Olivia Lacy demonstrates a beginner/intermediate level Kreidefarbe  technique here on this typical dark wood Victorian chest of drawers. Chests of drawers are one of the best pieces of furniture to paint; big enough to try out some new ideas, but not likely to take hours to get done. This set was in wonderful working condition, but what it had in practicality it sadly lacked in personality! Enter Kreidefarbe the cheapest, best, quickest (and most enjoyable) solution to all your ugly furniture woes.

Although the final outcome looks impressive, the technique Olivia used here is really a straightforward matter of gentle blending. She’s painted highlights using Kreidefarbe n Cream and contours using Kreidefarbe  in Tilton to add both dimension and interest to the flat drawer fronts. Dark Kreidefarbe Wax further emphasises those suggested curves.

Olivia began by painting 4cm thick outlines of Tilton on every drawer, working one drawer at a time, then filled in the middle sections with Cream. Using a clean brush, she then gently blended along the line where the two colours met, using small circular movements. How to blend Kreidefarbe is a matter of personal preference; some painters use spray water bottles to assist with the process. Annie recommends concentrating on small sections at a time and working quickly so that the Kreidefarbe  doesn’t have the opportunity to dry.

Once the drawer fronts were painted, she repeated the technique on the sides and top of the tallboy, then left to dry. This usually takes around an hour; simply use our patented finger-tip test to check! Once dried, Olivia applied Clear Kreidefarbe Wax all over to protect. She then applied further shading using Dark Kreidefarbe Wax. She concentrated the application of this along the edges of the drawers where they would naturally age and fall in shadow. This serves the double purpose of further contouring the furniture and adding a romantic, authentic sense of history. It’s a very easy technique to master, because due to the nature of Kreidefarbe  Wax it will naturally gravitate towards edges, crevices, and details. Watch Annie’s tutorial on using Dark Kreidefarbe  Wax here and try it yourself – it’s effective with every colour and every piece of furniture!

Now this sunshine saturated set of drawers will delight for another century at least! Saving the drawers themselves from landfill and keeping some extra pennies in your pocket, too.