Doing up 2nd hand Cupboard

[TruthSweet]

I got a white plastic coated chipboard today on Freecycle but it's seen better days. It's only going in the children's bedroom but I would like it to look nice for them.

I have some satin wood paint but I'm not sure if the paint will 'stick' to the plastic coating (is is melamine?). It's too big for sticky backed plastic though.

Any other ideas?

You can get melamine paint from B&Q, Wickes etc.

B&Q

You could just give it a rub with med sandpaper then some fine.
to get a key and use the paint you have.

Ack at £18 a tub I'd have got a new cupboard! Well not a new new new one but a new 2nd hand one IYSWIM. Thanks for the suggestion though I had no idea they made melamine paint.

I think I will be going with the sanding and painting idea. It will be a really pretty pale lilac which will match their chairs I did up in the same paint and royal purple velvet seats, and the purple wallpaper/carpet.

If it's just grubby then I've found those Flash sponge things are brilliant at cleaning melamine, get off crayons, pen....all sorts!

It's got nicks in the melamine so need to be filled and it's just got that yellow-y patina that old white melamine furniture gets but it will need cleaning in the drawers so good tip on the Flash sponges - thanks.

You need to prime it first this might work Ask at your local hardware store.

That looks like a face mask and outside jobby (or ask DH to do jobby as his asthma isn't as bad as mine ).

If you don't fancy painting it you could always do a 'Kirstie Allsopp' and cover it in pretty wrapping paper and layers of PVA glue or varnish.
Or this? I don't know if it sticks to melamine but it says anything.. this

if you look at my profile i have a pic of drawers and a table i did up. i never bother with primer most of the time as its too expensive. I would use emulsion for two coats, and the for a really even finish spray with plasti kote in whatever colour you want. changing the handles will make it look different too.

and as linspin says the decoupage paper will stick to any thing and is so eeasy to do. you could decoupage the top and paint the rest of it

I'm not sure my children would be gentle enough with decoupage finished furniture for it to be worth my while.

It is very pretty though

well thats true if its for a child's room. my drawers are going in the landing so hopefully will be safe. although a few coats of yacht varnish and its very tough. the plasti kote is fine, the trick is to do really thin layers, leetting them dry for 10 minutes between. its tempting to go mad spraying but then it runs. I have been updating lots of our furniture recently this way

Yes it will be going in a playroom (so pretty much unsupervised play with the odd 'Can you stop what ever is making that horrible noise' thrown at them).

I may give just give the wood paint a go and if it looks horrible going with Plasti-kote over the top.

Thanks for everyone's advice, really appreciate it.