Antique Cabinet and Side Table with Decals

Antique Cabinet and Side Table

I needed a new storage unit as well as a cute little side table. Since I don’t like spending a lot of money on new furniture and it is often very expensive, I tend to go for second hand. The beauty of it all is that I can restyle them to my taste and make them unique pieces. So I started researching used furniture groups to find what I had in mind.

I wanted a unique storage piece, a style of furniture that is not common. Of all the furniture I saw, none of them spoke to me because they were all very ordinary, the same thing almost everywhere.

Antique Cabinet for Free!

After looking at the sales groups for a few weeks, it was finally on Marketplace that I found this antique cabinet that I fell in love with at first glance. More than lucky, I found it in the section of items to donate. Believing it was a mistake, I rushed to contact the seller so as not to miss my chance. The gentleman tells me… “yes, yes ma’am, you read correctly, it’s free and it’s still available! Free !” I couldn’t believe it, so I hurried to get the contact details to go pick it up as quickly as possible.

A kind soul gave me the little table as a gift, so I was very happy!

My goal was to create a set with these two pieces of furniture so that they harmonize well with each other in the room. Wanting to create an original upgrade for this uniquely styled cabinet, I looked left and right for inspiration. It came to me when I saw a large batch of decals on clearance in a hardware store…and that’s how my revaluation began!

Calculator

List of Products Used:

Colorantic Oil-Based Primer
Colorantic Chalk Paint: Night
Colorantic Chalk Paint: Cotton Ball
Colorantic Matte Top Coat
Colorantic Oval Purple Synthetic Bristle Brush #6
Colorantic Snow White Small Brush
CoIorantic Two-Grain Sanding Block
Colorantic Tangerine Scented Granular Hand and Brush Cleaner
Water Spray Bottle
Decals
Credit card (to rub the decal and transfer it to the furniture)

Step 1 – Preparing the Furniture

First of all I did a good sanding to remove the rest of the varnish.

Here’s what I should have done instead:

Spray Colorantic cleaner and varnish remover, leave it to act for around thirty minutes and rinse well with hot water twice to remove all residue.
Apply a coat of oil-based primer to help me transition from the old oil varnish to the new water-based paint. This would have saved me all the sanding work and what’s more, by applying primer, I would have used much less white paint.

I should also have asked the wonderful team at Colorantic for advice before starting my work. I would known the steps to ensure the durability and longevity of my work.

It is time to apply the colour.

Step 2 – Painting

I applied two coats of the color Night to the side table.

For each coat, I dipped my brush in the paint and then sprayed my brush with water two or three times.

About twenty minutes is enough between each coat.

For the cabinet, the application of white was a little more complicated. It does not camouflage as well if the furniture has not been adequately prepared, regardless of the brand of paint used. By using primer with my other transformations, I got away with two to three coats.

Step 3 – Finishing and Protection

I passed the sanding block all over the piece until I achieved the effect I wanted.

I applied a first coat of matte varnish, sanded very gently using the sanding block before applying a second coat.

In Conclusion

I am really very satisfied with the results of my two upgrades. So, at little cost, I transformed a bland wardrobe and an ordinary side table into beautiful, unique pieces of furniture.

My wardrobe is the talk of everyone who sees it!

If you also want to upgrade your interior on a budget, remember to look at groups of used furniture and accessories. With Colorantic products you can have an interior decorated in your own style!

Shop