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upcycling


In with the old out with the new

Posted by steph robb on

                                          

Christmas and birthday presents can be freaking hard to get for children. I hate buying toys because they rarely get played with and/or kids grow out of them quickly because the next fad has come in. When Christmas was nearing last year, I had to rack my brain on what to get two special girls to me. I came up with the idea to do up some old furniture for their rooms. Since i already love trawling the op shops and trade me to up cycle old furniture i thought i'd get some pieces for their room. 

After driving to fielding to collect the bentwood chair from a trademe win, I scrolled pinterest for some inspiration. Keeping in mind the girls room had accents of pastel pinks I thought I'd make a pop with a bright pink. I came across an image of a two toned chair (colbolt blue with unpainted wood legs) which was exactly what I was looking for. I thought I would do something similar to give the chair a subtle point of difference than pink all over. I started by sanding the chair with 100 grit sandpaper, since it wasn't in bad condition then finished all over with 180grit. I then sprayed the chair with Colourpak Primer Surfacer waited for 40minutes to dry, then masked the legs where the gold was going to give a clean and straight edge. I sprayed the chair in Rustoleum bubblegum pink trying not to get past the tape to where the gold was going. I applied the second coat after an hour. When the pink was dry- approximately 30minutes I sprayed the legs in Plastikote metallic gold. 

When I came across this queen anne dresser featured above on trademe it took me back to my childhood. I had drawer handles just like this one and I was sold. Ironically,the handles were going to be the stand out feature and the dresser was going to be neutral. I firstly sanded the dresser with 80grit then finished with 180grit. I filled in small holes and cracks with bostik tradesman filler then primed with APCO aqua prep. I then rolled on two coats of white semi-gloss enamel. I  spruced the handles up with Colourpak etch primer and then top coated in Colourpak satin black.

                                    

This Queen Anne low boy had been within my partners family for years. It had stickers all over it and a few cob webs. After removing the tweety bird and "girl power" stickers I sanded with 80grit then 180grit. I primed with Colourpak primer surfacer then rolled on APCO colour pink 8715 satin water-based enamel. I sourced the handles which are a tan leather from interior motives in aus. 

I stewed for a couple of months of what colours to use for the little rocking chair and whether to keep it wood. Because I had some left over paint from the dresser and lowboy i thought i'd use the two in a different way. It worked out perfectly as the rocker matched the girls low boy. I sanded with 80grit then 180grit. Primed with colourpak primer surfacer then brushed on APCO colour pink 8715 and white semi-gloss enamel.

Tips:

- Use semi-gloss/gloss sheen instead of satin for a more wipeable surface (have learnt now). 

- Water based enamels are best used for furniture as it is harder wearing for practical living. 

- Wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth to remove all dust before priming.

- The more you prep to ensure a smooth surface- the better your finished product will look.

- When you are using spray cans, wear a mask, spray in a well ventilated area with not too much wind (as your house or fence might get an unwanted spray of paint).

- Using spray cans are so much easier for painting chairs and small furniture with lots of difficult nooks and crannys to avoid brush marks or paint runs. 

 

Photos cred- Nicki Brady. 

 Steph x

The Paint Pot 

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