NOTEBOOK

PURSUITS

Painting Furniture

There is something creatively and inherently fulfilling about refreshing a piece of furniture with a lick of paint. Whether using a stencil to create a striking statement piece, such as this table top ( above ), or simply choosing a single block colour to use in a newly decorated room, painting furniture past its prime – bought or inherited – can give it a new lease of life. However, do ensure nothing valuable is painted.

The queen of painted furniture is Annie Sloan, who developed her Chalk Paint for furniture in 1990. “There’s no need for tiresome priming and sanding – you can get straight to the fun bit,” Sloan says, adding that a coat of wax will seal the paint.

Use a good-quality brush to avoid broken bristles spoiling the paint job. If the piece of furniture has drawers, remove them and paint only the fronts to ensure smooth drawer closure. Allow each