Gemma Symes, of Cardiff-based furniture and homewares store Vintage Gem, reveals how she reloved kitchen furniture back to their former glory
1. This wall unit originally had a honeyed pine varnish. We painted the main body of it with Autentico vintage chalk paint in bright white and the shelves in yellow tan for that vintage look. £85.
2. We sanded down the table top on the pine table been to take it back to the original wood, before applying clear Briwax to finish. The table legs have been updated with a splash of Autentico yellow tan. The mismatched chairs have been brought together to create a colourful harlequin set and have also been painted with Autentico vintage chalk paint in various shades. £280.
3. The wood on this small table top had seen better days. We have given it a new lease of life with Autentico vintage chalk paint in orange. £25.
4. The large dresser is a commission item for one of our customers. It was originally a very dark finish and the lady wanted it to have a bright, fresh look.
We sanded down the top surface to take it back to the original wood and used tung oil to feed the wood, then wax to protect it. The rest of the dresser is painted with Laura Ashley eggshell paint in pale dove grey.
