Painting over varnished wood
Hi C
there is no need to sand the wood. It takes forever and would be very hard to get it even and the fumes from the varnish wouldn't be good to be breathing in. I think I would wash it with sugar soap(available in hardware shops and marvellous for getting off grime but wear gloves)and use a 400 wet and dry sandpaper(available in hardware or in motor factors) to lightly sand the wood. (You can use a sandblock instead of the sheets of sandpaper if you would prefer. It is easier on the hands). Leave to dry out for a day or two. I would then put on a WATER-BASED UNDERCOAT/PRIMER.Dulux make one. A 5 litre tin costs about €15. You may not be able to get the undercoat in cream but it definitely is available in white which would be fine under a cream finish. It is an excellent product, and being water-based there is relatively no smell and no fumes.
Very good for a bedroom and very good for covering varnish. It is an excellent base for the next coat which would need to be a WATER-BASED gloss or matt or silk. We got this in Aldi or Lidl but I don't think they have paints all the time. Not sure.
Good luck with the project.
Jul
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