PAINTED FURNITURE
Any piece of wooden furniture can be painted – if you so desire. There really are no
limits to how you can go about this, but for the purpose of the PDF, I’m going to
describe the process to achieve the look of the furniture in the linked image.
Wipe the furniture with a damp cloth to make sure there are no patches of grime that
could stop the paint adhering properly.
When dry, using a fine grade of sandpaper; 120gm is perfect if the furniture is in good
condition. It you need to dislodge peeling paint and other types of applied product, a
brush on paint remover may be the easiest way to start the process. Follow the
manufacturers instructions and ALWAYS work in a well-ventilated space. Remove
the waste and pop it into a carrier bag to discard.
Then with your fine sandpaper give the surface of the item an even sanding, following
the direction of the wood grain. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove the wood dust.
Apply the paint – in an ordinary water based emulsion – with a brush again in the
direction of the wood grain. Allow this coat to dry. It will be uneven and you’ll be
able to see if there are any areas that the paint isn’t sticking very well. Apply a second
coat and this time try to get the finish even and smooth, with no areas lighter or
heavier than the other. Allow to dry.
With the fine grade sandpaper give the whole surface a gentle sanding to take out any
ridges in the paint. This is simply to give the surface a fine texture when you run your
hand over it. Now step back and look at the item to see what areas would naturally
wear quickly or show marks – the edges of a table or a chest of drawers, the areas
around handles and the edges of drawers are all easy starting points for this.
Use your sandpaper in these areas to remove the paint, be as harsh as you like if you
want area to look very distressed. Now blend this with other areas that would have
less wear, but still need to look worn. Sand these to give a balanced look, use less
pressure and keep it quite natural, so pick any blemishes the furniture has and distress
them as well. Stand back and make sure you’ve covered all the areas you want to look
worn. Remember, an edge will naturally get knocked, so if in doubt, you should
‘knock it back.’
Wipe again with a damp cloth to remove the dust.
With a clean brush, use a decorator’s glaze to seal all the painted areas. Work in the
direction of the wood grain. Allow to dry and apply a second coat.
Decorator’s glaze can be purchased in a matt, satin or gloss preparation and is very
durable. It gives all those tester pots a purpose because it allows you to seal the
surface – and you can expect the finish to last.