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Hi Everyone.. my partner has held onto this furniture as it was his grandfather's..I know it isn't worth much but it's sentimental value..been sitting in the shed for a while though
. It's made of chipboard 😭 is there anything I need to be careful about restoring this? Can I just lightly sand it and paint? Do I need a special paint for chipboard? Thanks in advance 
The timber laminate over the chipboard looks quite degraded @projectmumdanni. It's one of those cases where unless you are going to chip off all the compromised laminate and fill the areas and sand it back, you could end up with a pretty average result. You can try sanding the damaged areas to try and blend them in, but you'll likely still see them through your topcoat.
With a bit of sanding and a fresh coat of paint, you'll add many years to the life of this functional piece of furniture. It just might not be that one stunning piece that all your friends will marvel at. It would be great as a set of drawers in a child's room.
I'd recommend you use a product like Zinsser 1L Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Undercoat Primer Sealer Stain Blocker, as not only will it help bind degraded chipboard, but it will block any stains and adhere to glossy surfaces.
The only thing I'd recommend you be careful of are any areas where the chipboard has swelled. If it's swelled, there is likely water damage, and the glue used to bind the wood chips is compromised. They'll start falling apart if you fiddle with those areas too much. Products like this wood hardener can assist in binding the area enough to fill over it.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
I wasn't able to fill where the chipboard came off, so I just painted over it. I put filler in but when sanding it would chip more unfortunately. Have put into into our spare room for now. Drawers I used https://www.bunnings.com.au/feast-watson-1l-gloss-chocolate-walnut-stain-and-varnish_p1520147 and painted British Paints Pale Eucalypt and handles are from bunnings aswell. My photo won't upload for some reason
Wonderful work, @projectmumdanni; it looks great! I'm sure your husband really appreciates you going to the effort of upcycling this piece and preventing it from wasting away in the garage.
Well done, and many thanks for sharing your results.
Mitchell
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