Painting pine furniture

[withouttea]

We’ve got a pair of really ugly knotty pine chests of drawers. These date from an Ikea haul in 1998 before my first marriage (that makes me feel old) - so they aren’t anything fantastic. But somehow I love what they do - they are solid and hold so much stuff. We are renting at the moment and probably won’t buy again for a couple years yet, so I need to make these do for now - we aren’t in the ‘forever’ house. But they’re so ugly! What was my younger self THINKING?!

Are they paintable, do you think? I like light colours and my ideal, money-no-object house style would be Diane Keaton’s beach house in Something’s Got to Give.

I’m quite handy at DIY so willing to have a go. What do you think? What would look good?

Annie Sloan also does a matte varnish which you can use instead of wax - it's much more hardwearing. (It's not completely matte - it has a slight sheen, but low level.) I used it over chalk paint on some hideously over-varnished restaurant chairs I bought for a fiver, and it has withstood the gentle attentions of my hoydens for a few years now.

Is it matte or matt? I've lost confidence in how to spell it.

Annie Sloan varnish might be just what I need. Despite having only one hoyden, she makes her presence felt in terms of wear and tear.

I was ages in the AS shop getting free advice and she didn't mention varnish to me. This is why Mumsnet is genius. I learn so much. Thank you.

Ketzele, it's matte I think, but who cares? If Shakespeare spelt his name different ways maybe we should all chill out about spelling. It was perfectly clear what you meant.

That's what I told myself yesterday when I noticed my DD (13) had written 'possitive'. She's good at English but her teacher described her spelling as 'hilarious'! Argh, after all those years doing spellings every Thursday morning!

Slight digression... sorry. Back to the painted pine....

These were b and q knobs.

Pic!

Those crackle glaze knobs would look lovely against your blue and grey furniture

I’ve just done that. With Annie Sloan and some elbow grease. It’s not finished yet and needs handles. Looks so much better and fresher. It was a cheap pine from 80’s, not some MCM design piece.

Henrys that looks really good!

I'm going to do the chest of drawers in F&B eggshell - Purbeck Stone. I walked past the F&B shop in the deep snow a couple of days ago and unbelievably they were open, which I took as a sign to go in. They have gorgeous colours. Not bought the paint yet so if anyone knows where I could get a duplicate I'd be grateful.

Love these transformations!

There was this thread recently.

Might be helpful.

Popchky, you've linked to this thread!

Yeah, sorry Martyn.

I accidentally duplicated a post on the other thread where someone was asking if anyone had ideas about painting pine furniture.

I am clearly not with it today.