Open sesame

Bring a humble wooden cabinet to life with this zingy, inside-out surprise

Don’t they say it is what’s on the inside that counts? This can be true of furniture, too. Leave a new or secondhand cupboard plain on the outside and add a splash of colour within for a delicious surprise.

You will need

A wooden cabinet (ours was 800mm x 870mm x 400mm deep, from Beyere), or any piece of wooden furniture with doors, painter’s masking tape, small roller, paint brushes – 1 small and 1 extra small, your choice of Resene paint colours – we used 1 litre each Resene Karen Walker Blanched Pink and Resene Karen Walker Weathered Yellow, plus a testpot of Resene Karen Walker Clementine Orange. (The wall is painted in Resene Karen Walker Foggy Grey.)

Instructions

Wipe all surfaces of the cabinet clean.
Using painter's tape, mask off an area for your first colour. We started with the back, sides and shelves in Resene Karen Walker Blanched Pink.
Use small and extra small brushes to paint along edges (aka 'cutting in') and around fiddly spots such as the hinges. Then paint the large areas with the roller. Allow to dry, then apply a second coat.
Once dry, reposition tape and repeat steps 2 and 3 with your other colours.

Tip

Use Resene Aquaclear on the outside of your furniture to protect the timber. If the colour needs rejuvenating, use Resene Colorwood natural wood stain first.