Colour blocking a chest of drawers

Colour blocking – applying bold colour in distinctive shapes and forms to your apparel, walls or even furniture pieces – is a growing trend.

Project notes

• We decided to strip all the paint from this old pine chest of drawers.

• We added custom legs to add more height and structure to its overall design.

• We then added two asymmetrical designs across the drawer fronts that wrap around the sides to add further interest to the piece.

• These shapes we painted two vibrant colours for a playful end result.

Ashley says When it comes to furniture makeovers, choosing whether to expose the original timber is as important as deciding whether to paint it.

Shopping list

• wood filler (if required)

• 1800 x 44 x 44mm pine

• paint stripper, if needed

• primer; we used Plascon Universal Undercoat

• paint; we used Dulux Luxurious Silk

• masking tape

• 40mm chipboard screws

Tools

• scraper/spatula

• planer

• cordless screwdriver

• sander and sandpaper

• paintbrush or foam roller

• pencil

• screwdriver

We removed the old paint by applying Plascon RemovAll, a water-based stripper, with a brush and leaving it to work for 20 minutes.

Use the right scraper for the surface at hand, always making sure to keep the straight sharp edge flat on the surface.

Get started

1 Remove old varnish or paint using paint stripper. If the paint finish is loose or flaking, remove as much as possible with a scraper before applying the paint stripper. After leaving the product to react, use a scraper to remove all peeling, bubbling paint or varnish. Be careful not to damage the wood and to work with the grain.

2 Use a multi-sander to remove remaining traces of paint, working down from a 180 grit to a 220 grit. Then rub the piece down with steelwool to provide a smooth surface ready for priming.

3 Cut the 1800mm pine plank into four 250mm lengths, then mark 20mm from one corner and connect this point with the opposite corner by drawing a straight line.

4 Now use the planer to remove this material and create four tapered legs.

5 Create bases for the legs using four offcut pieces measuring roughly 120 x 120mm. Fix the bases to the legs with glue and screws.

6 Now fix the four legs to the underside of the drawer unit using 40mm chipboard screws. Remember to drill pilot holes first.

7 Draw the designs or shapes that you want to paint using the pencil. Then use the masking tape to ‘mask out’ these shapes. Now apply a coat of primer to the areas to be painted.

8 Once the primer is dry, lightly sand these areas using 220 grit sandpaper, then apply two coats of enamel or acrylic PVA to these primed areas; we used Dulux Luxurous Silk, an acrylic PVA.

9 After applying the final coat, remove the masking tape.

10 Finally, refit the drawer knobs to complete the makeover.