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Question for those of you who have used F&B Paint

15 years ago

Hi All-

I have a wood cabinet, I think it's oak, and it is kind of ugly, NOT my taste at all. I have to keep it though, because it belonged to my late grandmother and it was given to me by my Aunt. I'd like to paint it the "French Gray" color from F&B after seeing it in many of your homes on here. My question is, what kind of finish do I use? Water based or Oil based? I might also use it on the window trim on my 3 windows in my kitchen, they are currently wood and waiting to be painted.

Thanks in advance

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Comments (4)

abundantblessings
15 years ago
Polly, there's lot of info re F & B on the Paint forum. Do a search for some good recommendations.
Ideefixe
15 years ago
I haven't painted furniture with Farrow & Ball, but in general, I like oil based better than water based for furniture. Sand it well, prime it well, and then paint.
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thedesignerinsider
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Farrow and Ball has a great website with lots of information. the French Gray is a beautiful color and would look great anywhere. I have seen a kitchen in the French Gray and it was just beautiful. Their paints have 30% more pigment than regular paints and I use them for my clients and in my own home. Go to www.farrow-ball.com for more info. You may want to use primer like Zinsers before painting your color.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Designer Insider
rococogurl
15 years ago
hi polly,
My whole house is painted with F&B. French Gray is a fabulous color and a good neutral with just a hint of green. The F&B Eggshell is a good water-based finish that I used on all my bead board and trim. It would be fine for repainting furniture and cleans up easily with water. Water base/latex paint remains slightly porous when it dries so it is good for painting wood furniture as it allows the wood to contract and expand slightly. Oil base paint can be used but I don't see an advantage unless you were planning to use the chest like a kitchen cabinet. It would seal the wood completely and have a hard finish but the clean up is more complex and there are fumes. (I used oil-base paint on my screen doors which stay on all winter and for exterior house trim).

Before painting the chest I'd go over it with a 200 grit sanding sponge (3M at Home Depot) to help remove any current finish that would keep water base paint from adhering well. Then vacuum or wipe it with an old tshirt to remove all the sanded dust and particles. I don't think primer is necessary if you've removed the old finish (depends on what that might be). Just go with 2 coats of the eggshell (satin low-sheen). The good thing about F&B is that it covers quite well as it is thicker than many paints and easy to apply. Also, if the chest gets any eventual wear, the paint will wear through to the natural wood and there won't be another color underneath.

It's fine for windows as well. I used F&B primer underneath on windows. The paint is very durable, my woodwork looks great and it cleans up easily. Another benefit is absolutely 0 odor afterward (though more and more paints are offering that these days).

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