Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Refinishing Old Pine Furniture

I have some old pine bedroom furniture that was stained very dark about 20 years ago. I'd like to re-do it & I'm thinking of painting it white or ivory. I love the "distressed" look of some of the new furniture I've seen - white or ivory with some areas rubbed so darker color shows through.

How difficult is this to achieve? Do I have to strip the furniture before I can paint or can I just paint over it?

A thorough sanding (not to remove the finish, just rough it up) is all you need to start. A good primer, such as BIN or KILZ, followed by the paint of your choice.

I would suggest a latex, as it's easier to deal with the get the look you want.

Playing with the primer, i.e. painting it on and rubbing it off in places while still wet will let you get a feel for obtaining the look you're after.

In order not to have a complete contrast between the primer and the finish coat, the primer can be tinted to an approximate match - not exact, but probably close enough.

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George