Do you have a stunning pine chest of drawers you’re looking to transform? Perhaps it’s a pine apothecary cabinet or a dining room dresser? Everyone who was anyone had pine furniture back in the day. It’s a wood that’s highly functional and was stylish – at the time. Given its durability, you might not want to replace the pine furniture in your home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t revamp it to get rid of that solid orange hue. Whatever pine piece you have lying around the house, it can be incredibly easy to transform the furniture with a quick lick of paint – chalk paint, that is. Painting pine furniture with chalk paint is a lot easier than you may think. Here’s how to get started. What is chalk paint and why use it? Chalk paint is a type of paint that can be used on furniture, toys and more to create a chalky appearance. It has quickly become synonymous with shabby chic, allowing painted furniture to be easily distressed. As well as being easy to use, chalk paint requires little to no prep and is entirely forgiving if you make a mistake. What’s more, you won’t find a shortage of colours. From bright blues to moody greys and cosy creams, there are a wide range of colours to choose from. Can you use chalk paint on pine wood? What’s great about pine is that it takes well to paint. What’s better about chalk paint is that it can stick to just about any surface – all different types of woods, metal, glass and even concrete. Inherently clever, chalk paint is a product that thrives on wax and grease, even the waxy finish on pine furniture. With that in mind, painting pine furniture with chalk paint is a great way to give it a new lease of life and transform it into something unique. All of our paints at Frenchic Paint are solvent-free, odour-free, environmentally friendly and even safe to paint children’s toys and nursery furniture. That means that you can finally create a nursery of your dreams – and your child’s – with shabby chic furniture and soft coloured wood pieces with toys to match. How do you paint pine furniture with chalk paint? The real beauty of chalk paint is that it requires very minimal preparation. After laying down drop cloths to protect the carpet and a quick wipe down of the piece of furniture, you can get straight into it. 1. Choose your brush If you’re going to be painting your pine furniture piece with chalk paint, you will get the best results with an oval bristle brush. Our Italian handcrafted oval brushes are made with a careful mixture of natural and synthetic fibres to produce the best result for your project. 2. Prep the piece of furniture Lay down some drop cloths in your working area. Next, look over the pine piece. Ensure that it is clean and free from lint and dust. Give it a wipe down with sugar soap if there are stubborn marks or greasy areas. All dirt and grime should be removed prior to painting so that the paint sticks to the wood. Take a “before” photo of your piece of furniture. You will want to show everyone what it looked like before you transformed it, after all! 3. Paint Here’s where the fun begins. Our Lazy Range of chalk paint means that you can just dip and go! It is self-priming, self-levelling and self-sealing – with no additional work required. Remember that a little bit of chalk paint goes a long way. With chalk paint, there are an endless number of finishes you can create. Whether you want a clean and opaque statement piece, a light wash of paint or a shabby-chic aged effect, chalk paint does the trick each time. To create a colour wash, simply decant some paint into a clean tub and add a few splashes of water. This will create a lighter paint effect that lightly colours the furniture. For a weathered effect, keep the brush dry and use a minimal amount of paint for harsh brush streaks. Going for shabby chic? It’s a trend that put furniture upcycling on the map. Emulating the natural process of wear and tear on paintwork – called distressing – is entirely easy to achieve with chalk paint. Simply paint the pine furniture and let it dry completely. Then, take some sandpaper to the edges, corners and handles to sand off some of the paint to expose the natural wood underneath. Don’t underestimate the power of colour. The right colour combination can elevate an otherwise dull piece of furniture into a stunning feature. 4. Consider a second coat If you’re going for a multi-coat shabby chic effect with one bold colour underneath another colour, leave the paint to dry completely in between coats. For a shinier finish of the same colour, you will need at least two coats. Happy with a weathered look? You don’t always need a second coat. 5. Add wax Once your furniture piece is dry, apply the furniture wax liberally with a bristle brush. The wax will sink into the wood and protect the paint job you’ve just worked hard to achieve. Treat your finished piece with extra care while the wax cures and hardens. This can take up to 21 days. 6. Admire your work Stand back and look over your ‘new’ piece of furniture. Be sure to snap an “after” picture to show everyone the transformation – including us! Paint your pine furniture with chalk paint Chalk paint is the secret to transforming your drab pine furniture into a stunning statement piece. At Frenchic, we stock a range of chalk paint colours and textures. If you’re a beginner or pressed for time, you’re going to love our Lazy Range – simply paint and go! Upcycling has never been easier.