Wednesday 25 February 2015

Corners of my home: Upcycled





Do you like my latest upcycling project? It's only taken me - ooh - 6 months, but that's ok, it's done now and I am really, really happy with it!



Back in September, I saw an unremarkable, rather scruffy bookcase in our local charity shop for £8, I had been looking for something to fill a space in my kitchen that would actually be useful, rather than a space where junk collected, and this seemed promising. I brought it home, stuck it in the space, and immediately it became a place to store junk. But I had big ideas for it, and they wafted around in my mind. I wanted something bright and colourful - somewhere accessible to store dishes. Finally in those couple of weeks leading up to Christmas - you know, when there's nothing much going on, I cleared the junk from it and sanded it down.



Then I gave it a coat of duck egg blue gloss. I made a good job of it too.  I love duck egg blue, and I thought it would look perfect in my kitchen. But there was something not right. It was too pale - bland even. It didn't give me that pop of colour that I expected. And then, Christmas preparations became the focus, and the shelf unit got pushed back against the wall, and filled up with bits and pieces once again.



Then, after the holidays were over, I took a trip to the paint store for some poppin' turquoise paint. That's more like it - but still something missing. Ah - Ebay to the rescue.


Half a roll of 1960s vintage  kitchen wallpaper duly arrived in the mail. I love this - it reminds me of the kitchens of my childhood. Lots of measuring, some precise cutting and a bottle of mod podge  later, and....


Ta-da!!

Just how I imagined it - the perfect pop of colour I was looking for. I could hardly wait until the paste had dried properly to start filling the shelves.


Yep - pretty pleased with that.




30 comments:

  1. Love it - that is beautiful!

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  2. So very cheery. Love the pop of colour, and that wall paper is almost exactly what I grew up with in our kitchen.

    God bless.

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  3. It's fantastic! I love, love, love the colour. And it's interesting how the turquoise paint really highlights the detail at the bottom of the shelf; it was hardly noticeable when it was brown. Great work!

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  4. I love it and it is perfect. I have an area in my kitchen where it would be perfect...LOL just saying!!

    Gill in Canada, your newest follower.

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    1. Hello Gill - thanks for visiting. I have a wee but wallpaper left and am trying to resist covering the kitchen cupboard doors :)

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  5. Perfect pairing of the vintage paper and the vintage pyrex!

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  6. Oh well done! Sometimes I think I know what I want and it turns out not to be right so I have to feel my way through it. You kept on till it was just right. I love it. x

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    1. Thanks Mrs T - I knew I needed to change that colour. It had taken long enough, another delay wasn't going to make that much difference xx

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  7. I do like it, very, very much. That color is the exact color of my kitchen chair. I have plans to paint all the chairs that color,but I've only managed to paint one. I'm not going to admit all many years this project has been going on! ;)

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    1. Oh yes, Tracey I have the sane plan to paint and recover my kitchen chairs. I have all the stuff I need ..... Xx

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  8. Absolutely gorgeous! The orange accents really make it something very special.

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  9. That turquoise is just gorgeous. And the vintage paper is so kitschy cute. Good job. You've inspired me!

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  10. Wonderful addition to your family home.
    I see some pyrex dishes on your beautiful shelves that my mum and dad had for a wedding present 53 years ago!!

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    1. Yes the mixing bowls were my mother's Pyrex - wedding present in 1959. The rest have been charity shop finds over the years. I love them xxx

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  11. Anonymous26/2/15 12:38

    Love love the color! Also the little heart

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  12. Absolutely perfect! Love the color, love the treasures inside and love the wallpaper. My parents had something similar in our kitchen on the walls as well!

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  13. I love it too! I'm inspired!! The bright color and the vintage wallpaper are perfect together. And your pretty dishes!

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  14. Oh, that is lovely! What a very creative idea you had!

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  15. QUEDO PRECIOSO EL MUEBLE!!!
    SALUDITOS

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  16. Beautiful, and great recycling, it really brightens up the corner of the room. I do love the colour, but I love the turquoise and light green pallet.

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  17. brilliant!! i LOVE that colour!! and your dishes are very swoon-worthy!

    i had to giggle over your starting the project right before Christmas -- i always seem to dive into projects like that precisely when there are a thousand other things going on!

    oh - and a lovely parcel landed in my letterbox the other day -- i'm so VERY much enjoying it....oh, so very much. it makes my heart ache and soar all at once....

    xoxoxo

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  18. Better late than never!! Congrats on the finished shelf project! I am embarrassed to say how many incomplete projects I have around the place...too many to count. Glad to know I'm in good company, or at least was before you finished yours. Love the vintage wallpaper touch and adore your pyrex collection! I happened upon quite a few vintage pieces for only $8 at a garage sale down our road last summer. :) Blessings to you, Lisa

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  19. What a great project. And it ticks every box. Bright, cheerful, colourful, up cycled and so ‘on trend’!!. It looks like a page from Country Living magazine.

    And useful........ and you got it for a song.......

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  20. I love it, the color is cheerful and bright and the way you papered the inside is quite nice. Lovely :)

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  21. The new colour is perfect especially with the addition of the vintage wall paper. What a lovely cheery corner for your kitchen. I am glad I am not the only one who starts projects at bizarre times!

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  22. Anonymous1/3/15 20:39

    Brilliant!

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  23. You did such a wonderful job with your shelf!! I absolutely love the color and the vintage wall paper!! We've been house hunting and a few weeks ago we looked at a big old house that had vintage wallpaper in every room. I was in love!!! I always love when people share photos of their home on their blog. Have a beautiful weekend, Jacqui!! xo

    ~ Wendy
    http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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  24. Love it! Works so well with the vintagy (but still very useful) corning ware.

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  25. Anonymous12/3/15 04:38

    This is so fantastic. Love the wallpaper, love the color!

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  26. This is amazing. I love all your upcycling projects x

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