Create a fresh atmosphere in your dining room by revamping your space with fresh coats of paint. When you don’t have the budget to buy new furniture or the time to comb through thrift shops and garage sales to find the perfect piece, consider painting your dining room table and chairs instead to give the room a brand-new look. While chalk paint and oil-based paint have their uses, the best paint for a forgiving finish without the need for a primer coat is Real Milk Paint® from the Real Milk Paint Co.
Breathe New Life Into Your Dining Room
Choose from a range of 56 vibrant paint color options to find the perfect combination for painting your dining table and chairs — or even your kitchen cabinets! While natural wood grain has its benefits, kitchens with nothing but stained finishes can appear dark and dated, making fresh coats of Real Milk Paint a great way to restyle your dining and cooking space. Pick a single color to highlight your kitchen table and chairs, or select complementary or contrasting hues to make an eye-catching impact on your dining room style.
Benefits of Using Real Milk Paint for Dining Room Furniture
Aside from requiring no primer coat when used on absorbent surfaces and being available in 56 absolutely gorgeous shades, super-durable Real Milk Paint also confers more practical advantages to your wood table and kitchen cabinets.
For instance, the nontoxic formulation made with 100% organic and natural ingredients like milk casein is safe for use on food-contact surfaces, ensuring fuss-free use in your dining room and kitchen. It contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), making it more pleasant (and safer) to use than oil-based and commercial chalk paint when painting your dining table and chairs in cramped settings with low ventilation.
Prepare Your Dining Room Furniture for Painting
While you don’t have to add a primer coat when using Real Milk Paint on absorbent surfaces, some minor prep steps will help you achieve the results you want for your dining set. Before you begin, gather these supplies needed to paint a dining table and chairs:
- Sandpaper or hand sander
- A dry cloth and a damp cloth
- Wood cleaner
- Wood filler
- Putty knife
- Drop cloth
Sanding Your Dining Set Before Applying Real Milk Paint
While you don’t have to sand furniture before applying Real Milk Paint, sanding can add a bit of tooth to help the paint stay put on surfaces that get a lot of wear like chair seats. Sand surfaces by hand or use a battery-powered hand sander to scuff the surface.
Using Wood Filler to Correct Dining Set Flaws
If there are holes or divots in the wooden table legs or you’re painting raw wood with flaws you wish to correct, now’s the time to put Real Wood Filler to work. Simply fill in the holes with the wood filler, use a putty knife to clear away the excess, let it dry and then scuff sand over the surface to create a smooth, even finish. It is important to note that when using Real Milk Paint® it is not recommended to use color changing filler or filler made with vinyl.
Cleaning the Dining Table Set Before Painting
Next, use the damp cloth to clear away the sanding dust. Then thoroughly clean the surface with a heavy-duty wood cleaner such as Tri-Sodium Phosphate. If you notice any metal stains, now’s the time to correct them with Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach. Once the furniture you’re painting dries, you’re ready to start applying Real Milk Paint to the old table and chairs. Now, let’s dive into how to paint a dining table and chairs with milk paint.
How to Paint Dining Room Tables With Real Milk Paint
Now that you’re ready to add color to your DIY project, gather a few more supplies needed to paint a dining table:
- Real Milk Paint
- Paintbrush
- Paint sprayer
- Plastic sheeting
- Top coat
Mixing and Applying the Paint
One of the things that makes Real Milk Paint the best paint for revamping dining table sets and kitchen cabinets is the versatility in mixing. Though we traditionally mix our powdered paint at a 1:1 ratio with water, you can experiment with the consistency when mixing your own for easier use in a paint sprayer, which eliminates the need for canned spray paint in almost any DIY project.
You can either take your dining set apart or leave it in place during the painting process, depending on which areas you’re revamping. For example, when recoloring a painted table, you might flip it over first to paint the table legs and underside, then flip it back up to add color to the tabletop.
No matter how you paint a dining table, let the milk paint dry between coats. Apply the first coat to the entire surface and let it dry for a few hours, then apply a second coat and let it dry overnight. You can always wait until the next day to add a third coat if you decide it needs a bit more color to get a look you absolutely love.
Finishing Touches and Curing
Once the paint dries completely on your dining table and you have cleaned the drip marks, you’re ready to add the finishing coat. The Real Milk Paint Co. offers several safe-for-food-contact finishing products like our Soft Waxes, Finishing Creams, and Wood Wax, especially if there is residual finish on the furniture piece.
Soft Waxes are available in a variety of colors and provide a matte sheen while drying hard. Finishing Creams are low odor, low VOC, water-based topcoats that come in Gloss, Low Sheen, and Dead Flat options. Wood Wax is an all-natural, plant-based product that is perfect for sealing raw wood and giving a nice smooth finish.
Choose your preferred topcoat according to your project requirements and apply it according to the instructions. Allow ample time for your selected final coat to cure as specified in the product instructions before using your dining room table.
How to Paint Dining Room Chairs
Painting dining room chairs requires the same supplies as painting your dining room table. This DIY project does, however, require some special techniques to produce the best results.
Painting Techniques for Dining Room Chairs
The best way to paint chairs is to start with them flipped upside down — and all at once. Though you can use spray paint to get good coverage, a better choice is using Real Milk Paint in a paint sprayer. See how it looks after applying two coats, and keep in mind you can add a third coat if you didn’t get the coverage you wanted. Once the underside dries, flip the dining room chairs upright and repeat the process for the tops.
Adding Details and Accents
If you want to get creative, choose a two-tone color scheme for your project. For instance, you might remove the chair seats, strip them down to bare wood, then paint chairs in a contrasting color to the frame color to create a fresh look in your home decor.
How To Paint Furniture Pieces In Your Dining Room
Your dining set project doesn’t have to stop with updating your old dining table and chairs. You can also extend it to supplementary pieces like buffets and sideboards — and even your kitchen cabinets and shelves. Here are some great tips for crafting a complementary palette for a well-balanced look that impresses while holding up well to everyday wear.
Buffets and Sideboards
Consider painting buffets and sideboards, then stenciling or experimenting with brush strokes on designs that complement your overall theme. Alternatively, craft a uniform look by painting the pieces in the accent colors you used for your dining table and chairs, then using the main hue as an accent on your buffet or sideboard. The complementary contrast helps bring together different design elements for a more harmonious look in your dining space.
Display Cabinets and Shelving
You can also paint furniture or fixtures built into your kitchen. Our hard-wearing paint offers a durable option for kitchen cabinets and display shelving, letting you brighten your space without having to bother with a primer coat. Additionally, our paint dries quickly with every brush stroke, so you can get back to using your kitchen soon after completing your DIY project.
Enhance Your Dining Experience With Beautifully Painted Chairs And Dining Table
Whether you want to paint chairs, update your dining table set, or revamp furniture or fixtures like kitchen cabinets, Real Milk Paint® offers all-natural, sustainable options with a beautiful matte finish. Our range of 56 durable colors provides a virtually endless array of options when you want to paint a dining table set your way.
