Begin by cleaning the furniture's surface usingTikkurila Maalipesu cleaning agent – read instructions thoroughly before use. After drying time, sand the previous paint surface until matt and remove the sanding dust with a dust brush or a dust-binding cloth.
Looking to create a designated workspace but are lacking in space? Painting wall surfaces and shelving the same shade is an inexpensive trick to give the impression of a larger room.
If your home happens to be on the smaller side, having an office may seem like an impossible dream. But just because you don't have an extra room doesn't mean you can't squeeze in a small desk into your bedroom or living room. With some thoughtful planning and creativity, creating a designated area for your workspace can do wonders for your productivity and motivation. Often seen in open-plan concepts, colour blocking areas can help to create a defined zone area. This simple trick can work in smaller spaces to make them feel open and airy, and can also apply to furniture. A method often used in kitchens to give them an expensive finish, painting open shelving to match the wall colour can provide the space with a cohesive and intimate feel – and it doesn't compromise space.
If you love the look of open shelving but want them to feel like unobtrusive built-ins, try painting them the same colour as your home office walls. Picking up shimmering tones of emerald green, M442 Fjord from our Feel the Colour collection refreshes the home office walls and conceals the open shelving unit. For this project, we painted the shelving unit with the environmentally-friendly semi-matt Helmi 30 furniture paint. The water-based acrylic Helmi 30 Paint is a tested replacement for traditional solvent furniture paint and boasts a low VOC-emission level. Made in Finland, the high-quality paint has also been certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the EU Ecolabel and holds the M1 Emission Classification, making Helmi Furniture Paint a sustainable and safe choice for the home.
Even if your workspace happens to be on the smaller side, the natural light is never compromised when the room pulls together soft white walls and natural wood textures to balance the dark, moodier contrasts. Finding your perfect shade from our Feel the Colour collection is made easier with our A4 Colour Samples. When paired with a Tikkurila interior paint, consider the natural light's direction and how the room's size and contents will affect your desired shade. Take a tester and try it out at different times of the day to see how the results are affected by natural and artificial light.
Test a Colour Out
- Interior Paint Colour TesterFull Matt
Interior paint sample pot. Choose from over 2,000 Tikkurila shades or colour match to your favourites. 
Handy A7 painted colour swatches. Move around to test your favourite shades in different lighting
Putting the idea into practice
1. CLEAN AND SAND
2. PRETREATMENT
Apply a single coat ofHelmi Pohjamaali Primer, tinted to the same shade as the furniture piece's topcoat. Use a furniture paint roller for best results and leave the paint to dry for 4 hours.
3. PAINTING
