Pine is a softwood that’s been used for many years in order to create anything from interior furniture to window frames and in recent years has been a highly popular choice for those who want their furniture to look natural.
However, like most interior decor trends, its popularity has significantly declined. But rather than replacing pine furniture entirely, eco-conscious, as well as budget-savvy individuals, have turned to painting pine furniture instead of splashing out on expensive replacements.
But what sort of finish can you achieve when painting your pine furniture? And do you need to hire a professional who will ultimately cost you more money? In order to answer those questions, we’ve put together a collection of reader-submitted photos of their painted pine furniture (before and after painting).
In order to show you what’s attainable, regardless of your standard of expertise when it comes to painting, we asked that only amateur DIYers submit their before and after painted pine furniture photos.
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Whilst furniture paint is all the rage at the moment, this pine furniture was painted with an elegant eggshell.
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These pine chest of drawers were given an updated look with a lick of paint.
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This piece of furniture has been updated using Rust-Oleum’s chalky furniture paint. The specific colours are Winter Grey and Liquorice and looks ultra chic.
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This pine cabinet was previously painted with Wilko furniture paint and as you can see, it was prone to scratches. It’s been newly painted with Frenchic which is typically more durable.
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Don’t forget to remove hinges and handles before painting your pine furniture!
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This dated piece of furniture was painted using Farrow and Ball’s Cream colour and looks incedible!
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Another example of old pine furniture with missing knobs being transformed to look like a brand new chest of drawers.
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This person kept the top of the furniture pine as a contrast to the Rust-Oleum matt chalk paint (grey) finish. Not only does it look great, it prevents any chipping as they plan to place objects on top of the furniture.
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This is a before and after of a charity shop pine chest of drawers that cost just £12! This DIYer used an all purpose primer, reduced price Valspar paint and new door knobs that were cheaply purchased from Amazon. The DIYer plans to up-cycle other pieces in this manner so that they have matching bedroom furniture.
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This piece of pine furniture was lightly sanded down before being finished with 3 coats of cream Authentico chalk paint. Simple but elegant!
12.
This set of pine furniture was spruced up using slate grey and white paint which cost around £35 in total.
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Old, boring bedside cabinets can be totally transformed with just a few coats of paint. This particular person went for a matt finish and also replaced the knobs with metallic ones.
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This is a before and after of furniture created from Mexican pine. The person used Wilkos satin furniture paint with the coliurs being Ivory Tusk and Pearl Grey. Unfortunately, the DIYer isn’t a fan of this paint as they think it’s too glossy, difficult to work with and takes an age to dry. Again, this is an issue when buying cheap paints from stores such as Wilkos.
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This old and faded pine cabinet was stained and painted with a white gloss.
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This chest of drawers has been totally transformed by Frenchic chalk paint. This particular DIYer used their talented artistry to add an extra layer of creativity to the final finish.
What Paint To Use On Pine Furniture
Choosing paint to use on pine furniture all comes down to personal preference. You can use chalk paint, satinwood, eggshell, gloss or even matt emulsion if you use a good quality primer and a protective finishing wax.
As pine is typically associated with indoor furniture, it’s usually best to use water-based paint as they’ll dry quicker and thus allow you to re-coat quicker whilst also containing less odour than solvent-based paints.
Do You Need To Use A Primer On Pine Furniture?
Whilst many DIYers are happy to just apply their paint to pine furniture we’d recommend using a primer first. Pine is a softwood which means it’s more porous than other surfaces. A primer is able to absorb into pine whilst still leaving enough matter behind for your topcoats to adhere to properly.
If you don’t use a primer, your finishing coats might absorb into the pine and leave you with a patchy looking finish.
How To Paint Pine Furniture
Painting pine furniture is a relatively simple task if you know what you’re doing. Follow the steps below to transform your furniture:
- Remove visible knobs and hinges.
- Thoroughly clean the surface of your furniture with clean, soapy water or, if especially greasy, with sugar soap.
- Use a stripping knife to remove any loose bits.
- Abrade the surface with fine glass paper. Make sure to sand diagonally across the grain before lightly sanding with the grain to create a rough surface for the paint to adhere to.
- Apply a coat of acrylic water-based primer.
- Once the primer is completely dry, begin applying your topcoats, leaving time between each coat you need.
When applying your primer and first coats you should use a good quality paintbrush. The final topcoat can be applied using a mini foam roller as this will ensure you don’t leave any unsightly brush marks.
If you do use a brush for the whole process, remember to lay off once you’ve painted a section of the furniture.