how about painting just the legs of the table then use a attractive black tablecloth

sand all the stain & varathane off until you get down to the wood then make sure all the dust is off...start painting and when you are done add a couple coats of varathane to protect it

I wouldn't worry about sanding it down. This is a MAJOR pain in the butt.

Simply use Kilz primer and paint over the chairs. Use an oil based black paint, and be prepared to put 3-4 coats on. Black is very difficult to get on a surface and look even in less then 3 coats.

The tablecloth idea is a good one, may save ya some time.

Good luck.

Don't sand. Use a primer and either rent or buy a paint gun. You want to hold the gun a distance from the furniture and apply a light (very light coat) of the paint. Make sure this is done in a dust free environment. The paint I use is acrylic and for kitchen I would use semi-gloss. Paint more coats as needed. This can be done by hand but you will probably have to sand between coats.

I'd do a little sanding to scuff up the surface and help a primer stick to it. if your going black there is really no need to sand down to the wood. get through some of the urethane and prime it and paint it. i would put a nice coat or two of urethane on there as well, just get that shine and some protection.

Use spray paint - the kind in a can. Enamel - can be gloss or matte. It's the easiest to clean. You won't need to sand or prime the furniture - but do clean it well, and be sure it's dry before you paint.