Laura (\n@_farley_and_me_\n) is 34 years old and lives with her husband, Elliot, and their little boy, Farley. She works as a senior manager in technology after moving to the UK from Australia in 2015. They live in London in a rented two-bedroom apartment, complete with large open plan living space, sky lights and a private outdoor area.\n \nLaura has kindly offered to share her DIY upcycle of a chest of drawers that she bought for Farley’s nursery…

Before the Makeover\nTheir second bedroom had always been a spare room since they moved it, but they were excited to transform it into a nursery for their new little addition.\n\n“We looked at nursery furniture everywhere and it was all so expensive. Because this isn’t our ‘forever home’, we didn’t want to spend loads of money on creating an extravagant nursery for Farley, but we did want it to be a space that we could all enjoy”.

Planning & inspiration\nLaura had explored lots of different nursery inspiration images via Pinterest and Instagram, but nothing really seemed to jump out at her. She described their home as a ‘mismatch’ of different items and tastes – a representation of two people coming together and sharing their own, individual possessions. With this sentiment in mind, they wanted to create a nursery that also had a mismatched feel to it.\nEstablishing the budget\nAfter they decided not to blow a large budget on the nursery makeover, they researched ways in which they could create an admirable space for less. First stop, Facebook marketplace…\n \n“I was looking for a children’s wardrobe and chest of drawers that could be easily painted. It took about 6 weeks, but I finally stumbled across the perfect set; which also included a child’s bed! And the best part - it was only £50 for the lot! So, we picked it up and stored the bed in the basement for now."\n\nCheck out our\n wardrobe paint\n top tips.

The makeover\nThe first step of the DIY upcycle was to find the perfect colours to paint them in. She only discovered Lick after already painting the wardrobe; however, she knew she wanted the perfect shade of yellow for the chest of drawers and Laura tells us she found that in our shade, Yellow 02.\n\n“I liked the look of this colour on the website, and it fit in with the other colours of Farley’s nursery. I also liked the idea of yellow, because if we want to change it up further down the line, it will be easy to repaint and choose a new colour”.\n\nThe chest of drawers was luckily a plain, un-treated wood with round wooden knobs and a baby change platform on top.

“I also liked the idea of yellow, because if we want to change it up further down the line, it will be easy to repaint and choose a new colour.”

How to upcycle your chest of drawers\nLaura has kindly shared her step-by-step upcycle guide below: \n Firstly, I had to set up a baby friendly, painting area. This was tough, as it had to be inside due to the bad weather at the time.\nI then sanded back the little bumps I could feel over the chest of drawers, then began painting. I switched between use of a roller and paint brush. The roller was handy for getting even strokes on the bigger surface areas, and the brush was great for the edges.\nOnce the first coat had dried, I applied the second coat. I didn’t bother painting inside of the draws as I knew they wouldn’t be seen. \nOnce the paint had dried, I replaced the old wooden knobs with some gold hexagonal ones I found on Amazon. I also added a new changing mat on top, and styled with a little decorative hanging rainbow.\nThis project took Laura around 2.5 hours, in-between running around after 8-month-old, Farley! We just love its funky, new look!

“My favourite part of the transformation was seeing the finished piece of furniture in the nursery, and how well it all tied in with the rest of our styling!”

Laura’s experience with Lick\nThe paint was fantastic to work with. There was no overpowering smell, which was important as it was going in our nursery. The paint dried quickly and it was very easy (for someone like me with no painting experience) to get a nice even finish. It only took two coats to get the desired effect, too.

“The paint was fantastic to work with. There was no overpowering smell, which was important as it was going in our nursery. The paint dried quickly and it was very easy to get a nice finish.”\n

I have already recommended Lick to lots of friends.\nRevealing the budget\nThe transformation cost Laura a grand total of £69. This included the chest of drawers for approximately £15 (a split between the three items she bought off Facebook Marketplace), the hexagonal gold handles for £16 off Amazon and the one tin of our paint for £38.\n

Laura’s DIY advice & tips\nBe patient. If you’re looking for something to fit in with your home, it is out there! You will find it for a great price, you’ve just got to keep looking without taking the plunge for the first item you see\nFollow upcycling accounts on Instagram for some great inspiration. Geneva Vanderzeil is my favourite\nHave fun! Your house doesn’t have to be full of expensive, designer things. Invest in some good pieces and simply ‘fake it till you make it!’\nLooking for more upcycling DIY tips? Discover \nhow to upcycle your bathroom cabinets using Lick leftover paint\n and how to \nupcycle your bedside table\n.

Image courtesy of @_mrsb_bythesea\n\nSarah (\n@the_joys_at_no44\n) is 36 years old and lives with her husband, their two-year-old daughter and their two cats. She works as an office manager for a local architect company in Belfast, where they now live. Originally from South Wales, followed by 10 years living in England, they have now chosen to settle in their newly-renovated Edwardian terrace, which spans across three floors.  \n \nHaving only officially moved in during August 2020, they are slowly adding their stamp to the house, but we are thrilled to dedicate this article to one of Sarah’s first little renovation projects – the bathroom sink cabinet.

Before the makeover\nSarah described the space as clean and functional, but pretty dull. Everything was either white or silver and lacked serious excitement…\n \n“We decided to upcycle the white bathroom sink cabinet, to inject some colour to the overall room. We eventually want to change/ reconfigure the whole bathroom, but have prioritised other areas of the house first. We were simply looking for a quick & easy makeover project, on a seriously low budget!”.\nPlanning & inspiration\nInstagram is Sarah’s favourite ‘go-to’ platform when looking for ideas and inspiration for her own home. She loves browsing all the other home accounts, and seeking advice and suggestions from such a huge and friendly online community.\n \nAdditionally, an admirer of 80s interior décor and colours, she liked the idea of teaming black handles with a pretty pastel colour. Having recently used our muted bubble-gum shade, \nPink 03\n, to \npaint her front door\n – she knew there would be plenty leftover paint to tackle a second project.\n \nAs our \neggshell finish\n is perfect for painting in a bathroom too, this thrifty opportunity lent itself perfectly…

\nHow to upcycle using leftover paint\n Sarah has kindly broken down the up-cycle process for our lovely readers below:\nFirstly, I checked with the Lick Team online that this paint could be used for this project. Their customer service was amazing and we found it really helpful. As we had chosen the new eggshell finish, it’s mid-sheen and \nwipeable paint\n abilities were perfect for the bathroom.
\nAssured that I had the right paint, I gathered all tools needed; leftover paint, \nroller\n and \npaint tray\n, \nsmall brush\n, \nmasking tape\n, screwdriver, and some old sheets. Learn \nhow to use masking tape when decorating\n.
\nAfter a thorough clean, I lay the sheets on the floor and removed the door fronts and drawers using a screwdriver. I then removed the original handles and added masking tape around the cabinet.
\nAs the paint is also self-priming, I didn’t prepare the cabinet first. To be honest, if this was a long-term solution for our bathroom, I possibly would have primed as a precaution anyway, although the finish is great without and we haven’t had any issues so far.
\nI got straight onto painting the first coat, left it to dry while I busied myself elsewhere for half an hour; then returned to it later that day for the second coat.
\nOnce it had completely dried, I removed the masking tape, added the new handles to the drawer/ door fronts then screwed them back onto the cabinet.\n

Sarah’s experience with Lick\n“My husband was the first to come across Lick, as he was keen to use \nenvironmentally friendly paint\n, wherever possible. We were sold on the paint being \nlow VOC\n and water based, as well as available in a \nrange of great colours\n. We initially ordered some samples, as we knew we wanted to use a pale pink in the house but didn’t want to take the plunge without seeing it for ourselves. We loved how the samples came on sticky paper so you could move them around and see it in different lights, without having to paint directly onto walls, doors etc.\n \nThe paint was great, it was easy to apply and a good, thick consistency that goes a long way. This is probably why we had so much leftover and were able to use it for other little projects, such as this bathroom cabinet and my daughter’s fairy door for the garden. We would definitely recommend it; the paint is really durable, easy to apply, and most importantly, wipeable”.

“The paint was great, it was easy to apply and a good, thick consistency that goes a long way. This is probably why we had so much leftover.”

Revealing the budget\nAs Sarah wanted to complete this makeover on an extremely low budget; using leftover paint from a previous project was ideal. She also wanted to swap the handles of the cabinet to a more modern style, but with only 5 required – she knew this would be a budget friendly investment.\n\nSo, having already obtained the paint from a previous project, plus the tools for the job – the only transformation cost incurred was the price of new handles for the cabinet doors and drawers. This came to a total of £12.84 including postage. What a bargain!\n \n“As we saved a lot of money on this project, I am now tempted to change the silver tap to a black one – just so it matches with the handles. However, we are resisting the urge to spend and shall wait until we can save enough money for a completely new bathroom”.\nSarah’s upcycling DIY advice & tips\nMake sure you discuss different ideas, and grab colour samples before you start. It always pays off to be sure of your vision, or you may find that you’ll change your mind very quickly\nExplore the use of colour – it’s amazing how much it boosts your mood whilst being at home\nAvoid painting with a toddler! Our daughter added a huge splodge of paint onto one of the door fronts as I had just finished the first coat, so we had to wait for this to dry before sanding it down and trying again. Oops!\nWe joined a local ‘Tool Library’, which has been great for those one-off jobs where you might only use something once. It also comes in handy for borrowing the bigger kind of tools, which won’t require the expense of purchase or the hassle of trying to find somewhere to store it!\nGumtree and Facebook Marketplace are great for finding some lovely and random bargains. We found some original Edwardian panelled doors, which were a fraction of the price and has really added some character back into the house\n \nFeeling creative? Read more about \nwhat to do with leftover paint\n, including how to \nupcycle your bedside table with this cheeky IKEA malm hack\n.

Giving your home a fresh, new look doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Welcome to the world of upcycling furniture! Got a few tired-looking pieces of furniture around your home that could use a glow-up? We’d recommend giving upcycling a go.\n\nUpcycling furniture is one of the cheapest and most impactful ways you can revive furniture. And no, you don’t need to be a DIY guru to get involved. No idea where to start? Read on for our mini-guide to upcycling with a few easy upcycling furniture ideas. \nBenefits of upcycling furniture\nUpcycling furniture saves you the expense (and hassle) of sourcing brand new pieces. \nIt’s easy - all you need to start is your paint colour of choice and tools. \nIt’s good for the environment - upcycle your furniture so it doesn’t end up in landfill any sooner than it really needs to.\nUpcycling furniture is fun. And you’ll have a ‘new’ unique piece of furniture that no one else has. \nHow to upcycle your furniture with paint \n\nAlthough there are many different ways to upcycle your furniture (staining, stencilling, upholstering, wallpapering, you name it..), refreshing it with a good old-fashioned lick of paint is the easiest way to get started.  Here’s how: \n\nStep 1: Prep \nStart by preparing the furniture item you’re looking to upcycle by giving it a good clean.  Take any knobs or handles off. Sand down the surface to make it smooth and give the paint something to stick to. \n\nStep 2: Prime \nPrime the furniture piece to make your paint last longer, especially if you’re upcycling an oft-used item such as a dining room table. Using a small paint brush or foam roller, apply a thin coat of primer and allow it to dry. \n\nNote: You can skip this step if you’ve got a tin of \nLick paint\n - all our paints are self-priming. For more on how to make a paint job last (and last), check out our article on \nhow to paint all types of surfaces, including how to paint wood furniture\n.\n\nStep 3:  Paint \nWondering \nwhat paint to use on wood\n? You'll be happy to know you can use Lick paint. So, i's time to get stuck in. Apply a thin coat of paint and leave to dry. Once dry, examine the surface and sand down any bumpy sections before applying the second coat.\nUpcycled furniture ideas\nReady to get started? Here are some easy upcycled furniture ideas to get those creative juices flowing:\nUpcycled chest of drawers ideas\nAlice and Ollie from \nPatience & Gough\n used our paints to create a classy and modern ombre effect on an armoire. Ombres are very time-consuming. Achieving a perfect fade around an entire piece sometimes takes many attempts, keep going!\nOther ideas to upcycle your chest of drawers are:\nTurn it into a television stand —it looks unusual (in a good way) and can work well if your chest of drawers is the right height\nPaint your drawers a bold and beautiful colour and transform a boring old chest into a statement piece\nAdd a drop-front work surface to your chest of drawers and use it as a desk\n

“For this elegant French Armoire, we took on our largest ever Ombre project. Using Lick paint [we] created a smooth blend from black to white around the entire piece.”

Upcycled dining table ideas\nNew dining tables can be pricey. Upcycle your existing table to give your dining room new life without a big cost investment.\nGot your heart set on a new dining table? Shorten the legs of your old dining table and give it a \nfresh lick of paint\n to transform it into a whole new piece - an upcycled coffee table.\n

“Use a roller for flat surfaces as they are small and they are simply the best. For the more delicate curves and smaller spaces, use a small artist brush so you can really feel the curve and shape of the piece as you paint.”

Upcycled coffee table ideas\nTurn a wooden coffee table into a stylish living room feature by repainting the surface (read up on \nhow to paint wood surfaces here\n).\nAdd a glass top to the surface for an easy coffee table update. \n\nFeast your eyes on these side tables, in a gorgeous \nsage green wall and furniture paint\n \nGreen 02\n.

Upcycled sideboard ideas\nYour sideboard doesn’t need to just be a space to stash your clutter. Spruce it up by plastering printed wallpaper onto the front panels. \nReplace any drawer knobs with new ones for a super affordable and simple upcycle hack. Add a bit of quirk by using different door knobs for all your drawers.\n

Upcycle your shelves and bookcase\n\nGot a book case or shelves you'd like to give a fresh lick of paint? Check out these amazing transformations and get inspired to try your very own \nbilly bookcase hack\n and \nIKEA malm hack\n.\nUpcycle cabinets\n\nEasiest way to spruce up some old cabinetry to make a room look brand new? Whether you're giving some TLC to your kitchen or bathroom, learn \nhow to upcycle cabinets\n with leftover paint.\nFeeling inspired? Learn more about \nhow to paint furniture here\n and if you fancy giving your garden a spruce up, learn \nhow to paint outdoor metal garden furniture \nusing Lick exterior and masonry paint (ranging from \nyellow masonry paint\n to \ngreen exterior paint\n). Tag us on Instagram \n@lick\n, as we'd love to see your upcycled furniture results! Fancy using wood to give your walls a spruce up?\n\nLearn how to do \nDIY bedroom and hallway wall panelling here\n.


Want to give your space a fresh look without much investment? \nUpcycling your furniture\n is one of the most affordable and effective ways to do just. Not only can it save you the expense of having to get new furniture, you’ll have a refreshed piece that’s totally unique. \nAnd\n it’s great for the environment.\n\nNot a DIY expert? No worries, once you’ve revived one piece, you’ll quickly realise that you don’t need to be a pro to upcycle with impact. \n\nWe’re lucky to have so many creative members who inspire us in our very own Lick community. \n@anotherfknflat\n from our community even gave us a full breakdown of the steps they took to do an IKEA Malm bedside table hack. Learn more about the steps they took to upcycle their bedside table and get inspired by this IKEA malm hack.\nWhat you’ll need to upcycle your bedside table \nFirst, get all your tools ready: \n\nLick paint\n\nIKEA Malm unit or any bedside table\nx4 Stripwood (28mm x 4mm x 2.4m) (you can get this from \nWickes\n) \nWhite multi-surface primer\nSandpaper or \nsanding block\n\nWood glue\nWood dye (optional)\n

IKEA Malm hack: DIY steps \nFollow the DIY steps that \n@anotherfknflat\n took: \nStart with sanding. \nRemove drawers and lightly sand down the surfaces/drawer edges using light sandpaper. \nGet rid of any dust. \nWipe down with a dry cloth to remove any dust from the sandpaper.\nPrepare with primer. \nUsing a white multi-surface primer, paint the whole unit on the sections which will be visible. You can paint the inside as well if you wish, but it’s not necessary. \nWait for the primer to dry. \nCheck primer to see how long the drying process is (we waited 2 hours before applying paint). \nStart getting that colour on. \nUsing your \nLick paint colour\n of choice and a small paint roller, paint your first coat all over the entire unit. \nLet it dry before the second coat. \nWait until dry and then apply another coat of paint. \nMeasure and cut the stripwood. \nStarting with the drawer fronts, measure the width and cut down x2 stripwood into the given length. Keep in mind that the drawer front is a different size to the top of the unit. \nOptional step:\n you can either keep the wood as is or dye the wood to a different tone. If you do choose to dye the wood, dab a cloth with the dye each time, rub it into the wood and leave to dry (we gave them two coats). \nStick the wood panels on. \nUsing wood glue, draw a line across the back of each wood panel and place into position. Hold into place with a bit of force for around 20 seconds to make sure they’re firmly attached. \nRepeat the last 3 steps for the top of the unit. \nAnd et voila, you’ve got your very own upcycled Ikea Malm unit. \nYou can use these same steps for any size unit and any size stripwood. Just keep in mind how much stripwood you may need and make sure the stripwood isn't too big/heavy for the wood glue to hold without using nails.

Not quite ready to end your upcycling journey? Check out our blog posts on \nhow to upcycle your chest of drawers using Lick paint\n and \nhow to upcycle bathroom cabinets with leftover paint\n\n\nFeeling creative? Read our tips of \nwhat to do with leftover paint\n.


Annem is 31 years old and works for PlayStation, but also runs her own cheese business – hence her memorable Instagram username - \n@ahousebuiltoncheese\n.\n \nShe lives in North London with her husband Mike and they own a 1930s semi-detached, which required a lot of love and renovation when they bought it back in 2019. Sadly, in January 2020, a huge water pipe burst meaning they couldn’t move in until all the damage had been repaired. This meant they were only able to officially move in last September, but we are so glad they are finally settled and able to begin enjoying their home renovation journey.\n \nAnnem has chosen to share the recent makeover of their home office, which has become a busy hub of activity as they now both work from home. It was important to create a space that allowed them both to comfortably work alongside one another, as well as create a large storage space for all their books and files.

Before the IKEA Billy bookcase hack\nAnnem described this room as bland, confused and small – telling us that the previous owners had placed big, bulky items in this space and it really didn’t do the room justice. They were ready to give it a brand-new look, and ensure that the design suited their new-found WFH needs.

Planning & inspiration\n“Since buying the house, we knew that we wanted a wall in the office to be made entirely of bookshelves. We scaled Pinterest and found a lot of built-in bookshelves painted the same colour as the walls, and knew we wanted to recreate the look. In terms of colour, our old flat had a rusty red piece of space-themed artwork, so we may have subconsciously fallen for this colour because of that!\n \nWe chose \nRed 01\n, as it’s a gorgeous rusty red with chocolatey notes! I couldn’t think of a better room to get snug and read a book in”.

“We chose Red 01, as it’s a gorgeous rusty red with chocolatey notes! I couldn’t think of a better room to get snug and read a book in.”

"We wanted the office space to be cosy and warm. Many hours are spent in here so we wanted to move away from the look and feel of a corporate office space as much as possible. Natural textures, plants, throws, artwork, family photos, soft lighting etc.”.

How to: IKEA Billy bookcase hack\n\nMake sure the wall you’re putting the bookshelf again has the skirting removed. This is so it’s flush with the wall. If you can do this carefully, you can re-use it later.
\nGive the Ikea furniture a super light sand and a wipe, and then apply two generous coats of Zinsser Bin Shellac Primer, letting it dry between both coats (read our guide on \nhow to prime and paint wooden furniture and other surfaces\n).
\nOnce primed, leave them to dry for a few hours, or even the next day, so you can get painting. Use a roller to get a nice smooth finish. Apply 2 coats of paint, ensuring you let it dry between both coats. You can also use a spray gun to do this part, so if you’ve been thinking about buying one – now might be a good time to invest!
\n‘Curing’ time. Make sure you give avoid assembling for a week to ensure the paint has enough time to fully dry and adhere.
\nAssemble, push against the wall and figure out where you’re putting it.
\nIf you realise you have seriously wonky floors, then on the bottom of each bookshelf, attach kitchen cabinet legs. These can be adjusted/turned to get the height you want. (Full disclosure: Annem and Mike did all the assembly themselves but asked a local joiner to assist them with this so they didn’t get it wrong). Now that they've seen how it’s done, however, they reckon they could do it again themselves! It really depends on your level of DIY skills.
\nUsing a laser guide, adjust the kitchen legs until the height is level all the way across.
\nCut out some MDF to fill the gap on the front base of the bookshelves. If you have gaps either side you can also use MDF to hide it. Apply the MDF using some glue and if you want, nails. At this stage, you should also secure the bookshelves to the wall. Ikea give you the brackets to do this at the back.  You should also drill the bookshelves together so they are flush and neat.
\nOver the MDF, apply the skirting board making sure it’s straight and level. If there is a gap at the bottom, don’t worry – you can caulk it and then paint over so it’s barely noticeable.
\nAnnem and Mike purchased some decorative moulding from Wickes which they cut and placed at the point where the Billy bookshelves meet. This gave it a lovely built-in, custom look!
\nCaulk the moulding and skirting boards, as well as filling any holes from where you drilled in. Once dry, paint the skirting and the moulding, as well as any touch ups if you’ve chipped anywhere!
\nGive it a day to completely dry out, and then start styling your bookshelves!\n

Establishing the IKEA Billy bookcase budget\n“The inspiration images we found for the bookshelves appeared to be custom made and built-in; but after enquiring about costs; many carpenters quoted us no less that £1800-£2000. Woodwork is an art form, so I appreciate trades being paid for their craft but unfortunately when you’re renovating a rundown house from the ground up, you have to compromise and prioritise your budget. Instead, we found and purchased some ‘Billy’ bookshelves from IKEA; which set us back about £300”.\n\nAnnem spent between £500-£600; which included the bookshelves, as well as the necessary tools and products. This kind of project can differ in costs depending on the number of bookcases you go for, teamed with the type of finish you desire.\n\nThis project cost them a quarter of the fee quoted by joiners, and we think they did an incredible job of building their very own dream bookshelves!

Annem’s experience with Lick\n\n“The Lick paint went on beautifully in this room. It was thick, had great coverage and has so far been pretty durable! In terms of choosing the colour, our advice would be to really try to think about how you want to ‘feel’ in a room. Warm, cosy, productive, energised? Everyone’s idea of what these words mean, may differ; so, focus on the environment you want to create and then maybe shortlist 5 colours you feel do that for you. The Lick team have also been super communicative with their customer services, so if you’re really struggling to make sense of your shortlisted colours, you can seek advice.

“In terms of choosing the colour, our advice would be to really try to think about how you want to ‘feel’ in a room. Warm, cosy, productive, energised? Focus on the environment you want to create.”

Seeing \nRed 01\n go on for the first time in this room was my favourite part of the whole project. I’ve never lived in a house with a colour this rich. It was one of the first rooms we painted and I thought I might cry. It was so beautiful!”

Annem’s DIY advice & tips\n \nThere are some tasks during big renovations that you have to call in the experts for. When they’re in your house don’t be afraid to ask them a million questions and get advice, like I do. You never know what you’ll learn, and it’s a good way to gauge whether you can try your hand at it yourself again, in the future\nSpecifically, when transforming furniture, be prepared for how much time it can take between priming, sanding, filling and painting. It’s not a quick job. It requires patience, but it’s super-duper satisfying when you see the final result\nI don’t always love the DIY process, but it can be extremely rewarding when you’ve worked so hard to achieve the look you wanted. I would encourage everyone to give it a go at least once!\nFeeling inspired to do some DIY? Check out this \nIKEA malm hack\n and get upcycling!

How to upcycle furniture

Upcycle your chest of drawers using Lick paint

Upcycle bathroom cabinets with leftover paint

The guide to upcycling furniture

IKEA Malm hack: how to upcycle a Malm bedside table

Get inspired by this IKEA Billy bookcase hack