Painting furniture and stairs - what type of paint?

[cunningplan101]

So, after getting all the walls and ceilings and woodwork in my flat painted in the Summer by the professionals, I now have a last few bits and pieces that need finishing off. As when I tried to be lazy and got painters into quote, the quotes were more than my remaining life savings As I want to be an independent woman and learn a new practical skill, I've decided to try and save some money and do this myself. How hard can it be, right? Famous last words?

I should probably add that I'm new to painting. In fact, I'm so much of a novice that, until recently, I thought eggshell was a paint colour so kept wondering why so many painter/decorators were recommending it to me for my skirting boards! Any advice you could give me, therefore, would be very much appreciated and may prevent me losing my self-respect. This is what I have to paint:

• Three fitted wardrobes - these are already primed; two with water-based primer, one with oil-based primer
  
• Two interior pine doors - again, already primed, water-based
  
• Two pine stools and a pine-framed mirror, neither primed nor prepped, just wood at the moment (though poss with some v old varnish)
  
• Stair treads and risers - these are painted white at the edges in oil-based white eggshell as I was hoping to get a carpet runner, but need to save cash so am just going to paint them now.
  

In my cupboard, I have: big tins of water-based emulsion left over from having the walls painted; one small tin of white oil-based eggshell paint; two small tins of water-based eggshell paint, slightly different shades of white.

From googling, I've seen some mixed advice on whether you can use emulsion on furniture, if you coat it in liquid wax afterwards? It would be great if I could use up some of my leftover emulsion paint (it's bloody F&B, so was eye-wateringly expensive!!)

So, I was thinking of using the following:

• Oil-based primed wardrobe - oil-based white eggshell
  
• Water-based primed interior pine doors - water-based white eggshell
  
• Water-based primed wardrobes - finish with either water-based white eggshell or water-based white emulsion + wax? would emulsion be ok for these?
  
• Pine stools and mirror - sand them down and then use colour water-based emulsion plus wax? Do I need to prime these first, or just lots of coats of emulsion?
  
• Stair treads and risers - sand them down, prime them, and then use floor paint?
  

Does the above sound ok? How many coats should I do on each? I guess I'd need to use a brush rather than a roller - could anyone recommend which type of brush? Any particular steps I should take e.g. prepping? And how long do you think all of the above might take me?

Thanks for any advice - much appreciated! I'm clueless. But I'm looking forward to having one small part of my newly decorated home that I can gaze at and think with pride, 'I did that!'

[Twittwattwoo2]

Yes to the oil based eggshell on anything primed with an oil based primer and same for water based primer and eggshell. I wouldn't use emulsion on the wardrobe, stick to eggshell.

Emulsion on small pieces of furniture followed by wax is probably ok, if you don't want to have to sand down or prime first you could use chalk paint instead (Rustoleum is easy to use and not expensive).

The stairs, yes floor paint, or eggshell then clear varnish.

Harris natural bristle brushes are usually ok. I've also used loads of cheap brushes as well and most are fine. You could use a small sized foam roller for the wardrobes and internal doors, or paint pads.

[onedogatoddlerandababy]

Use floor paint on the stairs rather than normal satinwood/eggshell as 1) it is much harder wearing and 2) less slippery

Please note that unless you are detached you will sound like a herd of elephants to your neighbours going up and down painted stairs You can minimise this by not wearing shoes inside and by not running up and down the stairs

[cunningplan101]

Thanks very much for your replies. So sounds like I should stick to the eggshell for everything except the stools and mirror, with floorpaint on the stairs.

Re herd of elephants - the stairs are from our first floor to our second floor, so no neighbours below and don't wear shoes on them - very keen not to torture neighbours after living below neighbours with small children before. Amazing how a dancing six year old can sound like a dancing wooly mammoth when you hear them from below!