Sonja Gilford loves nothing more than to transform an old, unwanted piece of furniture and give it new life.
Watch: How to upcycle a wardrobe door mirror
Recently taking to the Facebook group, Bunnings Mums, Sonja shared her latest project: upcycling an unwanted solid timber TV unit, and the result is pretty incredible.
We caught up with Sonja to find out more about the amazing project.
What motivated you and where did you draw your inspiration from?
This particular piece was in great condition, to begin with, just dusty and dated. I’m always looking for ideas and have seen similar pieces with cross doors in furniture stores and online. I wanted to try and create a similar piece without the hefty price tag that comes with buying solid timber furniture brand new.
How did you find the whole renovation process?
This piece was actually much easier than I thought it would be. Once I worked out the best way to make the doors how I wanted them, it came together without any issues.
All the hard work was in the sanding and preparation. I always find adding a stain to freshly sanded timber somewhat risky since I’m never quite sure how it will look. Luckily I immediately loved how this stain turned out and enhanced the beautiful grain in the timber.
Roughly how much did this project cost?
I picked up the original unit locally for free. The doors only cost about $15 to make, including some MDF backing board that I cut to size myself and the piece of hardwood timber I used to make the crosses.
I already had the tools (orbital sander and saw) and paint products at home from previous projects, so it’s hard to give the exact amount. But for someone who would like to try and do their own project, they could buy a litre of quality enamel paint for around $55, in addition to a stain blocker/primer and a varnish for the top coat. This could easily be achieved for less than $150, excluding the purchase of tools.
Do you have any tips or tricks for anyone wanting to attempt a similar project?
Plan your project thoroughly. Use a good stain blocker primer to avoid the old stain leaching through the new paint. Use painter’s tape for a neat finish, choose water-based paints to prevent yellowing and most importantly, have fun with it. The beauty of timber is you can always sand it right back and start over.
You might also like:
How to upcycle old glassware from Vinnies
How to upcycle old outdoor furniture
How to upcycle an old dresser into a desk
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