simone barter – The Interiors Addict

Upcycling how-to: the chair and desk with wow factor

This makeover by Simone Barter from Style.Life.Home is pretty special, is it not?! She created it for last year’s Feast Watson Re-Love campaign, which this year I am attempting (wish me luck!) and Simone is participating in again. We can’t show you our finished products just yet, so in the meantime find out how she made this beautiful desk and chair…

Products:

Feast Watson Timber Primer
Feast Watson Stain & Varnish Black Japan Satin
Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss
Dulux Super Enamel in Malay Grey Semi Gloss

Planning:

Decide where the furniture item will be placed with the aim to make it work with the rest of the chosen space. In particular, this will affect the colour palette you choose.
Choose a desk with a large framework to enable a large workspace. Look for smaller features such as stationery drawers for added utility. Chairs with details are great and make sure that it is also comfortable.
Shop around and explore old and loved stores, you never know what you might find or what bargain you could stumble across.

Preparation:

Choose colours that will add a wow factor. I chose Feast Watson Black Japan, Malay Grey and Pop of Tango from the Dulux range for a dramatic effect.
Prepare the wood by sanding back the old varnish using coarse sand paper.
Use finer sandpaper to smooth the timber in preparation for the paint and stain.
Make sure all dust is removed prior to coating the furniture.

Achieving your vision:

Apply the Feast Watson timber primer and allow to dry.
For the desk, make sure you remove all drawers before applying the first layer of Feast Watson Black Japan Stain & Varnish. Build up coats to desired colour. Allow to dry between coats.
For the chair apply the Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss then allow to dry.
Use painters tape approximately 10cm from the bottom of each chair leg, evenly wrapped all the way around each leg. Then paint the bottom section of each chair leg. Remove the painters tape when the paint is completely dry.

“It all starts with the search,” says Simone Barter. “Shopping in some of my favourite little re-loved stores and finding pieces to re-create.”

NB: Always test colours and stains on an off-cut or inconspicuous area of your piece prior to coating the whole item to ensure you’re happy with the colour.

To find out more about Feast Watson products and their application, visit their website and for inspiration, check out the Feast Watson Instagram.

Create your own unique upcyled furniture masterpiece

It’s an old and arguably tired adage, but the saying: ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ couldn’t be truer in the case of Feast Watson’s Re-Love Project. The initiative brought together eight designers who donated their time and expertise by ‘upcycling’ worn timber furniture items into unique, one-off designer pieces, all in the name of charity. For those new to upcycling, it involves turning used or useless furniture or other household items into something far more glamorous.

The project was an undeniable success, raising an admirable $5,000 for Salvos Stores Australia after Feast Watson agreed to match the funds raised from the eBay auction of the pieces earlier this month. James Fisher, brand manager at Feast Watson, notes that the success of the auction was a great reflection of both the strong support demonstrated by the public, and the delivery of such stunning products from the designers.

The project also shines some light on a craft form that, while popular, has yet to come into its own; with many seeing upcycling as a task best suited to smaller furniture pieces. Salvaging a larger item of furniture from the trash heap and showing it a little TLC, can in fact yield fantastic results and doesn’t require a lot of hard work.

According to Simone Barter (above), who fashioned a stylish chair and desk combination as part of Re-Love, it all starts with the search. And once you’ve purchased your piece, creating a masterpiece is as simple as planning, preparing and then achieving your vision.

Check out Simone’s step-by-step guide to achieving the look:

What you need:

Feast Watson Timber Primer
Feast Watson Stain & Varnish Black Japan Satin
Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss
Dulux Super Enamel in Malay Grey Semi Gloss

Planning:

Decide where the item will be placed in cohesion with the rest of the space and then choose a desk that will enable a large workspace. “Shop around and explore old and loved stores, you never know what you might find or what bargain you could stumble across!”

Preparation:

Prepare the wood by sanding it back, first with a coarse sand paper, followed by a finer one to smooth the timber. When selecting paint, “choose colours that will add a ‘wow’ factor – I chose Feast Watson Black Japan, Malay Grey and Pop of Tango from the Dulux range for a dramatic effect.”

Achieving your vision:

After applying the primer and allowing it to dry, remove all drawers and apply the first layer of stain and varnish, building up coats until the desired colour is achieved. For the chair, apply the Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss then allow to dry. When it comes time to paint, tape approximately 10cm from the bottom of each chair leg, evenly wrapped all the way around each leg. Then paint the bottom section of each chair leg. Remove the painters tape when the paint is completely dry.

Find out more about Feast Watson products and where to buy them.