If you are addicted to the Home and Garden channel on TV like me, then chances are you have stumbled across the show Flea Market Flip once or twice. The show’s premise is upcycling, the process of taking an item such as a lamp, cabinet, picture frame, or mirror and refurbishing it to create a new and elevated piece of furniture. For this article, a cabinet and lamp were selected to upcycle.
The journey of upcycling is an entertaining process, one that needs a little patience and time on your part, but worth the effort because it is such an enjoyable adventure. Your inner Interior Designer will surely shine through with this home project.
First step, research. Gather ideas online, from magazines, or at stores to see what type of transformation you are wanting to incorporate and what type of trends are out there at the moment. Explore styles, trends, colors, and fabrics all to match your home’s decor.
Second step, hunting. Look through existing furniture, the pieces that may need a touch up, or travel to the nearest consignment center to do some shopping. Goodwill and Graceworks both have a diverse selection of furniture and usually have what you are looking for. Estate sales, yard sales, and basement exploring are other options for finding furniture.
Thirdly, prep. After spotting the perfect furniture for upcycling, whatever strikes your fancy, it is time to begin by cleaning it with a gentle soap. Sugar soap is recommended. If the object is a cabinet up-change like shown, remove all handles and knobs to work with a clean and even surface. Check for imperfections and repair as needed with a wood filler or other material.
Next, sand. 120 grit was used for our cabinet. Use a tack cloth, after sanding, to clean away any dust or debris. Now the cabinet and lamp are ready to be painted.
Apply one coat of primer. After the primer has dried, apply your first and second coat of paint. Places like Home Depot and Lowe’s have an array of paint colors to choose from with options of matte, semi-gloss, gloss, and high gloss. We went with a high gloss Shamrock green for the cabinet and a high gloss Caviar black paint for the lamp.
Once your furniture piece is painted, style as you wish. Upscale the knobs and handles for the cabinet and buy a fashionable lamp shade or create a new shade with a gorgeous fabric for the lamp. This cabinet upcycle can also be used as seating. You just need to place a cushion or decorative pillow on top of the cabinet.
Lastly, it’s on to the next one, as upcycling can be addicting.
Items you will need:
∙ Selected furniture piece
∙ Sugar soap
∙ Sandpaper 80 grit to 120 grit
∙ Tack cloth
∙ Paintbrush
∙ Primer
∙ Selected color of paint
∙ New lamp shade or cabinet handles and knobs of your choice