A woman has gone viral on Instagram after revealing how she transformed her console table on a budget in just three steps.
Jill Oliver, 50, a student support worker from Durham, has been upcycling her existing furniture and cheap finds for years as a way to spruce up her home.
For her latest DIY project, she has upcycled a plain wooden console table, as she wanted to find a piece of furniture which would complete her cosy living room.
“I had a wall in my lounge that looked really bare and [the table] caught my eye from a cost point of view,” Jill told Jam Press.
“I wanted to do the transformation as I didn’t want to spend a fortune on this piece of furniture and it’s something I enjoy doing.
“I ordered this from Amazon, where I noticed that all other consoles which were already painted cost £250 or upwards.”
Jill bought the console table for £64 and a tub of Frenchic Alfresco paint in the shade Dazzle, which cost £19.95.
She luckily had 120 grit sandpaper, as well as a paint brush and sponge roller on hand to complete the process.
She said: “First, I built the table which was easy enough to do with the instructions.
“I gave it a good clean with sugar soap, then a light sand to key the surface.
“I wiped all the dust away, before painting using a brilliant white shade.
“This paint is excellent, as it needs no primer or top coat and is very hard wearing.
“I painted the small, tricky areas with a little brush and used a sponge roller for the bigger, flat surfaces.
“Something you can do is add a little water to the paint for your last coat as it leaves a really nice, line-free finish.
“I painted three coats and allowed two hours drying time in between each.
“I used the console within a few days, but they recommend leaving it for around three weeks to cure properly.”
The DIY project took just one day to complete and the console table now looks unrecognisable from its original state.
Once finished, she decided to share before and after photos on social media and Instagram users loved the simple revamp, with a clip of the process racking up 64,500 views and hundreds of likes.
In the video, Jill shows a picture of the drab wooden table which lacked any class, before revealing the pristine white final piece.
As she pans across the table, decorative items such as grey vases, candles and simple artwork sit atop, tying in the overall homely look.
“This looks amazing, fantastic job,” one viewer commented.
Another person added: “Amazing,” followed by a clapping hand emoji.
“Beautiful,” someone else said.
One person wrote: “Wow, what a difference.”
“Great upcycle,” another viewer added, followed by a heart eye emoji.
Jill has previously upcycled her bedside cabinets, a 27-year-old toybox and her wardrobe doors, as well as her hallway by adding panelling.
She believes that people want to give upcycling a try and save themselves money, but sometimes don’t know where to start.
Her top tip? Just try it, we all have to start somewhere.
She added: “The response from people is always lovely when I post my projects and I have lots of messages from people asking questions about how I’ve done something.
“I reply to them all, as I think it’s really important to help people who want to give this a go.
“Start on a small item from a charity shop or even an old piece of wood.
“I think you just have to bite the bullet and go for it.”
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Console table – Amazon, £64
Paint – Frenchic Alfresco, £19.95
