I’m absolutely loving Pinterest at the
moment, and as you know from my previous post - where I wrote about a DIY project
- I’m all up for a challenge!
I’ve seen a ton of ideas for upcycling as
well as DIYing. Isn’t that the same thing, you might say? No, upcycling is
basically taking a finished piece of furniture and giving it a new look, whilst
DIY is usually creating something from scratch.
Just have a look at the inspiring examples
below. I’ve chosen tables and coffee tables as examples, as this is a project I
would really love to get working on. Let's start with the square/rectangular ones!
First out in my inspirational upcycled coffee tables feature is this square table that got an uplift by weighing it down with
something heavy. A solid concrete block works as a table top, and gives a
beautiful rough contrast to this smooth white table. Couldn’t get any simpler
than this, but what a result!
For the more artistic person you can upcycle
your table with patterns and flat studs. Be creative and create patterns based
on your own personal taste. This example, made from a simple IKEA table, looks quite old fashioned and romantic.
Consider wallpaper for a real facelift!
Simply cut it to the right size and use wallpaper glue, then place a piece of
glass on top of it to hold it all in place, and in order for it to last longer.
My personal favourite is making new pieces
of furniture look old by adding planks on top which you have painted with wood
stains for a distressed look. Doesn’t this look like genuine drift wood? Well,
it’s not! It’s brand new planks, and a hell of an artistic hand! You can
obviously apply this style to a round table as well – you just need to saw the
planks into the right shape.
And talking about round tables, let’s move
on to these!
You can easily change the look by swapping
the legs for something more creative – in this case a metal basket which has
been painted in a quirky colour and turned upside down.
The typical shabby chic look is a favourite
amongst many, including me. All you need is some white paint, wood stain, and
sand paper. Simple but effective.
Again, just as the concrete top table
above, you can simply add another material on top of any table to create a
completely different look. I like the natural look and shape of this log slice
side table.
But the simplest, and probably most
effective ways of all to style up a table, is obviously to just add some paint
to it. Leave the top as it is, and just paint the legs in a bold colour that
stands out but that still matches your dining or living room. Piece of cake!
But where to start if you don’t have a
suitable table at home?
Square and rectangular tables are easy to
find, but round ones are a bit more rare.
I’ve found this Malmo
oval solid white oak veneer coffee table which has a lot of potential.
Scandinavian designs are always to stylish and simplistic – I love it!
I hope you’re as inspired as I am after
this post. Let me know of any DIY or upcycling projects you’ve done.
