GET THE MODERN FARMHOUSE LOOK FOR YOUR KITCHEN
Richard Bradley, Marketing Manager at V33 gives some advice on painting cabinetry for the farmhouse kitchen look.
Neutrals in farmhouse kitchen schemes work beautifully. You can group together textures, accessories and finishes either in light neutrals or darker ones to create the style’s ‘casually pulled together’ effect. A rustic feel, combined with modern farmhouse living is a look that is extremely popular at the moment.
Grey shades are ideal. Instead of painting all cupboards and cabinets in the same shade, think about using different greys for two or three surfaces. This will help to achieve the impression of a collection of unrelated pieces of furniture that is characteristic of a farmhouse kitchen. The effect will be cohesive, but more charming than formal. Then consider painting your wall tiles in white to create a light and airy look to the room, and to form a backdrop for utensils and accessories.
Seek out a satin finish paint specifically formulated for cupboards and cabinets: a good result will not be achieved in just any paint. Pick one requiring no undercoat, and that has been specially developed to renovate high traffic surfaces. The right combination of polymers will result in a paint that is extremely durable and resistant to culinary and domestic stains. It should allow regular and easy cleaning without altering the colour and finish of the paint. Look for paint that may be used on new or old kitchen furniture, and is suitable for use on raw, varnished or painted woods, melamine, laminate, kitchen tiles, plaster and glass so that pretty much all bases are covered.
Finally, your chosen paint should be easy to apply, requiring no more than three tools: a paint stirrer or wide stick, a 4-5mm short pile roller and a round-edged paint brush for tackling angles, corners and finishing.
V33 Renovation Cupboard & Cabinet paint, available from B&Q, fulfils all of these requirements, and is offered in a range of neutral shades, including three shades of grey, formulated for use by the experienced or novice DIY-er. V33 Renovation Cupboard & Cabinet paint is priced at £25 for a 750ml tub, which provides 10m2 of coverage.
Preparation
Preparation of surfaces is essential in order to achieve a good quality finish. We recommend washing the surfaces in question with a soda-based or sugar soap (alkaline) cleaner. Varnished wood, painted wood and melamine should be washed, rinsed thoroughly with water, left to dry, then lightly sanded with 240 grit sandpaper, and then the residual dust should be removed. Laminate, wall tiles and glass should also be washed and rinsed thoroughly with water and left to dry. Raw/porous surfaces such as wood and mdf should be lightly sanded before removing residual dust. On raw oak and chestnut, an appropriate undercoat should first be applied to block tannins.
Application
The paint should be applied at room temperature between 12 and 25°C, avoiding draughts. First, stir the paint with a stirrer or wide stick, working around the bottom of the tin to mix it well. Projects should be started by painting the angles, mouldings and joints of the surfaces involved. Work should be done on small surfaces at this stage.
Then follow with successive cross strokes. A second coat should not be commenced while the first is still drying. Leave to dry for 6 hours, not exceeding 12 hours, before applying a second coat in the same way. A third coat may be required, depending on the surfaces and colour.
Once completed, a gentle detergent and a non-abrasive sponge should be used to keep clean painted surfaces. Optimum product performance and adhesion are achieved after 20 days from application. Therefore completed surfaces should be treated gently, avoiding direct impact, abrasion, staining or cleaning for the first 20 days after application.
