Kylie Baldwin spent several years juggling a job and three kids with her part-time passion project of upcycling furniture.
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When she was made redundant at the start of 2020, she took this as an opportunity to turn her popular part-time business Inspired By Coastal into a full-time job.
Though she’s completed many makeovers and even advises others on how to upcycle, this was her first time fitting natural rattan. Better Homes and Gardens online caught up with Kylie to find out how she pulled it off so professionally!
What inspired your project?
I wanted to create a coastal design piece as this is one of my favourite styles. I live near the beach and my home has a coastal vibe, so I wanted to create something to fit into that style.
When I found the TV unit on marketplace, I instantly had my vision and I knew I could make it work. For me it was the perfect style for this TV unit and for my home.
Have you made many things before?
I have been upcycling furniture for three years now and started with my own dark bedroom furniture. I shared my projects on my personal Facebook page with friends, which then lead to others wanting to have pieces done. I did this in between my part time job but in February last year I was made redundant due to company changes. So, I decided to focus on this as a full-time business.
I love that so many people out there are wanting to save on landfill and have their old furniture upcycled. I also enjoy advising others with tips on how to do their own pieces.
Biggest challenges?
It was a lot of sanding and hand sanding, which required patience and it was also my first time using natural rattan. I have never fitted natural rattan before, so it was a process of ensuring that the rattan had been soaked in water for approximately 30 mins prior to fitting, to allow easy movement for placement.
Budget breakdown
The unit was from Marketplace, rattan was from Cane and Wood Emporium and everything else came from Bunnings. The total cost came to $130.
DIY process
- Cleaned thoroughly with warm water and sugar soap, removing old oil and dust grit.
- Sanded down using a Markita orbital sander starting with 80 grit sand paper, working my way up to fine grit paper to ensure a smooth finish.
- Hand-sanded the tricky parts where the sander could not reach, using same grits of sand papers.
- Mixed my stain by using Cabots water-based stain in Brazilian Roast.
- Diluted the Brazilian Roast stain down with Cabots water-based Cabothane Clear in Satin. The Brazilian Roast stain is a very dark stain, so by mixing a small amount of the stain with the Cabothane Clear, I was able to achieve my desired colour.
- Applied the mix in even long strokes, totalling three coats and hand sanding in between dried coats with fine grit paper for a smooth finish.
- Sealed the entire piece with the Cabothane Clear Satin finish for additional protection.
- Removed the glass panels from the doors and after staining the rattan with the same mix, I fitted the damp rattan by keeping it firm. I used a staple gun to fix it in place.
- Made the handles by using long pieces of 16mm dowel and cut them to size. Fitted them with screws and glue.
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