After a big renovation, the cost of furniture (and rubbish furniture at that) was slightly depressing. So I decided to apply some of the love of colour and design that I put into the house, into smaller projects to furnish that house. And it has turned out to be addictive. I have also learned quite a lot in a short space of time:

Chalk paints will pull woodstain through them. You need a barrier primer on anything that has stain, particularly mahogany. Zinser BIN works but is horrible to use, unless you buy the spray cans. Or use a dark colour.

- Making your own chalk paint from online recipes just gets you vinyl paint with bits in it, not whatever the super sticky stuff you buy from the shop is. So sanding and priming are needed.

- No matter what the tin says, a bit of sanding helps the paint adhere better.

- Whether you use a roller or a brush, unless you are going for the brush-mark/roller stippled looks (even with a fine roller), you'll need to sand before finishing with wax or varnish. I have just bought a spray gun and look forward to using it.

- Oil paint works pretty well, but I hate the bloody fumes and clean-up. And you still need to prime properly.

- Wax polish is only really going to get you a high sheen on a perfectly sanded surface. But it's much nicer than varnish in terms of a finish, especially over matt paint, where you get this deep sheen. But varnish is way tougher.

- Cabinet knobs can be damned expensive, so buy "factory seconds" with finishing issues (e.g. scratches on brass) and refinish them yourself. I am experimenting with some verdigris finishing on some solid brass knobs.

- Knowing that actually, it is hard to get a durable, smooth and attractive finish, I am definitely not buying any furniture anyone else has done.

So here is my first attempt, as I wanted a green and pink theme in our master bedroom. Knobs are white/pink marble, and wood/acrylic hexagons on the top. Paint is a tough vinyl in a Dulux colour. Top was done by roughly brush painting in three colours, sanding through and waxing.

{{attachment:4047096}}

{{attachment:4047097}}

{{attachment:4047098}}

{{attachment:4047099}}

{{attachment:4047100}}

dining room

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US