how to clean old painted finishes safely?

Use a soft damp cloth first. Avoid aggressive chemical cleaners. They strip the surface and damage the old patina. Waxing offers good protection. Apply a clear microcrystalline wax sparingly and buff it gently. Coloured waxes settle in the cracks.

My grandmother left me a large blue cupboard and it smells quite musty inside when I open the doors, what removes that odour?

Keep the doors open on a dry day to let fresh air circulate. Time and ventilation solve most damp smells in old pine. Some dealers place bowls of white vinegar on the shelves. Leave them inside for a few weeks with the doors shut to absorb stale odours. Avoid sealing the interior with modern varnish. The old wood needs to breathe.

what causes the paint to alligator?

Temperature fluctuations make the timber move. The brittle top coats cannot stretch. This movement fractures the surface into small squares. It happens frequently on thick oil finishes.

I want to use one of these as a larder in my kitchen but I am worried about the shelves taking the weight of heavy tins and jars, are they strong enough?

Original boards are usually thick enough to bear significant weight. Hand-sawn softwood shelves resist bowing better than modern boards. Check the shelf supports. Many old cupboards feature shelves built straight into the carcase sides rather than resting on modern pegs. Look for splitting along the grain. If the timber shows no deep cracks, it will handle kitchen stores without issue.

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Antique Painted Cupboards

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Standing storage pieces constructed from local softwoods and decorated with surface pigments, antique painted cupboards served as primary household storage before built-in closets became standard.