Just the top is laminate? You could probably use Fusion paint for plastic. I'm not real sure how it holds up to painting over, you might want to read about Fusion or similar paint products. Maybe you could use a faux-marble technique for the top. Or a faux-leather top:) I saw one they used wrinkled brown Kraft paper on,it looked like real leather! Or even decoupage tissue or wrapping paper on, I saw some beautiful toile paper.

I hope this helped some:) Show it after you finish, I love before and after pics!

i'm doing more than that piece of furniture for the grandaughters bedroom,antique white.the laminate top on the dresser has me stumped.i love to refinish furniture,but have never had dealings w/laminate.think i'll drive to the oldest and best paint store ever next week,if it can be done they can tell me how.if anyone else has come across this let me know,please.or am i on the wrong forum?
thanks,patricia

Kilz makes a primer for laminate tops. .you cal also use it on glass. I want to say it's called "Bin". .I painted some maple furniture with a lamanite top several years ago and it still looks great. It's very easy to apply. Get a high density foam roller, they are about 4" wide. The primer goes on great with it. Debbie

thanks Debbie, do you remember who makes the "bin"?and what kind of paint did ya use over it,oil based and a poly(especially on top) for a 13 year old.oh,did you paint the maple a light color? thanks so much,patricia

Patricia. .Kilz makes the Bin primer. I used a water based paint over the Bin. .oh the Bin is water based also. I just used a water based trim paint on the furniture and put it on with a high density foam roller. It went on beautiful too. .It is a soft off white color and it's been on the furniture for 4 years without a single scratch. It doesn't take much of the primer so just buy a quart. Good luck with your project. .Debbie

debbie,does it look like a semi-gloss when finised?i haven't done any of this in sooo long.you know like a store bought piece? thanks so much for your help,guess i need to hit the paint department at my lumber yard.grandaughter starts school tomorrow,when she gets setteled in i guess i'll start.thanks again,patricia

Whew! I'm glad I found this post again. .I had forgotten where it was!. .I went to Lowe's today and looked a the primer. Bin is made by Zinsser. My furniture is not a semi-gloss. .it's more like eggshell. You can certainly get a semi-gloss, it would look great. What I painted was actually a bedroom suite I had when I was growing up, my daughter used it then I painted it for my granddaughter, daughter did not want it shiney at all. It really was not hard to do at all. Just took a little time. While I am thinking about it. .you can e-mail me if you have any other questions. .DBFireWife@aol.com Just in case I have trouble finding my way back here again. .Debbie

That's what I was thinking dbfirewife~Bin is just another name like Kilz.

Tudzukween, i'm re-doing 2 laminate-top dressers also, and like your ideas. I was thinking crackle, but like the idea of a toile decoupage, which would be a lot easier, but the leather idea sounds good too. I need to think on this, but thanks again and thanks to woodsgranny for starting the thread. I've been working on the dressers for a couple of months and had been thinking about what I was going to do with the tops. I didn't even *think* to start a thread, duh! ;o)

Is laminate a good base for mosaic? Or maybe mosaic decoupage with paper would be neat, though perhaps a bit more work than you want. Would need to seal with several coats of acrylic or poly too.
kathy

thanks everyone for your advice,but i think debbie and i are on the same page about my dresser.i dread the work but the beauty will be worth it.yhans,patricia

hello woodgranny,
i know this post is a little late... well if you haven't done anything with your laminate top yet, i just redid mine with paint used for metal. and put some motifs on it :) if you are interested you can visit my blog at the link below and you'll find it there :)

luthien :)

Here is a link that might be useful: my arty-diy-home decor blog :)

Luthien it is beautiful What an interesting technique.
kathy

thank you kathy! i'm glad you liked it :) come visit me often :)

hugs
"luthien" :)