This was an unusually designed sideboard in classic pine and beech construction. And we were asked to paint it in Farrow and Ball's Hague Blue. As a piece of furniture it certainly had merit and distinction, but the feeling was that its natural colouring no longer worked in a new-decorated living space. So, the choice was made. Hague Blue. Eggshell finish. It's always a fun colour with which to work, not least because it has so much depth of character. It's also perfectly at home in either an eggshell or a matt finish. Of course dark shades of blue can work with both small and larger pieces of furniture, because there's a great palette from which to choose.
Blue Painted sideboard Has Class
We approached the work on the blue painted sideboard with our typical process.
Five Steps to the Blue Painted Sideboard
Step 1 Sanding
As with every project, we began with a thorough clean before keying the surface for the primer. We used a medium-grit sandpaper to work methodically over the flat top, sides and drawer fronts, then switched to finer paper and a sanding block for the scalloped apron and the curved detailing around the feet. Then we wiped everything clean with a tack cloth before we started the painting.
Step 2 Priming
Pine is a resinous timber, and the resin from the knots has a habit of bleeding through a paint finish — particularly under a deep colour like Hague Blue. To prevent that, we applied Zinsser BIN, a specialist stain-blocking primer, across the entire piece. This sealed the wood, blocked the resin and tannins, and created a flawless base for the topcoat. We paid particular attention to the end grain of the drawers and the joinery around the scalloped base — areas where bare wood is most likely to absorb paint unevenly.
Step 3 Undercoat
With the primer dry, we applied an undercoat. This builds body and evens out the surface before the topcoat goes on, and it gives a rich navy like Hague Blue something solid to sit on top of.
Step 4 Dulux Eggshell Topcoat
The paint choice for this project was a Dulux eggshell that we mixed with the Farrow and Ball colour, Hague Blue. We applied the first coat using a roller on the flat tops and sides, and a good-quality Purdy brush for the drawer edges, the scalloped apron and anywhere else requiring precision. As always with a first coat, the aim is coverage rather than perfection — and with a deep colour like Hague Blue, two solid coats are needed to achieve full, even saturation. Once the first coat was fully dry, we lightly sanded with 240-grit paper to remove any dust nibs, brush marks or raised grain, then followed up with a second coat. By the end of this coat, the sideboard had been completely transformed.
Finishing the Blue Painted Sideboard
Step 5 Handles and Masking Tapes
To finish off the project we re-fitted the original handles — the round knobs on the outer drawers and the leather strap pulls on the centre drawer — removed a few strips of masking tape and checked over the finish with a fine brush. And we were done.
We delivered the blue painted sideboard soon after we had finished the painting. It certainly looked stunning in its new surroundings. Very much at home.
When you want to update the feel or the look of one of your rooms, then you'll find we can help with our furniture painting service. From collection to delivery we can certainly meet your ambitions for more style and colour. Because we can paint your furniture.
Let's Get In Touch
Contact Details
When it takes sanding, painting, varnishing or waxing to get there, give us a call if you've got furniture that needs a transformation.
Phone Number
07766 225329
Email Address
furniture@shabby-chic-surrey.com