I’ve always been well aware that patience is a virtue I do not possess. There’s a story my parents like to tell that as a toddler I used to shout at them: “a-b-c-a”. Unsurprisingly, they had no idea what I was talking about. Which most simply, would see me lose the plot! Later, they found out I was referencing The Little Mermaid and trying to say: “under the sea” (duh!), however that was found out only after many months of meltdowns.
So while my lack of patience may be slightly more in check, undertaking a DIY project saw that easily tested.
Tasked with the job of upcycling a tired piece of furniture for the Feast Watson Re-Love Project; I had a $200 budget to find a piece, make it pretty again and then auction it off for Salvos Stores. Lack of DIY skills aside, the great cause and impressive lineup of fellow designers, such as furniture designer Mark Tuckey and interior stylist Steve Cordony, were enough to get me involved, if not a little nervous!
[contextly_sidebar id=”ZbksXvRDNRHNcxXfgJ8CmPoiz2AMF1Ho”]Purchasing a timber table from Gumtree, the first step was sanding it. I had never used an electric sander before, however after watching some YouTube tutorials and Jen standing anxiously beside me, I gave it ago. And it didn’t go too horribly wrong! Though with layer upon layer of varnish, it did take ages. So lucky Damo (Jen’s husband) got to spend a weekend finishing it off. Thanks!
Next step was staining the table top in Feast Watson Black Japan and painting the legs in Dulux Mars Metallic and Dulux Hot Calypso. We were originally after a matte black finish for the table top and hot pink and gold for the legs, but alas those colours weren’t meant to be. And so one of my many valuable DIY lessons was learnt: go with the flow!
The staining required three coats and the paint two, which obviously meant days of work were required. However, time was not on our side. What with Jen being heavily pregnant (and my workshop being her back deck) and the fact that Sydney suddenly decided to monsoon! For days.
So, with Jen going on maternity leave, the table (and little ol’ me) were shipped off to The Men’s Shed in Castle Hill. However, the paint and stain got lost in the process. You can’t make this stuff up, can you?! Luckily, the men at The Men’s Shed were lovely and after a trip to Bunnings to pick up new supplies I was back on track. And a couple of hours later, it was over. Phew! I’m very happy with the end result, but I think I’ll be hanging up my tool belt… at least for a little while.
The table will now go up for auction on eBay — with the other seven Re-Love projects — from Wednesday 8 July to Friday 17 July. And if you’re the lucky purchaser of our table you’ll also be able to take home the beautiful flamingo table runner and matching napkins from Sparkk. They really make the table pop!
So get your credit card ready, and make sure you’re on eBay from 8 July!
To find out more information about my project visit Reno Addict or for inspiration for an up-cycling project you can complete at home, visit Feast Watson.
