I was sitting in Barnes and Noble looking at a decorative painting book for furniture that illustrated various projects with instruction. The book was informative but after all that time and effort the author never informed the reader on how to protect the various wood pieces of furniture. I found it very frustrating that this most important step was omitted from the book. Does anyone know how to get the "store funiture" finish at home?

I recently painted a buffet and sprayed it with lacquer. I found that although it looks good it has a slightly rough finish, not at all what I see or feel when I look at the very expensive "hand painted" pieces in the furniture stores. Any advice would be appreciated.