Mum amazes thousands after transforming an old TV cabinet and coffee table using a $50 item from Bunnings!
- Replies 2
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, then you’ve probably come across hundreds of trends and challenges popping up every now and then on various social media platforms.
There are cleaning hacks, cooking recipes, pranks, and fashion trends – but nothing, in our opinion, is as intriguing as upcycling projects.
We all dream of living in a cosy, beautifully decorated house, but it can seem nearly impossible to achieve with only a limited budget. This is what makes restoration projects so special. It debunks that common misconception and shows that interior design doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg!
A Queensland-based mum recently shared how she managed to ‘save hundreds of dollars’ for a restoration project on a second-hand TV cabinet and coffee table.
56 year old Donna Melrose-Sneddon was scouring for just about anything that would help bring life to her daughter’s new home after she separated from her partner.
Donna said her daughter, who is also expecting, had little to no furniture and so she decided to have a browse on Facebook Marketplace in the hopes that she would find a good bargain.
“All she really had was an outdoor couch and a sofa that her ex’s mother had given her, otherwise she didn’t have anything else.” Donna explained.
Donna managed to nab a $15 coffee table from an op-shop. Image Credit: Bunnings Mums Australia
The thoughtful mum managed to get her hands on two second-hand pieces of furniture: an old TV cabinet priced at $50 and a coffee table from an op-shop for only $15.
Using a $50 tin of white chalk paint from Bunnings, Donna worked her magic and repainted the pair to match.
“I thought why not transform them both to match?” Donna said.
“I wanted to do something that was going to be easy – and so we just sanded back the tops and painted it white.”
She also bought a TV cabinet from Facebook Marketplace for only $50. Image Credit: Bunnings Mums Australia
Donna said that sanding back the top of the TV cabinet took up most of the time, with the mum spending a total of two hours on just that step.
“I then painted it in chalk-white and applied the varnish (which I already had) on top to seal it.”
She split half the 1 litre tin of paint for the two furniture pieces. Donna was pleased to discover the beautiful colour underneath after sanding back both tops.
“It was so easy to do too and my daughter was so excited and happy with the end result.” she said.
“I was also really happy with it – her house is quite dark inside but once the white furniture went in, it really brightened it up.”
Donna took to the well-known Bunnings Mums Facebook page to share her mini-project, where it amassed over 2,100 reactions and hundreds of comments from impressed users.
Fellow DIY enthusiasts even compared her masterpieces to identical, but expensive versions.
“I swear if I hadn’t seen what you wrote, I reckon those items would cost at least $300 for the small table and probably $500 for the wall unit. Well done, Mum… (it’s what we do for our kids).” one user praised.
“That coffee table is gorgeous!” another added.
Others were inspired by Donna to partake in their own upcycling projects too!
“Looks great. That’s exactly what I would like to do to mine. Don’t think it would be any good when finished.” one mum wrote.
While another added: “Doing the same for my daughter just buying her first house.”
Donna said she wasn’t expecting her post to be met with so much positive feedback and to completely blow up online. She said she is particularly happy that her daughter’s house ‘now feels like a home’.
Aren’t mums just super? What could we possibly do without them? Cheers to Donna and to all the wonderful mums (and grandmums) out there!
Have you ever tried upcycling an old furniture piece? We’d love to see some pictures of your project in the comments below…
Can’t get enough of upcycling ideas? We’ve got ten more for you to watch below!
Video Credit: Desert DIY
There are cleaning hacks, cooking recipes, pranks, and fashion trends – but nothing, in our opinion, is as intriguing as upcycling projects.
We all dream of living in a cosy, beautifully decorated house, but it can seem nearly impossible to achieve with only a limited budget. This is what makes restoration projects so special. It debunks that common misconception and shows that interior design doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg!
A Queensland-based mum recently shared how she managed to ‘save hundreds of dollars’ for a restoration project on a second-hand TV cabinet and coffee table.
56 year old Donna Melrose-Sneddon was scouring for just about anything that would help bring life to her daughter’s new home after she separated from her partner.
Donna said her daughter, who is also expecting, had little to no furniture and so she decided to have a browse on Facebook Marketplace in the hopes that she would find a good bargain.
“All she really had was an outdoor couch and a sofa that her ex’s mother had given her, otherwise she didn’t have anything else.” Donna explained.
Donna managed to nab a $15 coffee table from an op-shop. Image Credit: Bunnings Mums Australia
The thoughtful mum managed to get her hands on two second-hand pieces of furniture: an old TV cabinet priced at $50 and a coffee table from an op-shop for only $15.
Using a $50 tin of white chalk paint from Bunnings, Donna worked her magic and repainted the pair to match.
“I thought why not transform them both to match?” Donna said.
“I wanted to do something that was going to be easy – and so we just sanded back the tops and painted it white.”
She also bought a TV cabinet from Facebook Marketplace for only $50. Image Credit: Bunnings Mums Australia
Donna said that sanding back the top of the TV cabinet took up most of the time, with the mum spending a total of two hours on just that step.
“I then painted it in chalk-white and applied the varnish (which I already had) on top to seal it.”
She split half the 1 litre tin of paint for the two furniture pieces. Donna was pleased to discover the beautiful colour underneath after sanding back both tops.
“It was so easy to do too and my daughter was so excited and happy with the end result.” she said.
“I was also really happy with it – her house is quite dark inside but once the white furniture went in, it really brightened it up.”
Donna took to the well-known Bunnings Mums Facebook page to share her mini-project, where it amassed over 2,100 reactions and hundreds of comments from impressed users.
Fellow DIY enthusiasts even compared her masterpieces to identical, but expensive versions.
“I swear if I hadn’t seen what you wrote, I reckon those items would cost at least $300 for the small table and probably $500 for the wall unit. Well done, Mum… (it’s what we do for our kids).” one user praised.
“That coffee table is gorgeous!” another added.
Others were inspired by Donna to partake in their own upcycling projects too!
“Looks great. That’s exactly what I would like to do to mine. Don’t think it would be any good when finished.” one mum wrote.
While another added: “Doing the same for my daughter just buying her first house.”
Donna said she wasn’t expecting her post to be met with so much positive feedback and to completely blow up online. She said she is particularly happy that her daughter’s house ‘now feels like a home’.
Aren’t mums just super? What could we possibly do without them? Cheers to Donna and to all the wonderful mums (and grandmums) out there!
Have you ever tried upcycling an old furniture piece? We’d love to see some pictures of your project in the comments below…
Can’t get enough of upcycling ideas? We’ve got ten more for you to watch below!
Video Credit: Desert DIY
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