Painted furniture ranges and manufacturers The passion for painted furniture remains as stronger as ever and most manufacturers include at least one painted range in their line-up. A typical example is Sussex-based
CPW which can be found at cpwfurniture.co.uk. The company’s full name is Country Pine Warehouse so, as might be expected with such a name, it specialises in pine furniture but it also produces the
Kristina ranges of painted bedroom, living and dining room furniture. The styling is compatible with contemporary interiors but is perhaps just on the traditional side of the painted furniture divide.
If the choice of colour doesn’t quite fit the bill, then the
Amiens range from Northamptonshire company
Kettle Containers Ltd could be the answer.
This range, which is sold elsewhere as the Devon range, has what Kettle (Kettle-containers.co.uk) describes as a ‘wash paint’ finish which produces a similar appearance to the traditional limewash effect. The company, currently in the process of changing its name to Kettle Interiors, also produces the popular and well-established
Victorian range of bedroom furniture and two new additions, the
Banbury range and the
Windsor range.
The biggest supplier of furniture to Right Price Furniture is Devonshirepine.co.uk but almost all of this is either oak furniture or pine furniture.
Devonshire Pine’s painted ranges currently comprise the
Chunky Painted range of sturdy, solid timber, contemporary-style furniture and the slightly more familiar lines of the
Tarka painted range.
In contrast to the limited level of choices from these suppliers, there are an almost bewildering number of collections available from Pdglobal.co.uk. This company has a reputation for producing furniture that is fun and as easy on the eye as it is on the pocket.
PD Global offers a staggering total of 10 branded ranges as well as an unbranded collection of painted beds. The most successful painted range has undoubtedly been the
Bergere range with its flamboyant Rococo styling at bargain prices, closely followed by the collection of generally smaller accessories sold by us as the
Epernay range.
Those wanting a more classical style can choose from the
Canterbury range or
Grosvenor range but the absolute undiscovered
bargain for French-style
shabby chic kitchen/living room furniture has to be the company’s
Provence range. The styling, finish and heavily distressed effect results in furniture that really does look like its come from a French farmhouse via an antique shop.
For a more restrained, traditional appearance, the company offers the
Ascot range and, if this is not to taste, there is also the
Rossendale range and
Ogee range. Those wanting a more contemporary look can choose from the
Boston range or the (somewhat bizarrely-named)
Auckland range.
Staying with more contemporary styles, two of our smaller suppliers each offer painted ranges sporting clean lines and featuring wooden tops.
ASL from Exeter has the
Camden range, while from Suffolk DFP or
Direct Forest Products (dfpl.co.uk) offers the
Cambridge range of bedroom and living room furniture.
Many manufacturers of flat pack furniture offer painted ranges – but the paint can sometimes hide materials of variable quality. There are no such concerns however with products from our self-assembly furniture supplier,
Core Products Ltd. Scottish-based Core includes the
Capri range of painted furniture in its collection and the quality of materials and ease of construction are well up to the company’s usual high standards.
More about painted furniturePainted furniture has had a strong following for a number of years and it is easy to see why. In a world of regimented mass-production, painted furniture still retains a very individual feel - especially the distressed painted ranges that, when well executed, appear as though they have been individually made and sourced. Fans would also argue that no other type of furniture can help so much in creating the desired atmosphere in a room or setting, whether it is shabby chic or crisp contemproary painted furniture.
The Amish religious sect in North America is known for its pursuit of humility (Demut) and rejection of ostentation (Hochmut). These values are reflected in Amish furniture which is popular because of its solid construction and simple styling.However, the original Amish furniture had a painted finish that was often decorated with flowers in styles reflecting the settlers German origins. The plain styling and unpainted finish that is now regarded as typically Amish, was actually based on the furniture made by Welsh emigrants living near the Amish in Pennsylvania.
Pine Furniture became popular during the 17th Century, normally a hardwood such as oak was used. As there was massive demand for Oak (due to shipbuilding) Pine became a popular choice around this time.Pine being a soft wood is not easily carved or engraved so traditionally has been used in simple designs.
These days Painted Pine covers a range of wildly different styles, e.g. the Victorian Style Bedside or the Devonshire Tarka Painted Pine Range.
Painted Pine Furniture
To some purists, hiding the grain pattern of wooden furniture with paint is an act of desecration, but painted pine furniture has a surprisingly long and diverse tradition. Today painted furniture can be the ideal accompaniment to a wide range of decorative styles as shown here.
Origins of painted furniture
Painted Furniture appears to have it origins firmly in Europe, most notably in Italy and France from which developed the flamboyant painted styles of Rococo and Louis XIV furniture. As always, the styles of the rich were copied by the less affluent majority and this produced the cruder peasant-style painted furniture that today is frequently referred to as French-style Painted Furniture.
Perhaps less well-known is that Painting Furniture was also favoured in the kingdom of Prussia (which included modern day Germany and Poland) and was therefore the traditional style of furniture used by the German emigrants to America who founded the various Shaker religious communities. What is today regarded as the typical Shaker style of furniture is usually unpainted, but this was a fashion copied by the Shakers from the communities of Welsh miners that had settled in the coal producing areas of Pennsylvania.
Decorative styles that use painted furniture
Rococo/Louis XIVThese flamboyant, highly decorative styles can vary in complexity – and price – from the affordable pine and mdf collections that echo the styling flourishes to the ultra-expensive pieces that may be decorated with semi-precious stones, gold leaf or other ‘exclusive’ embellishments.
French Style/Shabby Chic
Originally shabby chic was meant to convey the use of high Quality Furniture and soft furnishings that, although well worn, were still used in preference to poorer quality modern replacements. Now however, the well-used, slightly down-at-heel look has taken on an appeal of its own and distressed painted furniture supplemented with interesting fabrics and ornaments, produces a charming look that is unique to the individual.
Shaker
Shaker style is less fussy than the styles mentioned above. It can either be presented in a similar distressed look or immaculately finished where the simple lines of the furniture are enhanced by pristine, neat paintwork.
Colonial/New England
This look is very bright and fresh, with neat paintwork usually chosen in preference to the distressed finish. It is often chosen for bathrooms and seaside homes to add to the clean, fresh atmosphere.
Mexican
Another surprise here is that traditional Mexican Furniture was often painted and not the distressed pine look most usually associated with the style today. Research suggests that the pine look came about when Mexicans put their unwanted old furniture onto verandas or other exposed or semi-exposed locations. After many years the paint would have been sandblasted away by the prevailing weather and the resulting furniture was then bought by American tourists who regarded it as the ‘traditional’ Mexican furniture style.
Contemporary
Of course many contemporary furniture designers appreciate the look that can be achieved by Painted Furniture and there is a wide range of modern painted styles from which to choose.Examples of all these furniture styles can sometimes be difficult to find in high street shops but a number of internet retailers offer comprehensive selections of painted pine furniture. One such company is Right Price Furniture