Preparation work

• Wash off any dirty or greasy build-up with a kitchen sponge and dishwashing liquid. Rinse well and leave to dry before you sand.
• If there is varnish on the item, lightly sand it off before you begin. You don’t have to sand off all the varnish – just sand until the surface is slightly rough, so that the paint can adhere to it.
• You don’t have to sand the areas with intricate detail, like the raised patterns on our frame. Just wipe off the dust with a dry brush.

Notes

• Don’t seal the items with varnish. Varnishes have a glossy appearance, even the matt types, and this style requires a matt appearance.
• If the paint starts to wear off – for example, on a chair’s armrests – just lightly paint over the area again.
• Use white enamel paint for a more permanent finish. It lasts longer than PVA and gives the same appearance, as long as you apply it very lightly. You won’t get the soft, powdery look that you get with PVA but it will have a slight sheen.

1 Prepare the items that you would like to paint as required and place them on a piece of newspaper, canvas or a sheet of plastic.

2 Dip your paintbrush in white PVA paint, wipe the excess paint off against the side of the container and dab the brush on newspaper until it is almost dry.

3 Lightly stroke the brush back and forth over the item. Start with the sections with a raised pattern, as these will stand out the most and will determine how you should paint the rest of the item.

4 Continue to paint the item with your dry brush and paint a few more layers until you are satisfied with the overall appearance.

Text and image: Ideas magazine