Furniture

My antique MDF kitchen

M-am gândit să vă povestesc astăzi despre bucătăria mea. Nu este nouă, are deja mai bine de 8 ani, dar pentru că finisajul l-am făcut singură, într-o fabrică cu care colaboram la acea vreme, vreau să vă împărtășesc din experiența mea. Din păcate nu am fotografii din timpul finisării pentru că nu mă gândeam că am să-mi fac bucătăria vedetă pe net ☺. Dar puteți vedea cum arată acum.

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Combinație de PAL și PAL vopsit și antichizat

Cum vă spuneam, cu ani în urmă mi-am făcut mobila de bucătărie. Cu toate că am iubit lemnul întotdeauna, la vremea aceea, din motive economice, am ales să fac ușile (fronturile) din MDF, iar carcasa din PAL.  Locuiesc într-o casă veche, iar spațiul pentru bucătărie are o formă mai ciudată. Din acest motiv am apelat la un prieten arhitect pentru proiectul mobilei de bucătărie astfel încât să pot valorifica la maximum spațiul.

Cu proiectul în mână am mers la o firmă cu care mai colaborasem și la alte proiecte si i-am rugat să-mi facă bucătăria, dar să nu finiseze ușile, pentru că de asta vreau să mă ocup personal. Să mă anunțe numai când sunt gata ușile. După ceva timp mi-au spus ca au rezolvat cu ușile și pentru a finaliza bucătăria cât mai repede, ar trebui să mă ocup de finisarea lor.

Le-am luat și le-am dus la o fabrică căreia îi furnizam materialele de finisare şi care făcea mobilă de baie și bucătărie din MDF. Oamenii au fost foarte drăguți și mi-au spus că mi le fac, dar eu i-am rugat să mă lase pe mine să le fac. Nu au avut nimic împotrivă și le-au spus oamenilor din secție să-mi dea ajutorul dacă va fi nevoie.

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Etapele finisării fronturilor din MDF

Am început prin a șlefui bine toate zonele cu frezări, inclusiv canturile. După șlefuire și desprăfuire am aplicat un strat de izolator poliuretanic. Folosirea izolatorului e foarte utilă în cazul finisării MDF-ului pentru că reduce absorbția grundului în zonele frezate și blochează în interior eventualele taninuri sau coloranți din placa de MDF care pot afecta finisarea.

După izolator am aplicat ud on ud, la interval de 45-50 minute, grundul poliuretanic colorat. Dacă lăsam să se usuce total izolatorul era obligatoriu să-l șlefuiesc înaintea aplicării grundului, pentru a nu avea probleme de aderență. Grundul a fost crem, în ton cu faianța, culoare pe care am făcut-o eu pornind de la bază transparentă și paste de pigmenți.

Am lăsat grundul să se usuce peste noapte, iar a doua zi dimineață am șlefuit bine între straturi cu hârtie de șlefuit 320. Imediat după șlefuire am aplicat, pe toată suprafața, patina nuc roșcat. Aici am greșit și a trebuit să muncesc mai mult. Dar vorba aceea, omul din greșeli învață.

Șlefuind, am îndepărtat stratul dur de la suprafață și am ajuns în zona în care reacția nu era încheiata și grundul era mai moale. Patina aplicată imediat s-a prins foarte bine de suport și a trebuit să depun mult mai mult efort pentru a o îndepărta. Mi-amintesc că șlefuiam singură patina pe fiecare ușa și doamnele de acolo au venit să mă întrebe dacă nu vreau să mă ajute. Le-am rugat să mă lase să fac totul singură, spunându-le că dacă nu-mi va plăcea rezultatul voi știi că totul este din vina mea.

Din fericire, la final ușile au ieșit așa cum mi-am dorit. Patina a dat un aspect de vechi ușilor și a pus în valoare frezările. În plus, am învățat că pentru a îndepărta mai ușor patina de pe grundul poliuretanic, suprafața nu trebuie șlefuită înainte. Era bine dacă șlefuiam seara și aplicam patina dimineață. Șlefuirea patinei aplicată pe toată suprafața ușilor a creat și rugozitatea necesară aderenței stratului următor.

At the end we applied a coat of transparent polyurethane varnish with gloss level 30.

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Totul a ieșit foarte bine și am fost foarte mulțumită de rezultat. Sunt și acum, chiar dacă mi-aș dori ca mobila să fie de lemn. Interesant este că toți cei care au intrat în bucătăria mea chiar au crezut că sub acel finisaj este lemn. Vouă cum vi se pare? Nu mă menajați, suport destul de bine criticile. ☺

About the author

Mihaela Radu

Mihaela Radu is a chemical engineer but has a great passion for wood. She has been working in the field for more than 20 years, wood finishing being what defined her during this period. She gained experience working in a research institute, in her own company, as well as in a multinational. She wants to continuously share her experience with those who have the same passion - and more.

14 comments

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  • Success!
    Especially considering that a few years ago few people dared to even try something like this.

  • Very nice and useful article. I am renovating my whole house and now I have chosen for the bathroom rustic stone look tiles, but the shower mask is glossy white MDF. I'll have some work to do, but I'll definitely 'steal' the idea, especially as I've salvaged old lamps and wrought iron bars that I'll use as towel racks and pegs. My house is old, from around 1920, I'm the third generation to live there, and I've decided that something modern doesn't suit it.

    • I understand what you are saying because I live in an old house too. You can turn glossy furniture into a matte one by applying a coat of clear matte lacquer. First you have to sand the surface with fine abrasive sponges (sandpaper 240-320). It will be a little harder because the lacquer sands harder because it is scratch resistant. But otherwise the new layer won't stick to the old one. When you buy the varnish, ask how glossy it is. It should be from 30-35 down. To give you an idea, in the 3rd photo in the article you can see a little that the varnish does not shine but reflects a little light. This is gloss level 30. Good luck.

      • Very successful work! Congratulations, Mrs Radu!

        I've been reading your articles for some time now because I like working with wood, as a hobby of course. I have managed to recondition a few pieces but I am now facing a problem that you seem to clarify in the comment above.
        However, I still have some concerns. I have a piece of furniture inherited from my parents, a dining room from the 80s, "Drobeta" it was called, shiny. I understand that I can take the shine with a matt varnish, but how can I change the colour? What would the technology be?
        Thank you and good luck in what you are undertaking.

        • Thank you!
          If it is furniture from the 80s the finish was done with polyester varnish or nitrocellulose varnish. To change the gloss will not be a problem. Simply wash it with a cloth, water and detergent, wipe it well and sand the surface lightly with 280-320 grit sandpaper or fine abrasive sponges (for adhesion, if it was made with polyester varnish). Wipe off the sanding dust and apply nitrocellulose varnish with the desired gloss.
          To change its colour is more complicated. You can apply coloured nitrocellulose varnish, but the appearance will be similar to plastic. If you don't want this, you have to remove the varnish with a paint stripper (available in DIY stores). Apply the paint stripper with a brush to the entire surface, wait a little and then remove it with a scraper. Then sand and apply a coat of thinned varnish in which you put the desired colour. It is better to use varnish to avoid stains (there is a risk that varnish remains after stripping). After drying this coat, apply 2-3 coats of colourless nitro varnish with the desired gloss level. As I told you it is more complicated but this way you will highlight the natural design of the wood and the furniture will not look like plastic.
          Good luck!

  • Hello!
    I would like to change the colour of the living room furniture which is pale wenge to white.
    I'm afraid that if I paint the palms directly with a water-based paint, at the slightest touch, it will jump off.
    Can you give me some advice, please?
    Thank you very much.

    • Good evening,
      In order not to skip you must degrease the surface. Wash thoroughly with water and detergent, then wipe dry. You can also clean with a cloth with thinner to make sure that all traces of grease have been removed.
      If you want to use chalky paints, I understand Annie Sloan's are good for chipboard too. They are fixed at the end with clear or coloured wax (if you want a patina look).
      Good luck!

  • Hello
    I am impressed by your "work"! I would like something like that too! Do you know any company/producer for this?
    Thank you!

    • Hello!
      Thank you too!
      Now there are companies making such furniture all over the country. It is best to work with someone in your area to come to your home for measurements and installation. There are manufacturers who also have showrooms where you can see models, configure your kitchen and choose the colour and design of the fronts (furniture doors).
      All the best!

  • Hello Mrs Radu,
    I just read your article, which is exactly what I want to do.
    After 10 years of moving into the house I manage to change my kitchen furniture.
    The fronts will be painted mdf, from Nett Front, colour Nett 05 - it's a cream/ochre. I haven't been able to get them to give me that antique patina and I haven't been able to get them to give me the other painted mdf manufacturer, Global, from Suceava. So I decided that after the assembly, I would take care of the patina/antiquing of the furniture myself.
    What I want to ask you is to tell me what would be the steps I need to do and their order and what materials I need to buy. I would like something similar to your furniture to come out.
    Thank you in advance, George Mateescu

    • Good evening!
      I made those doors in a furniture factory, with the right materials and equipment at hand. Over the primer I applied the patina in a thin layer with a gun, let it dry, then sanded it with steel wool. At the end I applied the protective varnish.
      In your case it will be more difficult, because you will have to apply the patina without pitol. The easiest way is to use coloured wax which you apply all over, leave for 15-20 min, then wipe off the excess. Insist where it seems that there is too much left. Let it dry until the next day, then apply the colourless wax. Apply with a rag in a thin layer. After 5-6 hours, you can polish the surface. The disadvantage of this method is that the wax has low resistance to temperature, aggressive cleaning, patari, alcohol. Being kitchen furniture, you will have to be more careful with it.
      Another possibility is to use spongeable or ragable patinas, which are low-adhesion staining solutions so that they can be easily removed by wiping. After wiping or sanding apply varnish to protect the effect. You can find such coatings at distributors of professional wood finishing products.
      From what you write I understand that you will skate the doors already painted. The above indications are for this version,
      If starting from milled MDF doors, you should sand the milled areas with medium abrasive sponge or 180-220 grit sandpaper, sand and apply a coat of primer. To resemble my furniture you will need dark cream primer. The colour will darken from the patina. After drying the first coat, sand with fine abrasive sponge or sandpaper 280-320 grit and apply the second coat of primer. If after drying, the surface does not look very smooth, sand again. Do not apply patina immediately after sanding because it will have more adhesion to the surface and will be difficult to remove. Leave until the next day. Then continue as above.
      Good luck!

      • Good evening, thank you very much for your answer and advice.
        Fortunately I'll just have to do what you wrote in the first part of the post with the MDF doors already painted. I'll go for the patina version applicable with a sponge or rag.
        I only dare to ask you to recommend me a distributor of professional wood finishing products who has a shop in Bucharest.
        Thanks again and have a nice evening.

        • You can go to Colormix (colormix.ro), in Jilava, where you can find Sirca products or to Lomilux Bucharest, Theodor Pallady Boulevard, nr.66, distributor of ICA products. You can also find there people who can guide you.
          All the best!

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