DIY

A 1960s seven-drawer tallboy undergoes a transformation from a worn piece to a stylish statement with a rich satin finish, black Frenchic paint edges, and gold accents. The restoration involved meticulous prep, sanding, and finishing, preserving its vintage charm while adding modern twists. Brenda shares detailed steps and encourages others to enjoy the process of breathing new life into vintage finds.

You can easily refresh and personalize your furniture by painting the hardware. Gather tools like a screwdriver, cleaning supplies, sandpaper, primer, paint, brushes/spray cans, and more. Follow steps to remove and clean the hardware, prep for paint, and choose your painting method. Experiment with different finishes and remember to reattach the hardware once dry.

Upcycling furniture is an affordable and eco-friendly method to create unique home pieces. In the UK, upcyclers can utilise resources like charity shops, boot sales, online marketplaces, local community groups, Freecycle, and architectural salvage yards to find suitable items. Various Facebook groups dedicated to upcycling exist for inspiration, advice, and finding items. The process requires patience, creativity, and an open-minded approach towards different types of furniture.

Brenda, a furniture artist, suggests gathering the necessary packing supplies such as cardboard boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, moving blankets, pallet wrap, strapping tape and labels. She advises to clean and dry the furniture, disassemble it if possible, and protect fragile parts with bubble wrap. After covering the furniture with moving blankets and bubble wrap, Brenda recommends packing it in boxes, reinforcing them, and clearly labeling each box. Heavy furniture may require a dolly or furniture sliders while glass components should be wrapped separately.