How to turn your old furniture into vintage white furniture

With the economic climate being the way it is at present, more people than ever are likely to be looking at ways in which they can effectively recycle things rather than simply getting rid of them, as they look to find ways of making savings. One of the things that can be very effectively recycled – with a bit of know-how – is furniture. It is possible to take unwanted old wooden chairs, sideboards and other items of furniture, and turn them into appealing vintage white items.

The fist stage is to prepare the surfaces of the furniture that you wish to paint. This involves taking off metalwork, handles, hinges and anything else, which will interfere with the painting process. Next you need to strip the existing paint or varnish – depending on what the current surface covering of the furniture is. Different people will use different materials for this task, but a couple of popular options are either a liquid remover like Nitromors, or alternatively, sandpaper. They will probably work equally well, but on furniture with more detail on the surface, a liquid remover will be better. Be careful when using a removing solution such as Nitromors however, as it is just as effective at removing skin as paint or varnish.

Once you have sanded the surface and washed it down with warm water to get rid of dust, the next stage is to begin painting. Sometimes you will need to put on a coat of primer, but this will depend on the condition of the furniture. If the wood is in good condition you can just put two coats of white paint on it, with a grey paint over that. One effective option in terms of shades of paint is Matchstick White for the undercoat, with Pavilion Grey as a topcoat. Make sure the paint is applied in line with the grain and do not apply too thickly.