A girl's bedroom furniture does not always have to be painted in traditional pink.
A desert oasis. A space ship. A design studio, theater stage or secret laboratory. A girl's bedroom is whatever she needs it to be. A girl's should reflect her personality and her dreams. Painting girls' furniture used to mean pink and white and flowers, but we have all grown past those rigid rules. The only criteria that matters these days is that the paint be durable and versatile enough to grow with your girl.
Instructions
1. Ask the girl in question what color she would like her furniture to be. If she is very young, you may need to make this decision or accept ending up with a room full of polka dots or neon purple. If she does choose a wild color, try to incorporate that in the room through curtains or other accessories.
2. Place drop cloths over your work surface to catch any drips.
3. Take the drawers out of dressers and the doors off of night stands, if there are any. Remove the pulls from the drawer fronts and the hinges from the doors and put them in a safe place if you intend to re-use them.
4. Put warm water in a bucket and add 3 to 4 squirts of a de-greasing dish detergent. Stir it around with your hand to mix it thoroughly.
5. Wet a clean, lint-free shop cloth in the solution and wring it out. Wash the furniture, making sure to remove all grit and grease from the surfaces. Let the furniture air dry completely.
6. Sand the furniture with 80-grit sandpaper. This should be enough to remove, or at least smooth out, any old paint or varnish. Wipe away all of the sanding dust with a clean shop cloth. If you are working on wood furniture, sand with the grain. For laminate and unpainted metal furniture, skip this step and go directly to step 8.
7. Use 120-grit sandpaper to finish smoothing out the surfaces that will be painted. Wipe away the sanding dust.
8. Paint on the primer. Make sure the primer you purchase is made for the surface you are painting and compatible with enamel paint. A roller and sponge brushes make for a much smoother application, but read the label on the primer can. Some primers demand bristle brushes.
9. Let the primer dry according to the manufacturer's recommendation. Do not cut back on the suggested drying time because you may not get the finish you want if you try to paint over damp primer.
10. Paint the furniture with enamel paint that is formulated for wood or metal. This is a little more expensive than latex paint, but it is also much more durable and does not require a sealer. Use a roller for large, flat areas and sponge brushes to get into any little corners or decorative molding.
11. Let the enamel paint dry completely and then apply a second coat, if needed.
12. Put the drawers back in, doors back on, and re-use or replace the hardware.
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