Colorful Whimsical Update for 70s Furniture

Don’t you think this week’s project could be in an ugliest furniture transformation contest?  This dated 70s end table was given to me by an acquaintance.  Challenge accepted!

Since it was free and so unattractive to begin with, I felt completely free to add bold color and pattern.  And you can too when you update furniture!

I chose the decoupage paper specifically for its ability to completely hide the original look of the piece and make it modern, colorful and whimsical.  Then I chose the paint colors to coordinate with the paper.

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• 70s cabinet (gifted)
• White Lightning
• Hurricane Gray
• Merlot (50/50 mix of Rustic Red & Florida Orange)
• Decoupage paper – Whimsical Mediterranean
• WoodUBend trim TR50b
• Gemstone Mousse – Amber & Garnet
• Clear Coat in Satin
• Crystal pulls from Hobby Lobby

Hurricane & Merlot Blend

I went straight in (no primer) with a blended coat of Hurricane Gray with Merlot at the top, bottom and on the front doors.  It’s important to paint where you plan to apply the decoupage because it will affect the final look. 

The paper is a little transparent, so choose the underlying color accordingly.  When in doubt, just use white or cream.

In the areas where there isn’t paper, I painted a second coat of paint for full coverage.  On the top, I blended the gray in the middle and the red on the edges to pull the design together.

If you want tons of information on Dixie Belle paint and products, you can check out these Comprehensive Guides.  Download them free here by clicking the picture:

Update Furniture with Decoupage Paper – Whimsical Mediterranean

I held the whimsical mediterranean paper up to a door and creased the edges of the inset with my fingernail.    Then I cut it out, flipped it over and cut the reverse shape for the other door.

To adhere decoupage paper, I use satin clear coat as the glue. Brush on a thin layer, lay down the paper and smooth wrinkles from the center out. 

Once the doors were done, I liked the look so much I decided to add it to the sides as well.

Where I had to piece together 2 pieces to cover the side, I made sure to match the pattern up.  Since the paper wasn’t tall enough to cover the whole side, I added WoodUBend trim where the paper ended on top.

I have other posts that share details on how to work with WoodUBend trim and appliques.  If you’re interested, you can check out this post. 

In a nutshell, you heat it up (I use a hair dryer) and glue it down with wood glue.  Then you heat it again in place, and that’s it! 

With a long piece of trim, I recommend adding a few pieces of painter’s tape to hold it in place until the glue dries. 

In the photos, I noticed the trim on the right side wiggles up a little in the middle.  I can fix that by re-heating the trim with a hair dryer and pushing it down into a straight line.  WoodUBend makes it easy peasy!

Gemstone Mousses

If you’ve been around for a while, you might have noticed I’m addicted to the Amber gemstone mousse.  This project seemed perfect for it with those brass pieces in the corners.

Mix the mousse really well, and paint it on with a small brush.  I also added the Garnet (red) mousse for a little variation.  This combo is also on the WooduBend trim on the sides.

Lastly, I sealed the whole piece (paper and all) with 2 coats of satin clear coat.  I found the crystal drop pulls at Hobby Lobby.  I think they are the perfect jewelry for this bold piece!

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