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A discarded tallboy was refurbished using materials like wood filler, sugar soap and paint.
The project
I found this tallboy on the side of the road on a rainy evening. I was able to see the potential straight away. I picked it up, took it home and got to work.
Here is how I achieved this transformation:
I removed the handles and cleaned the piece thoroughly using Selleys Sugar Soap.
Made some repairs using Wood Glue.
Filled in gaps using my favourite filler - Timbermate Wood Filler.
Sanded the entire tallboy back to raw wood using my Ryobi Orbital Sander.
I then rolled on three coats of Zinsser B-I-N Shellac Primer to prevent any bleed through to the white paint I put on later.
Painted the body of the tallboy with two coats of Rust-Oleum Linen White Chalked Ultra Matt Paint.
Then I cleaned properly before painting with White Knight Spray Paint. I used the gold and black ones.
Attached brass shell cups to the top drawers and drop handles on the rest, then sealed the entire piece with Liquid Natural Beeswax.
To create the pattern on the side of the drawers, I used a stencil (secured with painters' tape) and applied small amounts of paint at a time, using a flat stencilling brush.
The project cost less than $40.
Before and after
How to upcycle a bedside table
Experienced Bunnings Team Member MitchellMc has detailed how to upcycle a bedside table, with a complete list of tools and materials to use. The techniques used could also be applied to any chest of drawers.
Experienced community member Rob Pegley has also shared How to distress painted furniture.
More inspiration for furniture projects
Get more ideas for your home from our collections of Upcycled bedside drawers and tables and Upcycled buffets. More inspiration can be found from our community's Top 10 most popular indoor furniture projects, or just browse our popular Featured Projects section for more recycling and upcycling projects.
If you need any help with your own project, please let us know. We're here to help.
