• Home
    • About
    • Services & Policies
    • Just the Woods Media Kit
  • Furniture
    • Past Painted Projects- SOLD
  • Shop Products
    • Shop Wise Owl Chalk Synthesis Paint
    • Shop Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
    • Shop my Favorite Tools & Supplies
    • eBook
  • FREE Stuff
    • Affordable Back Drop Options
    • How to Paint Furniture – A Beginners Guide
  • Learn
    • Video Tutorials & Downloadable eBooks
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • painted furniture
    • DIY / Crafts
    • Home Decor
    • Monthly Social Blog Hops with the Best DIY Blogs
  • About Me
    • Nutrition & Health Coaching
  • 0 items

Just the Woods, LLC | a Colorful Home & Healthy Lifestyle Blog

a Colorful Home & Healthy Lifestyle Blog

  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition & Health Coaching
  • Painted Furniture
  • DIY / Crafts
    • Home Decor
  • About Me

How to Paint a Table with the Best Black Furniture Paint & Stain

Share & Save for later!

6.7K shares
  • Share177
  • Tweet
  • Email

Black furniture paint and black wood stain go together like peas and carrots. Black furniture is both timeless and one of the easier painted furniture finishes to achieve. Today I am sharing how to paint a table with the best black furniture paint and black wood stain for a classic finish.Black furniture paint and black wood stain make the perfect pair on this distressed black painted table

Disclosure: This black furniture paint and black wood stain post contain affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure policy. 

how to paint furniture, furniture painting blog, painted furniture blogs, furniture painting techniques

Supplies & Tools Needed to Paint Furniture with Black Furniture Paint

Materials Needed / Source List:

Tools

  • Zibra Paint Brushes or Cling On Brushes
  • Furniture Tri Wheelies
  • Sandpaper
  • Orbital Sander
  • Shop-Vac
  • Lint Free Cloth
  • Find all of my favorite tools and products on my Amazon Page here

Paint

  • Dixie Belle Paint
    • Slick Stick 
    • Caviar Paint
    • Black Magic Gel Stain
    • Gator Hide Top Coat 
    • Anastasia Gilding Wax

Before we begin, this black paint and black stain table makeover is part of our monthly Furniture Fixer Uppers share. You know what that means! Make sure to stick around all the way to the end for more great painted furniture before and after projects. furniture fixer uppers, DIY blog, painted furniture blogs

Unfinished Wooden Table

For starters, I will confess that this table is in really nice shape. To be honest, it really doesn’t need paint. 

brown wood small table

But I can’t resist the cool shape of it and the fact that it’s quite simple with its straight lines making it perfect for this black furniture paint project. On top of that, the gorgeous wood grain makes it the perfect candidate to change it from traditional brown to a deep black wood stain. I feel all too often, we naturally opt for brown stain when in fact, a black stain is underrated and amazing. how to paint a table, small brown wood table, odd shaped table

Preparing Your Table for Black Paint and Black Stain

  • Sanding

Like all of our painted furniture projects, we need to start with a thorough cleaning and prep. Because we plan to apply black wood stain to the table top we will need to sand the original finish off and reveal that gorgeous wood grain underneath. When applying wood stain it is always best to get down to the bare wood. To do this, grab your orbital sander, I love my Dewalt sander – it’s my go-to for everything. You can get one online HERE. sanding wood furniture, how to stain wood, orbital sander on wood table

Go ahead and sand the table top down to the bare wood. I show you in the video how to sand indoors without making a dusty mess. Next, remove that lower shelf and give it a good sanding/scuff with regular old sandpaper. sand wood before black furniture paint, prep painted furniture

When painting a wood table you need to make sure to clean and prep all areas that will be painted. So make sure to sand the rest of the table, including the edges. On this table, those edges and the current finish is actually quite smooth. We want to scuff that up to give the black paint something to adhere to. sanding and prepping furniture for chalk paint

  • Cleaning

After you give the entire wood table a nice scuff make sure to go back and clean the table. You can use something like White Lightning by Dixie Belle (found online HERE), or stick with the basics. There is no wrong choice. Personally, I am a bit set in my ways and I use good old white vinegar with water and a drop of blue dish soap and a scrubby sponge. how to clean wood furniture, clean wood table

Whichever product you choose to use for the cleaning portion, just make sure to go back and give your piece a final once over with a damp clean cloth to remove any remaining dust and residue. remove dust from wood furniture, wipe wood clean

Since we sand the top down to bare wood I don’t normally wipe it with a cleanser, but I do wipe it down with a clean damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. clean cloth to wipe clean wood

Yikes! dirty rag from cleaning wood table

Preparing a Wood Table for Furniture Paint

Now that our table is cleaned and ready to go I would like to take one more extra step. Remember I mentioned that this table is rather new? Well, even though we gave it a scuff and sanding I find the surface to still be somewhat smooth. I am going to add a product called Slick Stick to this table before we paint it. Slick Stick acts as an extra binder for great adhesion and works wonder when you want to paint furniture that is new, laminate, smooth or shiny. You can get Slick Stick online HERE. You can also see where Slick Stick is used to paint a brand new laminate bookcase: The Best and Trusted Way for Painting Laminate Furniture. slick stick, dixie belle, how to paint slick surfaces, painting shiny furniture

Now, grab your favorite brush and make sure it’s clean. I am using my flat Cling On brush, but like to swap back and forth between Cling Ons and Zibra brushes. They both have soft bristles, are easy to work with and clean up well. (I abuse my brushes) To be honest, I like them both. Zibra brushes are a bit more affordable and can be ordered online (HERE). Cling Ons can be ordered online (HERE). furniture painting brushes, paint brushes, cling on brush, zibra brush, best paint brushes for painted furniture

With your brush apply the Slick-Stick in the same way that you would apply your furniture paint. white primer on wood furniture, slick stick primer, dixie belle chalk paint

Apply the Slick-Stick to the legs and the base. paint furniture with cling on brush

Do not apply the Slick-Stick to the tabletop. The tabletop is where we are going to apply our black wood stain. But, do apply it to the edge. paint trim of wood with white primer

As you can see the Slick-Stick will dry white in color. This is not a problem since we are painting over it. And who cares if you paint it messy, this is for adhesion and not for prettiness anyway. 😉 wood table painted with white primer before black furniture paint

If you are new to furniture painting and want to learn how to update old furniture with paint you can always start at the beginning with How to Paint Furniture – a Beginners Guide.

how to paint furniture, painting furniture, guide to painting furniture

The Best Black Furniture Paint and Black Wood Stain

Now that our table is fully and completely prepped and ready we can finally move on with the fun part. Time for the furniture paint and black stain. When you want to know how to paint furniture black the main question is often what is the best black furniture paint for painting wood? Well, If you are looking for a true black furniture paint without any gray tones then Caviar is your best bet. Many brands and shades of black wood paint can have slight gray or blue undertones, but Caviar is a true black. You can get Caviar online HERE. I am pairing it with this amazing water-based black wood stain called Black Magic. black furniture paint, black wood stain, black paint, black stain, dixie belle paint

Black Chalk Paint

Let’s start with the black paint portion of this makeover. Grab your paint and a clean paintbrush. black chalk paint, best black furniture paint, what paint for painting furniture

Go ahead and apply your black furniture paint to the table legs. how to paint furniture black, how to paint black distressed, black paint

Also, paint the base/skirt area of the table. painting black paint on wood, black painting, black chalk painted furniture

Don’t forget that edge along the table top. Basically, apply your black paint over all of the areas where the Slick-Stick is. This won’t be hard to do since the Slick-Stick is white and your paint is black. If you accidentally get a little black furniture paint on the top where we need to apply black stain – don’t worry. We can take care of that too. black chalk paint on wood table

See how amazing this looks after only one coat of black chalk paint? Holy moly! black paint on wood table with wood grain

Ok, ok, don’t get too excited. We almost always need a second coat. Whether the one coat is good enough or not I like to add a second coat for good measure no matter what. You can see, when the black paint dries it surely needs a second coat just to bring it all together. black chalk paint dry

Click here to Pin this post for later. 

Touching Up Your Painted Furniture

Like I said, you might get some black paint on the bare wood area. I certainly do. As a matter of fact, you can probably prevent this with some painters tape. Or, I have another solution. messy black paint on wood

A quick one-two with the orbital sander can fix this in a snap. electric sander on wood to remove paint

This feels like a much quicker and easier fix than painters tape. Look how crisp and clean the edge looks! crisp paint lines, bare wood grain

Sanding Black Distressed Furniture

We don’t want to get too crazy with the sanding block but we are going for a slightly black distressed furniture appearance on our table. To do this we will need a 220 grit piece of sandpaper. Nothing too rough, but rough enough to distress the edges. fine grit sandpaper

With your sandpaper, you will need to lightly sand along the edges of the table wearing away the paint any place where it would normally wear over time. how to distress black furniture, how to distress chalk paint, black distressed furniture

Black Wood Stain Table Top 

Next up in our furniture refinishing project is the black wood stain. This is like the icing on the cake. When you want to know how to stain wood furniture darker it is still going to be easier to work with bare wood. And we are already there. how to stain wood, stain bare wood

Black stain is an amazing alternative to the traditional brown. For this painted table project I am using Black Magic gel stain from Dixie Belle. You can get this wood stain as well as other colors/shades online HERE. black stain, black furniture stain, black wood stain

Make sure to shake the bottle well before you begin. It’s always a good idea to keep your finger over the cap when you shake because, well, you just never know. dixie belle stain, water based stain, best black stain

Go ahead and squirt some of your black furniture stain onto a paper plate. how to apply wood stain, black stain on paper plate

Grab your trusty yellow applicator sponge. I love this thing and use it for applying wood stain, sealer, glaze, top coat, etc. You can grab some online HERE

easy to use wood stain, black wood stain application

Dab your sponge into the black wood stain to get just enough on the sponge but do not drench the sponge. Wipe any excess off back onto the paper plate. I normally work with a slightly damp sponge to start. how to stain wood black, black stain on sponge

How to Apply Black Wood Stain

To apply the wood stain to your table you want to make sure that your tabletop is clean and dust free. If needed, go ahead and wipe the table with a dust free cloth before you begin. I keep a bucket of these in my shop- HERE. how to apply black wood stain, how to stain a table

Now slowly drag your damp sponge down the table going in the same direction as the wood grain pattern. black stain on wood table

As you go you will find the amount of pressure that allows the stain to absorb into the wood without being too much or too little. Don’t overthink and don’t overwork the wood stain. how to stain wood dark, stain a table black

If you notice that the black stain is lighter in one area than the rest, don’t worry. Also, don’t try to get it to match with the first coat. The second coat will even it all out. how to paint a table with chalk paint and stain

The first coat looks pretty darn pretty if you ask me. wood grain black stain

Once fully dry you can apply a second coat of wood stain to your black painted table in the same exact manner as the first. If by chance, you aren’t a fan of black, then make sure to check out How to Apply Wood Stain on these farmhouse-style white-painted tables with brown stain tops. 

Click here to Pin this post for later.

Sealing Your Wood Stain Table

Before we apply a top coat over the black stain I like to give the top a quick once over with fine grit sandpaper to keep it super smooth. how to sand wood grain table with black stain for smooth finish

Make sure to follow up with a lint-free cloth to remove the little bit of dust you may create. yellow cloth on black wood stain table

To seal this black distressed table top I am using Gator Hide from Dixie Belle. Gator Hide is water repellant and pretty hardcore. I figure it is the best choice when sealing a table or anything that could endure high traffic. You can get Gator Hide online HERE. how to seal painted furniture, top coat for wood stain, how to seal black stain, gator hide

Just like the black wood stain, we are applying the sealer with the yellow sponge. Make sure you clean it in between uses though. sponge to apply clear sealer on painted furniture

You can see how the clear top coat really enhances the wood grain pattern and brings the wood stain to life even more. Once completely dry, go back and apply a second coat because two thin coats are better than one. how to seal painted wood, how to seal stained wood, sealing painted furniture

Sealing Black Painted Furniture

Now that the table top is all sealed and finished we still need to seal the rest of the black furniture paint. This is a little trick that I like to do. Grab your black paint – you know the same one that we use to paint the table. true black chalk paint, black chalk paint, black furniture paint

Next, grab your clear sealer. You can use Gator Hide for this or the satin or matte sealer found HERE. Scoop some clear sealer onto a paper plate and then add a little bit of your black paint to the sealer. Make sure you have more sealer than black paint, you literally only want to tint the sealer while still keeping its strength. how to tint sealer, how to tint top coat, tint with paint

Using your applicator sponge, just like before, dab the sponge into your tinted sealer. Make sure the sponge is not soaked. seal wood with sponge, applicator sponge

Now go ahead and seal the black furniture paint areas of your distressed black table. sealing painted furniture, seal black furniture paint, seal black distressed painted furniture

Once sealed your black painted table is looking pretty sharp. black painted table with black wood stain

If you ever have questions about sealing your furniture makeover project you can find a full tutorial with video on how to apply clear sealer here: Sealing Painted Furniture sealing painted furniture, how to seal painted furniture, video tutorial

How to Paint a Table with Black Paint and Black Stain Video Tutorial

You can follow the project via video here. If you are unable to see the video you may need to turn off ‘ad-blockers’ on your site. The video may also autoplay within the tutorial post. 

 

Click here to Pin this post for later.

Click here to Pin this post for later.

Gilding Wax

Now I know that the table looks great with just the crisp black furniture paint and gorgeous black wood stain. But, just for fun, I am adding a little something more. I have this deep cranberry maroon gilding wax and it’s been begging to be used. I just haven’t had a project to use it on, until now. It’s called Anastasia from Dixie Belle and can be found online HERE. decorative wax, red wax, gilding wax

To be honest, I am not sure how this will come out, and I certainly don’t want anything drastic but I simply can’t help myself and I feel the need to try this color. So in typical gilding wax application fashion, I dab my finger into this luscious color. apply gilding wax with finger

In the words of my late grandmother – “a little dab will do ya.” red wax on finger for painted furniture

One section at a time, go ahead and rub some of the gilding wax along the edges of the painted table. apply gilding wax to edges of painted table

Next, go back with a clean cloth (or old T-shirt) and buff the gilding wax. This will tone it down a bit as well as remove any excess. buff wax with cloth

The results are subtle, which is good. I’m sure if you use this over a lighter color furniture paint the results will be even more noticeable. But for this black painted table, this is perfect. subtle details on painted furniture, red wax on black painted table

You can find another tutorial using gilding wax here on these Beauty and the Beast Inspired Bombe Chests, and another with a video tutorial here on this Painted and Layered Tall Lingerie Chest makeover.  

Distressed Black Funiture with Black Furniture Paint and Black Wood Stain

Your table is all finished. This project, like many of my makeovers, is being donated to a local school, animal rescue or charity to help with their fundraising efforts. Click here to see all of my projects that have been donated to support local fundraisers, schools, and charities: Donation Projects

black painted furniture, black furniture paint on wood, distressed black furniture

black chalk paint and black wood stain table

Click here to Pin this post for later.

how to stain a wood table black

small black painted table, black paint and black stain on wood

best black wood stain, best black furniture paint, black paint and stain

Grab any of the products used for this project as well as many others online HERE. dixie belle, dixie belle paint, chalk paint, chalk mineral paint, order paint, order dixie belle

Furniture Fixer-Uppers

Its that time again where a few of my creative and talented blogger friends and I have joined together in our monthly Furniture Fixer Uppers share. Let’s see what my friends are up to! Make sure to click the links below the image to check out all the amazing projects that my bloggy girls are working on this month.

 

1.  Salvaged Inspirations

2. Petticoat Junktion

3. Confessions of a Serial DIYer

4. Interior Frugalista

5. Girl in the Garage

6. Just the Woods (you are here)

painted furniture, how to paint furniture, painted furniture tutorials, painted furniture blog, painting furniture, painted furniture before and after, painted furniture makeovers

 Don’t Forget – Follow Just the Woods and Share this post to Inspire others:

FACEBOOK  *  INSTAGRAM  *  PINTEREST

Stay connected! For more tips and tricks sign up here : 

painted furniture diy, black painted furniture

refinish furniture chalk paint, black stain

painted furniture before and after

refinish furniture black wood stain

 

More from my site

  • How to Distress Furniture for that Worn White Painted LookHow to Distress Furniture for that Worn White Painted Look
  • The Most Basic Tutorial for How to ReupholsterThe Most Basic Tutorial for How to Reupholster
  • How to Whitewash Wood Furniture for Breathtaking ResultsHow to Whitewash Wood Furniture for Breathtaking Results
  • How to Paint Furniture with the Best Silver Metallic PaintHow to Paint Furniture with the Best Silver Metallic Paint
  • How to Add Floral Decoupage to Hand Painted FurnitureHow to Add Floral Decoupage to Hand Painted Furniture
  • How to Paint Wood Furniture Inspired by Beauty & the BeastHow to Paint Wood Furniture Inspired by Beauty & the Beast

Share & Save for later!

6.7K shares
  • Share177
  • Tweet
  • Email
« 20+ of the Best and Most Creative DIY Chalkboard Signs
The Best Ever Avocado Chickpea Salad Recipe »

Comments

  1. Marie says

    July 25, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    This table is so much nicer painted black plus it makes the unique shape stand out even more! In all honesty, you had me worried about that cranberry but it actually looks quite nice.

    Reply
  2. Christy James says

    July 25, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    Love the black for this piece and what a unique shape it is! XO

    Reply
  3. Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says

    July 25, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    This looks SO much more updated Kandace! And I’m loving the black with a hint of Anastasia glow around the edges…gorgeous! XO

    Reply
  4. Janet Schen says

    July 25, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    I have this table and my husband spilled on it and didn’t clean it up very good. Since I was out of town when he did it I found the damage at a later date He set the lamp back on the table without drying it first and so there a big dark circle on the wood. So, I was so excited to see this makeover so now I know what to do to fix this mess! The table sits between our recliners and it’s been bugging me for some time now. Thank you so much for this makeover! Your table looks better than when it was new! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  5. Kim says

    July 28, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    This is the best makeover project I have ever seen. The black paint and stain rock and so do you! Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  6. Jen @ Girl in the Garage says

    July 30, 2019 at 11:42 pm

    The new black paint and stain make this little table so chic! xo

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet the Artist

Meet the Artist – Hey there and welcome to my blog!

Click Here to get to know me better and visit my blog.

Click to Order Furniture Paint

dixie belle, dixie belle paint, chalk paint, chalk mineral paint, order paint, order dixie belle
wise owl, wise owl paint, chalk paint, chalk synthesis paint, furniture paint, non toxix paint

Categories

Copyright

 

All content on this blog is the property of Just the Woods, LLC. You are welcome to share my content (to include one photo only) as long as you provide a link back the original post. DO NOT copy entire posts, or crop, edit, or remove watermarks from photos without written permission from me first. Sharing a post from Just the Woods in a capacity where YOU will be compensated is not permitted. Thank you!

  • Privacy & Disclosure

QUICK LINKS

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Galleries
  • Contact Us

OUR LOCATION

Saint Johns
Florida
32259
United States
[email protected]

Copyright © 2023 · Market Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

6.7K shares
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email