How to Paint Laminate Furniture
Learn the simple process for updating an old bookcase and how to paint laminate furniture.
Updating furniture is a fun way to add color or just a new look to a room. Painting, staining or restructuring a piece are all creative ways to change up an item.
Today, I'm sharing the simple process for painting a laminate, or veneer, wood bookcase.
This post contains affiliate links, you can view my full disclosure here.
What is laminate
The word laminate just means an overlay. This could apply to flooring, countertops or furniture. A veneer is a thin piece of wood that is laid over something, typically a piece of particle board or something that doesn't have an attractive finish.
Laminate products are durable and rest scratching and wear better than real wood sometimes. They are less expensive and much more accessible when adding to a home.
The bookcase I am painting has been in our basement for years, it's secondhand and for a while just stored junk. It still has good bones and I want to put it to use.
My children have a playroom just for themselves and I'm decorating it in bold primary colors. This is something that I probably wouldn't do in a bedroom or living room, but it makes perfect sense in a playroom.
I did some research on how to paint laminate furniture and asked some questions to make sure I did this right. The blog I found that made me say "yes I can" is here. Check her out.
Project supplies
- Primer, specifically Zinsser Cover Stain Primer. Get yours here and read on to see why this is THE product to use.
- Paint
- Roller (x2)
- Brush (x2)
- Wrapping paper
- Hot Glue
I started by cleaning it and removing the shelves and back. There is one fixed shelf in this piece that stayed put, the rest popped off and I removed the pegs that held them up. The back was nailed on with small tacks and they were easy to pop off with a flat head screwdriver.
I dusted the whole shelf removing any cobwebs and dirt that accumulated. A damp microfiber cloth was enough to get this piece clean.
Painting
If you were to apply a regular paint to laminate it would bead up or it would dry then peel off.
Paint needs something to stick to and laminate is too smooth. Typically you can sand down a surface before painting, however with a very thin veneer sanding is not the best option.
Use an oil based stain blocking primer like Zinsser Cover Stain Primer.
Laminate is glossy and this thick sticky oil-based primer works great to cover it up without sanding. A primer is key to a smooth paintable surface.
Since this primer is oil-based it doesn't clean up easily so I purchased a cheap roller, pan, and brush; for about $5 total. That way I could throw it all away and not worry about the clean-up. I did end up with a few splatters on my hands that scrubbed off in a day or so.
I primed the entire bookcase using the roller for the large flat areas and a small brush for the corners.
The primer dried quickly and I was able to move on to the paint after an hour. The primer won't look like a finished coat, but it should cover every part of the veneer that you want to paint.
I chose an ultra white semi-gloss latex-based paint for the finish. Pick this up at a hardware store, if you don't want to use white you can have them mix up whatever color you choose.
For this paint I used a nicer roller and brush, I was able to clean up afterwards with soap and water. A good roller and brush won't leave residue and brush strokes behind.
I applied 2 coats of paint, letting the first dry about an hour before applying the second.
The result was a smooth, slightly glossy finish, so much better than fake wood brown.
Changing the back of the bookcase
Next up was the back of the bookcase. On this piece and most inexpensive bookshelves, you have a piece of flimsy wood that is nailed to the back. I removed this and covered it with a bold wrapping paper.
I bought this paper on clearance many January's ago intending to use it the next Christmas. It's so pretty but just never got around to using it. It is extra wide and perfect for this project.
It was destined to be a focal point in the playroom.
I laid a long piece of wrapping paper on the floor and laid my backing on top. Then I "wrapped" the back and secured the edges with hot glue.
This paper is thin and down the road will probably tear. But it's easily removable and can be swapped out for another style when I am ready for a change. UPDATE - this paper has not torn and we are 4 years in. This bookcase gets a lot of use too.
I reattached the back of the bookcase using small nails around the entire perimeter. Then I mounted the shelves, and the bookcase was ready for the room.
It's an awesome first piece in this primary colors playroom.
If you liked this post and learned something, pin and share it.
Be sure to check out these furniture projects for more inspiration
You just became my new BFF! LOL I have two laminate book shelves I want so desperately to paint...but have too afraid to do it! Thank you so much for doing this before me ;) Love the Blog too! Stopping in From The Weekly Creative Link!
<3, Brandie
author of MidwestMoma.blogspot.com
Aw thanks! I felt so empowered after doing this. You can do it! Good luck and thanks for stopping by.
My thought EXACTLY!!!! Everything you have said. So doing it!!!
LOVE this!! That paper you used for the back is tooo fun! Awesome job! Would love it if you would link this up to Give Me The Goods Monday: 1 Party, 4 Blogs! http://www.rainonatinroof.com/2013/05/give-me-goods-monday-link-party-10.html
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof
Thank you so much! I'll head over and check out your party.
I have some old passed down from "Grandma" bedroom furniture that I've been thinking of painting. I think it'sf laminate but I'm not sure. The surface is shiny. Do you think this will work on it? Not sure but I'm tired of what I have but don't have money for new furniture. Should I try it? :)
I'm not an expert by the primer I used is made to cover just about anything. I say got for it! Hope you come away with something you love, good luck!
<3 Sarah
I've had mixed results painting laminate but maybe it's because I didn't use the right primer. Love the paper you used! What a great transformation!
Thanks Jenna. This primer did the trick for me, there is no way the paint would have stuck without it.
Thanks for writing up this tutorial! I am in the middle of painting my living room hutch and laminate bookshelves with your instructions.I got the primer done, and you are right, that stuff sticks! Here's hoping the finished product looks as good as yours :)
That's awesome Katie, good luck! I'd love to see it when you are done.
I would use contact paper instead of wall paper. Less likely to tear and can change anytime. Comes off easy
I think a nice piece of cloth (old curtain or sheet maybe) would work just as well as the paper. Beautiful though.
I agree, there are so many possibilities to line the back. Thank you for stopping by today!
how do you protect the paint from peeling when things are set on the shelves. I have read a lot about latex paint coming off when used on areas where things will be placed on them. Would you need to put a top coat on the shelves?
You can put a top coat over the paint to seal it, however some paints do not require that. The paint I used was semi gloss and has held up extremely well. This bookcase is in my playroom and gets a lot of use.
I LOVE THIS. Great job.
How does this piece look after years of use... did the paint scratch or peel? Also, what brand of paint did you use?
How does this piece look after years of use... did the paint scratch or peel? Also, what brand of paint did you use?
This piece has held up really well, it's been in my girl's playroom for almost 3 years now. There are a few minor scratches where they keep their heavy toys on the bottom shelf but the rest looks fantastic. The primer is the key, on top of that I used a Behr white paint.
This is so timely as I've been preparing myself to part with an item and in it's place put a tv table. I have an old entertainment center taken apart and put away and was gonna put it in a garage sale, but now I'll re purpose it with your painting tips. Question, how much of the primer did you end up using for the bookcase? I'm trying to figure out how much I'll need to buy. Thank you for posting this!
I am so glad you found this helpful Amy. For this bookcase I used maybe a quarter of a gallon. I didn't have to paint the back (it's cardboard) or the underside of the shelves. Hope that helps. Have fun with your project.
Thanks for the great tutorial. Your bookcase turned out so beautiful that I felt inspired to do mine as well! It turned out awesome! I used contact paper for the back but that was the only change. Love it! Thanks again.
I am so glad to hear that Erin, contact paper is a great idea. Thanks for coming back to share your success!
I just painted a cheap choc brown laminate bookshelf satin white. I used undercoat first then a 2in1 primer and colour. The finish is sandy like and chipped so easy when i was reasembling it. Can u tell me wat i did wrong please? Im wanting to paint my kitchen cabinets white also.
Sharrie
Sorry that happened to your shelf. When I paint laminate I start with an oil based primer like the one in this post. It sticks to the laminate really well. A water-based primer will not work as well. Then I would top with a white paint. For both coats use a very thin layer of paint and add more to cover as each layer dries.
If you are still having issues you can always check with you local paint store where you buy paint, they can be very helpful. Best of luck!
I think everyone has one or two of these brown laminate bookcases. I redid a few of them and used chalk paint. I think they can all stand a refresh to get away from all that brown. Love what you did with the background.
How many coats of primer did you use? I did a laminate bookcase very similar to yours, but apparently didn't use right primer or enough of it. The frame and fixed shelves were spray painted and have held up well but the removable shelves were hand painted on top of paint/primer and they have peeled. I used wallpaper on the back that I got at my local Habitat ReStore for $1 and it looks great! I'm glad only the removable shelves are giving me a problem, that's an easier fix. Any suggestions on removing paint from them without removing laminate itself?
Hi Terry, sorry your paint is peeling but yes glad it's only on the removable shelves. For mine, I used 1 coat of primer, 2 in some tough to cover spots. It's key to use an oil based stain covering primer that will allow the top coat to stick to it. As far as removing it you could try scrapping very carefully. If it's already peeling that might be a good option. Otherwise look for a chemical paint stripper. Best of luck on your project.
I am getting ready to paint my old Sauder bookcases. I'm using black chalk paint and leaving the oak top and shelves as they are. The back of my bookcases is, as usual, very cheap and flimsy particle board that has bowed over the years. When you had the back of your's out, did you notice how sturdy the bookcase was without it? I would like to just leave the back off so my white walls will show and brighten the shelves up a bit but I'm wondering if the case will be wobble without it.
The backing on my bookcase doesn't do much to hold it up. I am glad I put it back on because it's in my kid's playroom and the back keep little stuff contained. I would give ti a try and see how it holds up, best of luck with your project.
How's your paint holding up to thus day?? LookS amazing!!;)
Really well, and this bookshelf is in our playroom so it gets a lot of use. It has a few knicks from kids toys but I would expect that with any piece of furniture.
Love this ! Could you put another color over the primer then? I’m trying to turn white laminate into green ! Thanks !
Yes absolutely, no need to stick with just white.
Perfect ish timing to find this post! I'm in the process of rehabbing two of these identical bookcases. Im almost finished with one and every time I hit it, the paint slides off like butter. It has two coats of primer! The apparently important detail is to USE OIL based primer, which I did not do. 😁 I will be going to get a can of oil based for the second shelf to test the difference. Thanks for your information!
Hi there! The shelf looks fantastic!
Your picture of the Primer step has some old color showing thru, which you had mentioned. However did you make sure nothing was showing thru before you added the paint?
Also the one I am looking to recover is "textured" wood grain laminate. WHat do you think?
Thanks. Shelle
I added the paint even with the color showing through. The final paint coat covered everything beautifully. I have never painted textured laminate, maybe try a small area first to see the result. Good luck with your project!
Wrapping paper on the back is genius! How long do you need t wait after painting to put books back on?
I would wait 24 hours to be safe and ensure it's completely dry. You don't want books sticking to tacky paint.
Hey there, i have been googling for about 3 weeks now, in search of a video, blog, site, ect that simply but informatively explains and breaks down how to paint laminated particle board. And girllll!! YOURS IS IT! 🫶🙌 THANK U SO MUCH !
(Btw- all the stuff I have found to watch/read on this, have said to use different type of primers) i was about to loose patient's because I didn't know which one to actually buy.