DIY
For laminate furniture you must use a BIN (shellac based) primer. This is a CRUCIAL step for a good result! This should not be hard and it doesn’t have to look good.
To paint wood furniture you have to start with this question-Does it have a shiny or super smooth finish? If it is either, you need to use a liquid deglosser OR give it a light sanding.
I have tried lots of different paints but I now have 3 go-to paints I use to paint furniture. General Finishes Milk Paint, Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint or Fusion Mineral Paint.
I choose which paint I will use for a project based on their colors. They all offer different palettes and between the three I can always find what I am looking for. Keep in mind, the number of coats you need depends on the color. Some colors require 2-3 thin coats of paint.
You can use your own favorite method for painting. The way I do it is a brush for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, and a foam roller for large flat areas. Rollers go so much faster and make the job feel easier! These paints all self-level well and a roller works just fine.