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For the past couple of years, I have had a secret passion for all things vintage and 'shabby chic'. I have always been inspired by the work of Rachel Ashwell and the home designs by Cath Kidston, so recently I have decided to put my obsession and enthusiasm into action by creating chic objects for the home.
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I thought I would start my first blog, by celebrating the transformation of my 'homemade' bedroom!
[Please see my other blogs for the transformation on my other bedroom furniture]
[Please see my other blogs for the transformation on my other bedroom furniture]
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The first step I took to changing my bedroom was spending many hours searching on Ebay and trawling through second hand furniture shops to find the perfect bedroom furniture that would fit the theme of my bedroom (and also the size)!
Then I came across this lovely 1950's TallBoy wardrobe, which I haggled the seller down to £35 !
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It is such a cute wardrobe as it is only 5ft4 inches and features the original lock and key! The colour itself is quite dull but the idea of this modern approach to shabby chic is about turning this furniture around and giving it a new lease of life ♡ And this is what I did...
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The first step I took was to take the wardrobe outside, completely strip and sand it. BUT you have to be careful and wear the protective clothing including a face mask because many of the old paints used to contain led and this is very dangerous! I used sandpaper with a grade of 120 as the wood on this wardrobe was veneer and it is important to sand it enough so the new paint can grip to it. The above photograph shows the wardrobe with 2 layers of Laura Ashley Dune paint. (I recommend Laura Ashley paint as it is a good quality but they also sell shabby chic themed colours).
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Tadahhhhh! It took around 4 coats and a few days to dry in between each! For the final stages of completion and to complete the 'shabby chic' look, use any left over sand paper and 'roughen up' the edges (as this is where most of the wear takes place). Also, sand very lightly around the door handle and if you wish to make it look more 'battered', I advise using some old thick chains and 'wacking' all around the furniture to make it looked distressed.
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Wow I remember the progress of this wardrobe with your fears and worries etc but wow its looks sooo great now! Well done it looks great!
ReplyDeleteThanks Adam for your comment :) It wasnt the easiest of tasks but it was well worth the time and effort! I am very proud of myself and hope to do more like this in the future. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat work Rachael!
ReplyDeleteIts really looks great now.You have put in a lot of efforts.Great job!
Bedroom Furniture
Thank you for comment Franklin, it made my day :) I shall check out the link shortly :)
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely and you make it sound so easy. You have inspired me to crack on with my old pine wardrobe's. Thankyou! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachael,
ReplyDeleteI just bought a large triple French antique wardrobe which is beautiful but I really want to Shabby Chic it. I was wondering if its worth my doing myself or if I should pay someone to do it. Thanks
Sasha
Love it! I live in South Africa and am also totally inspired by Rachel Ashwell's style. I am about to embark on a whole new creative path so always looking for like-minded inspiration. Have you done anything else recently?
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