Lets get your Pine Furniture back into the 21st Century with... Chalk Paint!
Do you have a classic pine chest of drawers? Or maybe you have a large solid pine dining table that needs up lifting. Some people even place their pine furniture in storage as the wood is currently not on trend. However, 'back in the day', many home furniture items were predominately made from pine and whilst it may not currently be the go to wood for contemporary home decor, older furniture is incredibly well built and made to last. So, in this blog, we're going to encourage and help you to up-cycle and re-use your pine furniture so it can be transformed into super cool, contemporary pieces through the very simple method of re-painting using chalk paint.
What you'll need:
- 120 grit sanding paper
- White Spirit
- Primer Paint
- Chalk Paint
What is chalk paint?
Chalk Paint is used for decorative uses that provides a matte, chalky finish and can help to bring about a distressing, vintage feel to the interior of your homes. A great bonus of chalk paint is that it requires little to no prep work and can be painted onto most dry and clean surfaces. However, the best part about chalk paint is the fact that it can quite literally transform a piece of furniture, resulting in a standout piece. Once the chalk paint has dried, it's important to seal the paint with a wax to ensure the finish is long lasting.
Can you use Chalk Paint on Pine Furniture?
Whats brilliant about chalk paint is that it sticks to pretty much any surface. Just be careful if you are using chalk paint for children's furniture or toy purposes. The paint will need to be child friendly and be certified EN: 71-3 compliant for safe use around children.
Tips for Painting Pine Furniture with Chalk Paint
A first tip is a very basic one that concerns the mess that you'll probably make when prepping and painting your pine furniture. Ensure that you set out a drop cloth on the floor to catch all the sanding remains and any paint that you might spill onto the floor. Sanding outside can be an excellent option, especially on a windy day as it will blow away all the dust easily.
Wiping down your furniture first before painting it is a must as well to ensure that the surface is completely clean. A damp cloth is perfect and should be wiped over every surface of the furniture in preparation for the painting.
As you may already know, sanding your furniture is important to prepare the surface and should be done with 120 grit sand paper. However, after doing this, its a good idea to run over the furniture again using a 200-220 grit sand paper to ensure that any blemishes or scratches that may have been missed have completely been removed. It will make it much easier for the primer to stick onto the surface of the furniture.
If you're not a particularly brilliant painter, it's a good idea to tape around any handles and intricate areas that shouldn't be painted in order to ensure a tidy and professional finish.
Because pine wood is a tannith-rich wood, it may resist the paint and it won't stick to the surface. As a result, it's absolutely crucial that priming your furniture beforehand is completed. A stain blocking primer will provide the best results.
If your wanting to achieve a colour wash, then you'll need to mix your chalk paint with a finishing coat. It will ensure that the woodgrain is still visible. Perhaps you want to create a distressed finish which is really easy to do. Once you've painted the furniture with the chalk paint, take some sand paper and gently rub it round the edges and corners to expose some of the natural wood underneath.
These tips have been provided to you in a chronological order and so its important to consider this when you are re-styling your pine furniture. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this read and gives you some inspiration and guidance to get going with your pine furniture.
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