🖼️
The project:
My husband and I replaced our bedroom suite, and for the first time, chose pieces that didn’t match. After buying a new bed, I searched for a tallboy but couldn’t find one I liked. Then, while visiting an op shop, I spotted this wardrobe and immediately saw its potential. As complete novices, we weren’t sure how the restoration would go, but we’re so glad we tried. It’s bigger than planned and perfectly imperfect, but we couldn’t be happier with the result.
- Materials:
Chalk paint - Rust-Oleum 887ml Linen White Ultra Matt Chalked Paint - Bunnings Australia
Chalk paint sealer - Rust-Oleum 887ml Clear Matt Chalked Protective Topcoat - Bunnings Australia
Sandpaper various grits - both machine and hand sanding
IRWIN 1/3 92 x 230mm 120 Grit Un-Punched Sheets - 5 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Ozito Detail Sander Assorted Grits Sanding Sheets - 10 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Plywood - 2440 x 1220mm 3mm Plywood Pine Premium BC Grade - Bunnings Australia
Staples - special order
Paint stripper - Poly 250ml Paint Stripper DCM Free - 250ml - Bunnings Australia
Timber trims on side of cupboards and inside door to cover staples -
40 x 5mm 2.4m Clear Pine Round Edging - Bunnings Australia
Wood glue - Selleys 100mL Aquadhere PVA Wood Glue Interior Adhesive - 100ml - Bunnings Australia
Timber filler - Poly 390g Interior Timber Filler - Bunnings Australia
Polyurethane - Cabot's 250ml Gloss Water Based Cabothane Clear Polyurethane - Bunnings Australia
Rattan - purchased online from an alternative supplier as I was unable to purchase from Bunnings.
Door/drawer knobs - purchased online from an alternative supplier as I was unable to purchase this type of door knob from Bunnings.
- Tools:
Scrapper - Trojan 50mm Paint Scraper - Bunnings Australia
Sander - Ozito PXC 18V Cordless Detail Sander PXMSS-700 - Skin Only - Bunnings Australia
Paint brushes - For paint UNi-PRO 55mm Oval Chalk Brush - Bunnings Australia
For paint stripper Paint Partner 50mm Paint Brush - Bunnings Australia
Sanding block - UNi-PRO Cork Sanding Block - Bunnings Australia
Staple gun - Ozito PXC 18V Cordless 2 In 1 Cordless Nail And Staple Gun PXNGS-018 - Skin Only - Bunnings Australia
Hammer - Trojan 8oz 225g Fibreglass Claw Hammer - Bunnings Australia
Pliers - Trojan 3 Piece Plier Set - Bunnings Australia
Mitre box - Haron 300 x 100mm Wooden Mitre Box - Bunnings Australia
Hand saw - Trojan 360mm Toolbox Hand Saw - Bunnings Australia
Nail punch - Kango 3-Piece Nail Punch Set - Bunnings Australia
Screwdriver - Ozito 3.6V Cordless Screwdriver with USB Charging Base SDL-5000 - Bunnings Australia
- Step 1:
Step 1: Remove the doors and door/drawer hardware. Remove the door inserts using a hammer to loosen the insert and pliers to remove any remaining staples/nails.
Step 2: Apply paint stripper to the cupboard (working in sections) and then the drawers. Wait the required time as per the instructions on the tin then remove paint with a scrapper. We also applied paint stripper to the original hinges which removed the paint, so we were able to reuse them.
Step 3: The sides of the cupboard are plywood. Despite our best efforts we were unable to remove all the paint from the crevices. To avoid any potential adverse impacts to the overall finish we decided to replace the plywood. We knocked the plywood out from the inside with a hammer and then used pliers to remove any remaining staples/nails. Bunnings custom cut the new plywood based on our requirements and we attached it using wood glue and a staple gun.
Step 4: Attach timber trim on the side of the cupboards to hide the staples and to 'dress up' the plywood. We mitred the corners using a mitre box and hand sawed the timber. The trim was then glued and stapled on. The visible staples were recessed as much as possible using a hammer and nail punch, and timber filler was used to fill the recesses.
Step 5: Sand, sand, sand. Although the paint stripper did most of the heavy lifting there were still some paint remnants remaining. We used a sander where we could then hand sanded where the sander was unable to be used effectively such as the edging of the drawers.
Step 6: Time to paint. We used a matt chalk paint as we wanted a more muted colour. Follow the instructions on the tin re application and paint dry times. We used a paintbrush to apply the paint and applied 3 coats.
Step 7: Follow the instructions on the tin re application and paint dry times. Apply 2 coats of chalk paint sealer.
Step 8: Soak the rattan in warm water for around 30 minutes to make in more pliable. Cut the rattan to the required size and attach it by stretching it as you go and stapling it to the back of the doors.
Step 9: Wait for the rattan to dry to ensure you are happy with the tension. Apply timber trim to hide the rattan edge and staples on the back of the doors. Seal the timber trim with 1-2 coats of clear polyurethane.
Step 10: Re-attach the hinges and attach the doors back on the cupboard. Attach the door/drawer handles. As the door and drawers already had previous hardware, we used the same holes so did not have to redrill them.
Now stand back and admire your hard work!
