Painting furniture and giving new life to a worn piece can be so rewarding.  But how do you get started?  I’m often asked what tools one would need to begin to flip a piece of furniture.

So here are my favorite paint tools for beginners who want to start painting furniture.

Let’s start with tools for PREP

Prep is the most important step for getting a great finish with lasting results.  No one likes it but it’s not something that should be skipped.  And there’s no such thing as no prep paint, so the basic rules apply to any brand of paint you use.  If you want details about great prep, you can read more here.

I’m including affiliate links today to help you find the tools I refer to.  Amazon pays me to advertise for them but you pay their same low price.

I use Fusion’s TSP to clean and degrease and mix it in a spray bottle.  That would be the first must have on my list.  I use it both to clean and degrease before I scuff sand and to clean off sanding dust after I scuff sand.

Speaking of scuff sanding, that brings up one of my favorite all-time tools –  a sanding glove.  These gloves have velcro and the sand paper sticks to them!  They make sanding flat, curved, and round surfaces so easy!  You can get refill paper for them, too!

Once your prep is done, you’re ready to PAINT!

There are two basic tools that should be in your tool kit for painting – brushes and rollers.  I’m sold on Staalmeester paint brushes.  In my twenty years of painting furniture, they’re the best I’ve ever used.  I LOVE my Staalmeester Ultimate ONE brush.  It’s the Lexus of paint brushes!  But it’s pricy and not what I would recommend for a first time furniture flipper.  This article can help you pick out a brush you’ll love.

When I’m painting a large flat surface I prefer to use a roller.  The type of roller does make a difference.  Fusion’s new velour rollers and the Staalmeester microfelt rollers leave a beautiful finish.  The Staalmeester rollers are even washable and reusable!

If you’ve never used a roller with Fusion before, there are a few tricks that can give you the best finish.  Take a look.

It’s always best to pour paint out and not dip into the jar.  You can contaminate your paint that way.  I’m currently using these squirt bottles.  The flip lid seals tight and keeps air out.  I just pour out the paint I need on a paper plate.  That keeps me from using too much paint on my brush, too.

The only time I need a power sander is when I’m going to refinish a table top.  Scuff sanding just needs 220 grit paper.  But refinishing a table means a couple of hours with an orbital sander.  I LOVE my Bosch multi-speed orbital sander with filter.  I use Dura Gold sand paper with it.  The quality of the paper does make a difference in the quality of the finish.

Tools for great FINISHES

Once I finish painting the piece can truly be done!  Sometimes I’ll want to add wax or glaze to embellish and accent the paint.  Fusion’s furniture waxes, glazes, and Stain and Finishing Oil (SFO) all have their time and place.

These just need a few supplies to make application easy.  While paint is best applied with a synthetic bristle brush, waxes need a natural bristle brush.  The Staalmeester wax brush is excellent with waxes.  Clean with Odorless Solvent. 

I use a craft brush to apply glaze and SFO.  Use a damp cloth or baby wipe to wipe back water-based glaze and a dry rag or a rag dipped in Odorless Solvent to wipe back SFO.  Applicator pads come in handy for applying stain on large flat surfaces.  They’re great for applying Tough Coat, too.

So that’s it!  These are the basic tools that I use on 95% of my furniture flips.  So if you are just starting out, start picking up these tools to build your tool kit and set you up for success!

Need some tips and free tutorials?  You will find some of my most popular videos here.