Painting IKEA Furniture Successfully: How to Paint Laminate

Learn how to paint an IKEA piece of furniture for a custom look, on a budget! A few years ago I shared our affordable TV console made of IKEA BESTA cabinets. Today I’m excited to share an update! This post is all about the best paint and shellac-based primer I use for painting IKEA furniture, plus my step-by-step process for the best results.

If you want to make over a cheap piece of furniture with a laminate surface, keep reading! This is an easy DIY project that will make a huge difference.

More IKEA hacks:

Laminate IKEA Cabinets Before Painting

Here is a before view of our living room. Last year I worked on making this space cozier with earth tones and texture. Then, in January I set goals for new home projects including a TV wall refresh! 

I was ready for a change, but I could not part with our media console because the size and storage is amazing for our open concept living room. (For reference, the console is 94.5 inches wide under a 65 inch TV.)

The first step in our living room makeover was to refresh the TV console with a warm gray paint color to contrast the white walls.

Related: Easy DIY Picture Frame Molding

The Best Primer, Paint, and Tools for Painting IKEA Furniture

I am by no means an expert furniture painter, but I do love to research before beginning any project! Here are the products I ended up selecting for painting our IKEA media console.

1. Zinsser BIN Shellac-Based Primer

If you are comparing blog posts about how to paint IKEA laminate furniture, you have probably read about Zinsser BIN shellac-based primer. There are actually two BIN primers to choose from: shellac and synthetic shellac.

Option 1: Synthetic Shellac (What I Used)

I decided to use the BIN Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer. It was the middle of winter, and I wanted a low odor product that I could use in my living room. It also cleans up easily with soap and water! Since our media console will only receive light use, the synthetic shellac was fine for me.

Option 2: Shellac Base (The Best Primer)

However, the general consensus is that the BIN Shellac Base Primer is the holy grail product with the most durable finish. So, if your IKEA furniture will receive heavy traffic–for example, a table or bookshelf–and you are able to paint in a well ventilated space, then the real shellac base is the right primer for you. Just note that it has a strong odor and requires denatured alcohol for cleanup.

2. Latex Paint for Laminate IKEA Furniture

My favorite paint is Behr Marquee because many of the colors are one coat guaranteed! It is also low odor and cleans up easily with soap and water. For the media console, I used the color Greige (in satin finish) which is a beautiful warm gray. It is a bit darker and more gray (versus beige) than the color I used for my interior doors.

You can also use oil-based paint or chalk paint on furniture. Read about different types of paint for furniture if you are curious about the pros and cons of each!

3. Top Coat for Sealing a Piece of IKEA Furniture

It may be a good idea to seal your IKEA piece with a protective clear coat, depending on how much the piece will be used. I didn’t seal our media console, but I would seal a table or any high traffic area piece. Minwax Polycrylic and General Finishes Topcoat are good options. Always test your top coat on an inconspicuous area of your furniture to make sure it does not discolor the paint!

4. Mini Paint Rollers, Trays, and Paint Brush

Used for both the primer and paint! I used this high density mini paint roller (it comes with the frame) and extra rollers. Don’t forget a mini paint trays too! To cut in around the trim and legs, I used this 1-1/2 inch nylon/polyester angle brush.

5. Fine Grit Sandpaper or Sanding Sponge and Tack Cloth

Sanding is not essential, but you may want to do a light sand between coats of paint to ensure a smooth finish. I used my favorite 120 grit dust channeling sanding block and this tack cloth.

6. Basic Supplies for Painting IKEA Furniture 

Don’t forget painter’s tape if you need to protect furniture legs or hardware and a drop cloth if you need to protect your floor. Also, remember to pick up a paint stick (or two) and can opener at the paint counter. Finally, have a clean microfiber damp cloth on hand to wipe down your piece before starting!

Painting Process for IKEA Laminate Furniture

And now for the step-by-step process of painting IKEA furniture! I am not an expert, but I am so pleased with how this piece turned out.

Side note: I used kraft paper instead of a drop cloth because it is what I had on hand. However, I recommend using a plastic or canvas drop cloth for better coverage!

1. Remove hardware

Begin by removing any knobs or pulls on your IKEA furniture. You may also wish to disassemble your piece for the best paint job. 

Since I only planned to paint the outside of our media console, I did not take it apart. But a few areas were hard to reach, such as around the door hinges, so you may prefer to remove the doors.

2. Lightly sand the IKEA furniture

I do not think that sanding is absolutely necessary, but I did it just to be safe. If you do give your IKEA piece a light sand, be sure to wipe it down after with a tack cloth to remove dust.

If you choose not to sand, you may still want to wipe down the furniture with a slightly damp microfiber cloth to remove any grime or fingerprints.

3. Apply two thin coats of primer

Time to paint! Begin with two thin coats of primer. Cut in using a paint brush around the decorative trim, and then use a foam roller for the rest. Be sure to allow the piece to dry between coats.

Pro tip: Sand lightly between coats and wipe down with a tack cloth to ensure a smooth finish.

4. Apply two thin coats of paint

Next, apply two thin coats of paint, allowing the IKEA piece to dry between coats.

Pro tip: Again, do a light sand between coats and wipe down with a tack cloth for the best finish.

5. Apply top coat if desired

Finally, as I mentioned above, you may choose to use a top coat if your IKEA furniture is likely to be bumped or scratched. I would recommend using a top coat for a table, coffee table, or bookshelf.

Before applying a protective top coat, test it on an inconspicuous area and allow to dry in order to be sure it does not yellow the paint. Better safe than sorry!

Painting IKEA Furniture: Before and After

And here is the after of our IKEA media console! I cannot get over how high end it looks thanks to a few coats of paint. I still need to finish off the new look by painting the metal legs to match the brass knobs. The best thing to do would be to remove the legs and spray paint them, but I may try applying Rub ‘n Buff by hand.

Related: Easy DIYs + Home Upgrades

In this image I photoshopped out my sound bar, just to see how it would look!

Related: How to Display Art on a TV

I hope you found this post helpful if you will be painting IKEA furniture! If you would like to know which IKEA parts I used to build our furniture piece, check out this post.

Please let me know in the comments if you use this guide, and feel free to ask me any questions you may have!