Meet Wise Owl Stain Eliminating Primer — the Cadillac of primers, a safe and effective bonding primer and stain eliminator in one. It locks down the wood tannins that bleed through paint — mahogany, cherry, knotty pine, and Depression-era pieces are notorious — and it grips almost any surface: furniture, cabinets, walls, decks, even concrete. Wise Owl recommends it under every One Hour Enamel application for superior bonding and durability, and cabinets, tile, and floors should always be primed, without exception.

Pick your undercoat like a pro. White goes under whites and light colors, Gray under reds and medium tones, Dark Gray under the deepest colors, and Clear whenever you plan to distress — it looks milky white in the can and dries completely clear. Coffee Bean rounds out the five-color lineup. A quart covers roughly 160 square feet, and every color comes in Quart and Gallon.