Design & Style How To Guides How To Paint Furniture

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1. I bought a small pedestal table and would like to paint it white or cream to give it a "shabby chic" look. The top is a darker wood than the pedestal which is antique pine. What is the best way to go about painting the top part, I am not sure if it's a mahogany varnish that's on it at the mo? Any help would be much appreciated!!

   Posted by Homelovingirl31 on 03/08/2009 13:04:00

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2. I have some 1970's 'Olympus' fitted bedroom furniture - ivory outside, mahogany inside and a nice gold line on the mouldings. It was very good quality when new, but 30 years on it has several chips, and marked areas. I do not want to chuck it out - the room is difficult to arrange any differently and I would only end up getting something similar in style and layout if I did replace it - also it would be very expensive. I am tempted to try painting it - but scared that I would spoil the very fine finish which the manufacturers originally provided. I would like to keep the gold line - but don't have a steady hand. I would like to change the ivory to a slightly lighter shade of creamy white. I would also like a corner unit, in a similar/complementary style, painted to match. The carpet and soft furnishings in the room are desperately in need of changing, and I plan to have an oak floor fitted, but I must make up my mind what I'm going to do about the fitted furniture first - do I get the floor laid round it and then be committed to keeping this furniture, or do I scrap the furniture, and buy new, with the floor laid first? If I keep the existing furniture and don't do something about the bad patches, I will be looking at them for ever more - but I would rather do that than daub paint all over it, then hate it and end up having to chuck it anyway - at great expense. Kirsty recommended acrylic matt paint - could you give further information on this please and some idea of how difficult it would be for a not-particularly-gifted-amateur to apply successfully. All tips/advice would be much appreciated.

   Posted by Joyce on 12/05/2009 21:32:55

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3. Hi, we have a bannister and stairs which were stained and varnished would prefer to paint white , what would be the best way of doing this.

   Posted by pbushby on 01/04/2009 14:30:13

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4. Dear Naomi about 12 years ago my wife and i bought a bedroom double bedroom wardrobe with recess for our bed the colour was in at the time rosewood finnish,now my wife does not like it any more and wants to paint it,we are at l;ogger heads over it now we have visited B&Q and they have international unit paint but are very poor on colour choices my wife does not want brilliant white she wants awinter white which international dont have do you know of any othr manufacturer that does,i dont want her to paint the unit wth household paint as that will fade rather quickly or chip or scratch easily,a swift anwer would be very appreciated thanks j.g

   Posted by Jack Gillingham on 28/03/2009 17:03:57

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5. Hi, I am in the process of sanding down and repainting a 2ndhand cot in prep for imminent baby due!! However, Crown's Breatheasy wood paint is not covering too well and the surface is easily scratching off with handling. The paint hasn't taken well with stripped down wood/ primer, nor when just taking surface off the varnish already present. Any advice as to how cot could be rescued in current painted state please?! With thanks

   Posted by mabertie on 17/01/2009 11:52:51

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6. Hi Naomi, I love your no nonsense approach with design. I love french furniture and my best find was from a junk shop in the South of France ,which sold a marble top bedside cabinet with wallnut base, it was a great find. If you have any good suggestions in finding other furniture in the Uk please send it on.Keep up the good work. Regards Rachel

   Posted by Rachel Athisayam on 23/08/2008 17:57:40

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7. I've painted just about every piece of furniture that ever stood still - some many more times than once! Currently my bedroom is getting an update with a couple of chests of drawers my mum painted, lived with, grew bored of and passed on. I'm planning to repaint them. Nothing like a free bit of furniture to get the juices flowing...

   Posted by Lucy 4Homes Ed on 12/08/2008 15:52:40

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8. I made an old tatty dresser from a charity shop look really pretty by painting it a satin cream and adding some blue and white china handles that cost just a few pounds from B&Q. The whole job, including the dresser, cost me £40 and everyone asks me where I got it from. It really pays to spend some time preparing the surface though, especially if there is some flaking paint or varnish.

   Posted by Lelia 4Homes Producer on 04/08/2008 17:32:50

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