In our last post, we took you through the process of how to narrow down the huge amount of inspiration available to help you decide on the final look for your furniture.
This time, let's focus on HOW to get that look using Earthborn's paint. We'll be walking you through the techniques we used to create our lovely Swedish-style chair.
For the project we're demonstrating, you will need:
The new 750ml size paint pots that Earthborn have released are perfectly suited to this type of small-scale furniture project. We used Nellie, a gentle grey-blue, and Posset, a soft, pure white.
The first step is to sand down your chair to remove any traces of varnish or layers of old paint. If you choose your project with care then this step needn't take too long but, to get a professional finish, it's worth taking the time to do it properly.
Next, apply your paint methodically, on one part of the chair at a time, using simple back-and-forth strokes with your paintbrush to ensure even, smooth coverage.
This part requires a little bit of thought. Imagine the effect that you would like to end up with, and apply the layers of paint in reverse.
For example, on the main frame of the chair we've simply used Nellie and then sanded gently back in the areas that will receive most wear to reveal touches of the wood underneath.
On the arms and struts, we added a layer of Posset over the top of a dried layer Nellie, so that when we distressed the chair with our sandpaper, we were able to expose hints of the grey paint below.
And, in other places, we rubbed quite firmly with our sandpaper to reveal, not only the Nellie layer, but also the wood beneath.
By painting each part at a time, you'll be able to build up a picture of what you want to achieve more fully, adding more paint here, or sanding a little extra there.
Once you are completely happy with how your chair looks, then apply the protective finish you've chosen. We've used Osmo Polyx Oil Tint for depth and a slight sheen but it's perfectly possible to choose a glossy finish or utterly matte, depending on your preference. Do contact us for advice.
Breathing new life into old pieces of furniture is such a satisfying process. Quite the opposite of high-street buying; you'll end up with a piece that is uniquely yours, which should, by using the right products, last for years and years and years! What could be lovelier?
