“Don't buy new furniture – upcycle, and customise it the way you want it. It's thrifty, creative, and easier than you might think” –The Guardian

We’ve written about the methods of upcycling furniture with earthborn paints here. This time however I wanted to use Auro 321 range in the extended colour ‘Jade’. I chose Auro because of the excellent coverage; I only had two small tables to paint so I didn’t want to buy more than I needed to. The Auro has a lovely natural smell, made from natural plant oils – the paint is breathable and washable and can be easily applied by brush and roller, and in a small space using odour free paint was another advantage to choosing Auro. 

Upcycling furniture gives you the opportunity to put your own taste and touch to a piece of furniture; it could be a charity shop find or a piece of furniture that has been in the family for years. In my case it was a nest of tables that was being kept out of sight in the attic as it simply didn't fit in with the rest of the house, the once fashionable dark varnish is no longer admired by the younger generation. Painting furniture has become increasingly popular, every time we move house, update a room with a new colour scheme, we can do the exactly the same thing to the furniture. It doesn’t take much skill to paint furniture – the process is fun and it can extend the life of a loved item of furniture.

Wood-finishes-direct says “As with any project, planning is key to a successful outcome. It may sound obvious but decide in advance how you want the finished piece to look. Make sure that the finished fixture or piece of furniture fits in with the overall scheme you want to create, redefining your surroundings and taking you on a stylish journey. Spending money on furniture and materials without a plan in mind might result in wasted time, effort and materials. The internet is awash with pictures of inspirational styles and ideas to get those creative juices flowing.”

I started by sanding back the tables in a well ventilated room – sometimes outside, weather permitting! I only took away the sheen level so the new paint could adhere to the table and stick to it, primer not necessary. Remember to get rid of any scratches in the surface and go with the grain of the wood. 

Remember, the better prepared the item is the better the final finish will be!

Ensuring the tables where completely dust free, I started with my first coat of paint. (In some cases you can dilute the first coat with 1 part water to 9 parts paint mix; this will act as a primer for your first coat). Let the first coat of paint dry by having a break – ensure you have sufficient tea and biscuits for this step!

Once the first coat was dry I added the second coat and left it in a well ventilated room to dry. Depending on the finish you are looking to achieve, you can then finish it by giving a shabby chic look or applying stencils art. You can finish the look off with Auro Hard wax No 171, which is suitable for furniture, children’s toys and floors to! I chose to use a stencil design from Stencil Stash to give me a Moroccan style finished with gold acrylic paint and I did this before finishing it with the hard wax. I chose to use stencil stash as they had a huge range of designs that I wanted to use, and after a recent holiday I wanted to use mandala style design for the two tables. The stencils are suitable for furniture and walls and finish the piece perfectly. 

Before you start it’s important to know what colour palette and materials you will be using, it will all depend on the finish you want to achieve and the size of the project. First think of the end result and finish you want to achieve, having already chosen the colour and materials you will save yourself a lot of time and money buying things you won’t need.

Planning is essential!

Materials I used for this project;

Auro 524 premium washable and wipeable paint

Dust mask

Sand paper

Paint brush and mini roller

Wax to cover stencil art

Gold acrylic paint

Mandala print stencil

Other items I’ve used on other upcycle projects;

Masking tape

Dust sheet

safety googles

Craft knife

Mixed bristle brush

Scissors

Plant soap

How to upcycle sustainable

Have a good idea of what your finish is going to be, planning ahead saves you buying unnecessary products that you won’t need to use.

Picture the item in your home; imagine where it will be and if it will suit the home, this way you’ll be less likely to buy pieces that aren’t particularly useful.

Research the paint beforehand and see what their environmental credentials are, Auro paints are 100% natural, kind to the environment, vegan and completely safe to use in nurseries and children’s toys.

Be creative! Don’t throw old doors away, they can be re-used and made into small cupboards, floor boards in to shelving. Britain produces 280m tonnes of waste each year, being a savvy homeowner and refurbishing old furniture will help the amount of furniture that’s dumped on landfills each year.

It’s financially sensible, older furniture is generally built better and is incredibly durable.