Chest of drawers

Transform a tired old chest of drawers into a smart modern piece of furniture using hardwearing Resene Enamacryl in three elegant shades of green.

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Resene art with Mark Rayner - Project 32

Difficulty level: Moderate

You will need: 75mm wood screws, approx 280mm length of 50mm x 50mm dressed timber, drill with drill bits, old wooden chest of drawers, paintbrushes (including an artists’ brush), PVA glue, Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Snowy Mint, Resene Soft Apple and Resene Woodstock, Resene Quick Dry Waterborne primer undercoat, Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, sandpaper, saw, screwdriver.

To get the look: Mark painted the background wall with Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Longitude and the woodwork with Resene Enamacryl tinted to Resene Alabaster.

Other ideas: Decorate a chest of drawers for a child’s bedroom using a selection of contrasting colours from the Resene KidzColour range.

Step one
Cut the 50mm x 50mm timber into four 75mm lengths to form the feet. Drill a 10mm diameter hole in the centre of the base of each foot (to a depth of approximately 25mm) and then drill a narrower pilot hole through each foot.

Step two
Remove the drawers from the unit. Apply a small amount of PVA to each of the feet and place in position on the base of the unit. Screw the feet into position using 75mm screws, countersinking the screws approximately 25mm.

Step three
Lightly sand the old paintwork on the unit and drawers to provide a ‘key’, taking particular care around the drawer handles. Apply one coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer to the unit and drawers and allow to dry for two hours.

Step four
Use a smaller brush to apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to the feet and allow to dry for two hours.

Step five
Apply two coats of Resene Soft Apple to the back, sides and front of the unit and allow two hours for each coat to dry.

Step six
Use an artists’ brush to apply two coats of Resene Woodstock to the handles and feet, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step seven
Use a larger brush to apply one coat of Resene Woodstock to the top of the unit, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eight
Paint the fronts of each drawer with two coats of Resene Snowy Mint, cutting in around the handles with an artists’ brush where necessary. Allow two hours for each coat to dry.