Painting varnished pine

Drachenfach

We've recently moved into a cottage with fitted pine wardrobes in every room. Great for storage, but not the prettiest things to look at, especially as they bear the traces of several sloppy emulsion jobs over the years.

They're currently an orangey shade - I'm planning to paint them white so they blend in with the brickwork and ceilings. I intend to use white eggshell or satin.

Advice on line for preparing the doors varies between a light sand to prepare the surface for painting, to stripping them back to bare wood, so what's best? Bonus points if they can be done in situ, as they would be very difficult to remove.

clairesilverspar

Have a look at Everlong superior finish chalk paint.
You can paint it straight on with no prior sanding needed - less mess and effort.
You should be able to paint them without removing them, and as its a water based paint, it should be easier to clean up.

Just make sure you give the doors a good clean first. Paint it on (a little goes a long way), and if after one coat you notice any bleed through use the sealer before giving it another coat. You can then either buff the doors up with a sponge (there's a built in wax) or you can use the sealer as a top coat. Or you can leave it as is, with a matt finish - though I'm not sure how durable this would be if the doors are used often.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Light sand to get rid of any slight imperfections, wipe over with a damp cloth, dry off and prime them with a coat of Zinsser BIN, followed by an acrylic primer/undercoat and two topcoats should do the job. A bit of time, effort and attention to detail needed for a good result.

manda1205

Another vote for Everlong!
I've been using rustoleum chalk paint,which is ok and will paint over any surface fine, but I now have a local stockist of Everlong and I'm converted. It is so lovely to use, goes on a dream and is a lot softer and lighter than rustoleum, it leaves a lovely smooth finish. Finish off with their one coat sealer or any other varnish and it will give a nice tough, wipeable finish.

Drachenfach

Thank you folks. Glad to avoid the trauma of removing them and sanding back to bare wood!