painting finished furniture

I have a chest of drawers in a maple wood with a lacquer or varnish finish. I would like to paint it in a creamy white with some pastel trim for my daughter's room. (Maybe even do a crackle look). It definitely has a glossy look, but I want to know if I must sand it to paint over it. Some other suggestions have been to strip it first with a chemical remover, or use a de-glossing primer. I have found a zinsser primer (BIN) that claims to adhere to even glossy surfaces and eliminate the need for sanding. Also, my husband thinks we might want to have the piece back to a wood/stain look eventually. Would it be possible to restore after painting? Thanks.
DeeAnn

 

DeeAnn:

I've read the label on BIN, too, but I still suggest sanding before using a primer - ANY primer. It gives it that much more adhesion for a final finish. You don't need to sand the current finish off - just sand enough to dull the current sheen. You can probably get the entire piece done in 15 minutes with 2 sheets of sandpaper - or less.

There are other products on the market called deglossers for the same job (some call themselves liquid sandpaper). Being a parsimonious individual, I don't use them. Sandpaper is cheaper.

Yes, you can restore it to the original after painting. It will be easier than restoring a piece painted originally, but it will be a lot of work, nevertheless. The current finish will keep the applied paint from penetrating the grain of the wood - that's what makes stripping painted pieces so troublesome anyway. With that worry out of the way, getting back to bare wood will involve a little work, but not the painstaking ordeal it might have been.