Step Four: Repair
Fix any damage to your piece. If you're replacing hardware, you can use this opportunity to fill existing holes. Save deep scratches and veneer repairs for step six—it's much easier to see what needs attention once you've applied your base coat.

Step Five: Prime and Seal
Your next move depends on what you're working with.

For bare wood and MDF:
Sealing prevents the surface from soaking up too much product and helps block stains from knots and natural wood tones. Apply Dixie Belle Bonding Boss primer in white, grey, or clear using a quality synthetic brush. Choose white or grey for light colours to improve coverage, or grey and clear for darker shades. Clear is ideal if you're planning to distress the piece later. Apply two coats and let dry overnight. Rinse your brush in warm water with a touch of Brush Soap or one of our Scrubby Soaps if needed.

For shiny surfaces like glass, metal, laminate, melamine, lacquered, varnished, or gloss painted finishes:
Sand everything lightly with 240 grit sandpaper to create grip. If the surface is too detailed to sand, wipe it down with a lint-free cloth instead. Apply Fusion Ultra Grip adhesion primer with a quality synthetic brush, painting carefully with the grain. Finish with long, smooth strokes from end to end (or top to bottom) to eliminate brush marks. On larger areas, work in strips three or four brush widths wide—painting the whole surface at once will cause tackiness before you can smooth it out. Leave to dry overnight.

For pre-painted furniture, you will need to scuff sand with 120 Grit sandpaper, ensuring there is no flaking paint left. You could use a primer if you are going from a dark to light colour. Fusion's Transitioner is perfect for this.

Step Six: Fix
Now fill any holes, deep scratches, or missing veneer using Dixie Belle Mud, available in white, black, and brown to match your chosen paint colour. Allow several hours to dry, ideally overnight.