The better you sand it the better it will look. Vacuum off the dust and wipe it down with white spirit. If there are ugly dents you can fill them to improve the final look.
Stand the items on wooden blocks or battens to keep floor dust away from the feet while painting.
Paint with primer and when it's dry (next day) sand lightly and remove the dust again.
Paint the first top coat and sand again the next day.
Paint on a finish coat. Be sparing with the paint to avoid runs - put the wet brush in a jar of water to stop it drying out - wipe the water off with newspaper before you come to use the brush for the next coat.
In the UK Dulux Satinwood has a nice semi-gloss matt finish and it dries quickly. Buy good quality paint and avoid if you can the non-drip and colour change paints (my pejudice).
Good luck...
Peccavi, April 2009
