Painting A Unit

[hammerman]

We have a pretty crap unit (bottom drawers and cupboards and top part with glass doors etc)

The unit is in some sort of stained antique pine.

We want to paint it....maybe in a shabby chic stylee.

Need help how one would go about preparing it.....would it need sanding down ?...it's a big unit, and then painted with what and how ?

Any suggestions welcome

[The Builder]

For the "genuine" shabby-chic Irish pub look.................

Lightly sand to get surface dust and grime off.
1 or 2 coats of ordinary emulsion
When dry, rub with fine sandpaper or coarse wire wool. Pick a few "wear" spots and concentrate on them until the emulsion comes right off - back to the wood.
Thin some polyurethane varnish 50/50 with white spirit, and apply liberally - let it accumulate in ledges to give a good brown colour.

Practise on something first.

The look will be that of something that has survived a hundred pub fights, and the nicotine from a million fags.

If you want to "sand back" to a different colour from wood, then emulsion in any background colour... then apply the top colour (the one to rub back)

[mrs_overall]

I would agree with The Builder's answer - to a point.
I would sand it down and then decide where you want your distressed points to be. Give them a rub with a plain candle and then paint the item with emulsion.