Hi there! Hope someone out there can help.
My husband's got these ugly (!) laminated fake oak-look bookcase, desk, and chest of drawers from his student days. They are still in good condition...just really ugly. We'd like to paint them so we can bring them back into the house from the garage and use them in our home office for much needed storage.
Is it possible to paint over the laminate? It looks like a sheet of paper glued over particle board. Do we need to get some kind of special primer? And do we have to prep the surface beforehand. Any paint suggestions? We're thinking of a creamy white colour.
Thanks so much for your help in advance!
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hi ellecee,
glad to help...most times on the paint can it says how long to wait between coats: the drying time and the time before painting a second coat. it's usually about 4-6 hours. i would follow the instructions however if you start in the am (say saturday) you could finish by the end of the weekend (sunday aft/evening). it also depends on how much furniture you have to paint!!
good luck and let us know how it all turns out :)
Hi Junebug,
Thanks for the info. This helps a lot as I've never done anything like this before. Another question - sorry, I'm a newbie :) - how long do I need to wait between coats? I'm hoping to have it done in a weekend.
We just happen to live down the road from a Benjamin Moores store so I'll go check it out. Thanks again!
hi ellecee,
it should be pretty easy to fix up your laminated furniture. i would suggest lightly sanding (just to rough up the surface so the primer/paint sticks better) - it doesn't have to be perfect. benjamin moore makes a terrific primer - fresh start - so prime with a good all-purpose primer then paint it in a colour of your choice. i would suggest a melamine paint for durability and ease of cleaning. otherwise select a somewhat glossy paint for easy cleaning. might i also add that dressing it up with some moulding even if it's just along the bottom of the bookcase will make it look even better. do that first then prime and paint the entire thing. hope that helps :)