From kitchen cabinets to built-in wardrobes, there are so many pieces of furniture with a smooth or glossy laminate finish. Quite simply, that’s because it provides great durability at a low cost.

But what if you want to revamp or just change the colour of those pieces? That’s where painting laminate furniture comes into play. So, is it a practical option? Read on as we answer that question and explain how to paint laminate furniture for the best results.

When it comes to upcycling or just transforming furniture, some people think that success is only possible with wood furniture. In a way, it’s easy to see why. Glossy or very smooth surfaces don’t provide good adhesion for paint, meaning those solid wood pieces seem a better option.

But in fact, painting glossy furniture is perfectly possible – and not even particularly difficult with just a few tips and tricks! It’s simply a case of getting preparation right and choosing suitable products.

Go for a self-priming paint that's formulated for use on glossy, laminate surfaces. This cuts out the need for special primers, reducing both expense and time.

Frenchic’s Al Fresco range, Lazy Range and Trim Paint are the ideal solution. Self-priming, self-levelling and self-sealing, they have excellent coverage and a robust finish making them ideal for painting laminate kitchen cupboards.

Using a self-priming paint like these means that glossy, laminate surfaces can be painted in the same way as any other. That’s providing you prepare them thoroughly beforehand, which brings us onto…

When it comes to laminate furniture, one of the most common questions is whether you can paint a glossy surface without sanding. Quite simply, people want to skip part of the prep but still get the same results.

We’ll keep it short and sweet – fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Sanding is so critical to painting laminate furniture because the roughed up surface improves the grip, meaning better adhesion and increased durability.

Skip sanding and things might look the part straight after painting, but you’re in danger of finding that your paint scuffs, chips, and doesn’t stand the test of time.

Knowing how to paint laminate furniture opens up a world of possibilities in your home. With the popularity of laminate furniture increasing over the past couple of decades, most people have at least one piece in their home – if not many more. Popular items include built-in wardrobes, chests of drawers, kitchen cupboards, sideboards and cabinets, shelving units, TV tables and desks.

And the great news is that they can all benefit from a fresh lick of paint to change their style or give them a new lease of life. Take a look at the dresser and drawers below, for example, which had contrasting dated colours on the tops and drawers. Using Whiter than White from the Chalk Wall Paint range – plus some stylish new hardware – they’ve been transformed into a modern, designer-esque set that matches the bright, new-look bedroom.

Another benefit of painting glossy wood furniture is that you can match pieces of furniture, regardless of their original colour. That could be a coffee table and TV stand moved together from separate rooms. Or you can even secure units together like the shelves below. Despite being mismatched to start with, they’ve been combined to make one large storage and display unit – which is all tied together using Blackjack.

Hit Play to watch the transformation!