Upcycled bedside tables
I recently upcycled a pair of oak bedside tables that I picked up from Blocket (a second-hand web platform). After some new handles and few coats of beautiful linseed oil paint, they were barely recognisable.
Linseed oil paint has been used in Scandinavia for centuries. It was originally used only on valuable building, such as churches, but has become popular in recent years for furniture and woodwork in homes. I chose to use linseed oil paint for this project because it is extremely durable, lasting up to three times longer than modern paints. It soaks into and nourishes the wood rather than sitting on the surface so it doesn't chip. Plus, most linseed oil paint contains no solvents and will leave your furniture smelling beautiful.
You do need to be a little bit careful with linseed oil paint, as it gives off some heat when it dries. Combustible stuff, like rags or paper, that gets covered in paint shouldn't just be balled up and thrown in the bin, where the heat could get trapped and start a fire. Instead, just tie it all up in a plastic bag with a little water before you throw it away.
Otherwise this project was pretty straightforward. See the step-by-step below and let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
Step-by-step
1. Remove handles, hinges, drawers etc.
2. Lightly sand all the surfaces to be painted and then wipe them with a damp cloth.
(I used a power sander to save time and because... who doesn't love power tools?)
3. Paint a REALLY thin coat of paint. Paint as if you were using your last teaspoon full of paint! If you paint too thickly, you will get a gloopy looking finish.
4. Leave to dry for three days.
5. Repeat until you get the coverage you want. I did three thin layers.
6. Replace or add new handles, hinges etc. I got some help from my dear husband to drill some new holes for the handles. I am perfectly capable, but careless and I didn't want to ruin a week's worth of painting!
Buy less tip: Wrap your brush tightly in a small plastic bag and secure it with elastic bands, it will not dry out between coats and you won't need to buy loads of solution to clean it.
