Tools and Materials:
100-grit sandpaper
150-grit sandpaper
Dustsheet or newspaper
Primer
Water-based acrylic
Method:
1. As with all decorating work, time spent in preparation is never time wasted
2. Place furniture on plenty of newspaper (use multiple layers to
prevent paint seeping through and ruining your new shagpile carpet)
3. Remove drawer handles, pulls, knobs, hinges and other "hardware"
4. Sand furniture till smooth. Start with relatively coarse
100-grit paper and move to finer 150-grit paper then dry brush clean
(avoid wetting the wood as the wood will need to be bone dry before
going any further)
5. Brush on a coat of primer, and allow to dry (normally takes a
couple of hours but touch to check, and don't just rely on the
instructions on the tin as drying times vary according to room
temperature etc.). If the primer coat looks a bit patchy, don't be
afraid to apply a second coat
6. Use a brush to apply a top coat of water-based acrylic paint
(this dries more quickly and is less smelly than solvent-based paints),
working in the same direction as the grain of the wood (buy the best
paint you can afford as the finish will last longer)
7. When the top coat is dry, apply a second coat (having the
patience to apply a second coat of paint, will reward you with a
better-looking, longer-lasting finish)
8. Check that the furniture is dry before replacing everything you
removed in point 3 above
9. After painting with water-based paints, simply rinse brushes
thoroughly with warm water and soap
