[107barney]

You could strip the paint but that is time consuming and unless the furniture was really worth it, I'd do exactly as you are.

I would sand it quick and wipe it down with a damp microfiber cloth (lint free) to get all the dust off. Then I'd use Kilz primer (oil based not latex based) so I did not have to sand all the paint off which usually will take off some of the furniture detailing. I would spray paint it, but that is because I have good spray paint technique. If I did not have good technique, I'd use a brush and I would not use a cheap brush. I would buy satin paint and do two coats. When dry I would use a semi-gloss or a satin polyurethane depending on how much shine I wanted. I'd probably actually use the least shine but that is a matter of preference. Use a foam brush to apply the poly.

Good luck - I've done many pieces this way and they come out beautiful. The nickel hardware sounds cute on black, or you can opt for a crystal knob and that will look fabulous too.