new Valspar furniture and cabinet paint in Satin finish.
That is very strange, I am not sure why that happened. If you have any scrap wood, paint some on there and let it dry. If it looks milky put a layer of topcoat on it and see what happens (Minwax Polycrylic in satin or your favorite), you should get a uniform finish. If your test works then just apply the topcoat to the whole table top. Or, and I know this would be a lot of work, lightly sand the whole top and after cleaning reapply to the entire top. Again, I am not sure why it cured differently, it shouldn’t have.
Can you use this paint over oil based paint?
You can, but I would use a good primer/sealer first such as Zinsser Bin or Zinsser Cover Stain.