D.I.Y Shabby Chic (Part 1)

Hi everyone,

In a recent post entitled  D.I.Y Wicker Revival I talked about a bunch of D.I.Y projects I wanted to get started on. This is my first post since finishing quite a few of them. So here I am, I've finally completed the project and uploaded the pictures to my computer. I started this project as a novice - so it just shows that anyone can do it.

I am a great lover of the shabby-chic look to home decor as well as furnishings so I really wanted to complete a few makeovers on some furniture I have recently acquired from thrift shops. The side table below roughly dates to the 60's and is a light wood with a few different lacquer coats. I decided to not sand back the wood as this would have been a huge task to do by hand. I also thought the lacquer would give a smoother application to the paint I was using. Also, aiding towards the shabby-chic look by allowing the dark base to come through and contrast once I had scratched back the white paint.

BEFORE

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1). A drop sheet to keep the area clean

2). Paint. I used 'Winter Chic' by British Paints. It should be readily available at your local Bunnings hardware store

3). A medium sized paint brush

4). Sandpaper for sanding any rough surfaces on the furniture

5). A plain white candle for scraping against the wood grain before applying paint coats

6). A knife for scraping back wax/paint at the end of the process.

7). Get to it - happy shabby-chic-ing! :)

AFTER

An overall perspective of the finished product. For my first shabby-chic project, I think I am happy with how it looks. It's a vast improvement from the brown wood I began with.

It is sometimes hard to know when to stop scratching away the paint for the shabby-chic look. Just remember don't rush it and make sure to stand back and get some perspective during the process. If need be, do it at different intervals in time - start it and then come back to it later. It's easier to add more but hard to undo an over-zealous hand :)

A closer look at the 'shabby chic' detailing on the paintwork.

Have you tried any D.I.Y projects recently? Please feel free to comment and/or leave a link to your own D.I.Y projects or ideas. I would love to take a look!

Take care,

x.k