Suggestions for my daughter

My daghter is moving into her first apartment and bought a bed frame at IKEA. It is unstained pine and she said she wants to paint it white/beige....I am a complete beginner at this and don't know what kind of paint to get(flat,satin,gloss etc) to get the best results. Or is a stain better? Do we need a polyurethane to finsh it? As you can see i need some major help. thanks...nancy