The Chest Of Drawers Makeover....

If you remember my post here I was eagerly awaiting getting on with this makeover. It was on an already quite nice chest of drawers that were heading off to the the skip by a lovely friend. Luckily she knows me really well and thought that I may have use for them. As I have so much *stuff* and LOTS of pretty fabric that need nice storage homes, I couldn't resist taking it off her hands and thanked her very much. Anyway I can be somewhat of a procrastinator when it comes to my shabby chic makeovers ( I have a garage filled with many an item awaiting some, tlc. ) Though, I seemed to really want to get on with this one, and I knew straight away how I was going to prettify them....

 Ingredients I used:

* Cath Kidston wallpaper in Antique Rose ( I used more than I wanted to, more about that later )
* Homebase own branded satin wood paint in Contemporary, I love my Farrow & Ball paints but wanted to keeps costs as low as possible
* Primer paint ( urrrr in my books that would be a bog standard white emulsion )
* A little sanding paper
* Watered down PVA glue ( Varnish can also be used but as I had PVA glue in the house and watered down it works in my opinion just as well as a matt varnish )
* Wallpaper paste and brush

So, I gave the drawers a little sand, and a quick coat of emulsion and I know I should have done the top coat too before the wallpaper, but I just couldn't wait to get the pretty floral wallpaper on, so thought I would paint the top coats after the wallpapering.

So I mixed my wallpaper paste following the instuctions on the packet ( kind of ) let it settle a little in its bucket, and then began working out my pattern layout for the drawers. Hmmmm, I think out of everything this was the hardest part...I actually had to think....I knew I wanted the sides of the drawers doing and also the front of the drawers, though as there is a little bevel edge to the drawers, I didn't want to get fussed about wrapping paper over, mitres and sticking and all that, so thought the wallpaper would look pretty enough on just the front and sides. Being somewhat of a fussy lady and perfectionist, I wanted the paper to hang correctly at the front as it would on a wall and that the pattern would follow suit....So I used a sharp craft knife to cut out my pieces of wallpaper and then pasted them onto the two sides and the drawers, going vertically, as if wallpapering a wall....

Wrong move....I do not like joins showing in things, it really bugs me, and although I love wallpaper, and we are aiming to have at least one wall papered in every room, I do fuss over these butt joins and do my best not to make them be seen. Ohooo my goodness ( apologies don't have a photograph ) but by the time I had done all four drawers and had a good look...the join where I had pasted the two lengths of wallpaper did not make me smile. I was not happy. Luckily I didn't have to think too long as along came someone ( the husband ). He basically explained that rather than running the paper top to bottom, I should have pasted the wallpaper on the drawers horizontally, going left to right. *Clever Clogs* So all my hard work in joing the wallpaper up and pasting went in the bin....Mr. Poppins kindly did all the measurements and cutting out this second time and then was left with four long pieces that when placed together did actually from a pattern, albeit horizontally, left to right. Clever husband I have.

So on I got pasting the wallpaper ( again) and the drawer fronts ( again ) and was much happier, no join, and even the pattern follows on each drawer. I than waited a day or so and with the use of masking tape, painted the top coat, and popped some very watered down pva glue all over the chest of drawers, and am very, very happy with my new shabby chic drawers. I may re touch the top coat here and there but for now I think they look just fine....

I gave the lovely followers of my Facebook page a little peeky and my little makeover seems to have gone down really well,  hopefully I may have inspired others to have a go which is lovely and makes me very happy. Very flatteringly I was also asked "How much" ;0)  Please excuse the flooring etc, photographs taken in a room we are busy decorating.

Hope I may have inspired you to get your furniture awaiting a makeover out, and give it a little TLC....

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