Paint a shabby chic chest of drawers
Give an old pine chest of drawers a shabby chic vibe with a distressed paint finish and new handles
You will need
● Chest of drawers
● Heavy-duty sandpaper
● Undercoat
● Eggshell paint
● China drawer knobs
To make
1. Remove the old handles and sand down the chest of drawers thoroughly to remove any old paint or varnish. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove any dust and leave to dry.
2. Apply the first layer of undercoat and leave to dry completely.
3. Apply the first layer of eggshell paint and leave to dry before applying the second coat. Leave to dry, preferably overnight if the paint is oil-based.
4. Use sandpaper to rub away the paint from the sides and edges of the drawers to give them a distressed finish. Try to do this where the furniture would wear naturally to give it a more authentic look.
5. Fix new handles to the drawers. If necessary, use a drill to make new holes or to enlarge the existing ones. If you want to stop up holes from the old handles with wood filler, do this before you sand down the chest.
Feature: Catherine Woram. Photos: Richard Burns
Chest of drawers, £30, from charity shop – try eBay, ilovefreegle.org and car-boot sales. Painted in Traditional Oil Primer Undercoat, £21.50 for 1l; and Welcome Traditional Oil Eggshell, £23 for 1l: both Little Greene. Knobs, £3.99 for two, Zara Home. Gesso stand, £20, Cox & Cox. Vases, from a selection at TK Maxx. Lamps, from a selection at Maisons du Monde.
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