Buying new furniture can be pricey, and if you have perfectly good (albeit maybe a bit dated) pieces in your home already, it’s hard to justify that high cost.
Victoria Tullett, 42, a recruitment officer and mum of two from Brighton, decided that she’d save her parents that cost when they considered buying a new table and chairs for their dining room.
Instead of splurging on a new set, Victoria transformed the existing dining table and chairs for under £50 using Frenchic paint.
Victoria told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘I began following the Frenchic fan page. My parents had mentioned that they wanted to get a new table and chairs and I just thought “why not try to transform them instead?”.
‘There was nothing wrong with the actual set, in terms of stability and build, just that the colours didn’t work with our new scheme.’
First off, Victoria used sugar soap to clean the furniture, before lightly sanding (‘as if you were wiping it clean’) and dusting off the debris.
She then used three coats of Frenchic paint – which has won fans for its durability and versatility – in the shades Dazzle Me and Swanky Pants.
Victoria says: ‘I used very thin coats of paint, and although I had nothing to lose, I have to admit after the initial coat it was an “oh my gosh, what have I done moment”!
‘I waited the two hours in between coats and set about on the second coat. By the third and final coat, the magic had taken place and it had been totally transformed.’
In total, Victoria spent less than £50, just needing to buy two tins of paint (£17.95 each) and a tin of finishing coat for the tabletop (£12.95) to keep it looking great for years to come.
‘In terms of tips, I would say preparation is key,’ says Victoria.
‘Take your time, use thin coats and wait the two hours between coats if not longer. If the first coat looks dreadful, you are doing it right! I cannot stress enough how much you need to do thin coats only.
‘I found the chairs to be a bit tacky afterwards, so used a paintbrush and coated them in talcum powder, which did the trick.’
And she’s clearly caught the DIY bug, with Victoria having painted her lounge furniture in Frenchic and created a seating area with pallets in her garden.
She adds: ‘I plan on doing my kitchen next. I have a fair few cupboards, so I need to do it in stages. I am just working out colours before I begin.
‘What I love about this paint is how you can take something drab and change it into something you love and on a budget.’
Victoria is delighted with the final outcome of the project, and says it was a good anxiety reliever during the stresses of the lockdown.
‘I do suffer from anxiety and depression and lockdown hit me quite hard,’ she adds.
‘I find painting is my happy place. The sense of achievement at the end is worth the hard work.’
Do you have a story you’d like to share?
Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.
MORE: Behold the £54.5million property that’s the most expensive home to go on sale since lockdown
MORE: There’s nothing more romantic than a long distance relationship
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/24/creative-mum-upcycles-dining-room-furniture-for-just-50-rather-than-buying-new-13473377/
0 Comments