Creative and DIY activities are great for putting a personal stamp on your home interiors, plus it's a mindful activity that will get your creative sparks flying! So to celebrate the launch of our new paint collection, we asked the wonderfully creative Wall Mural Artist, Lucy Tiffney, to hand paint our Moroccan Side Tables to inspire you too!
So keep on reading to learn how to upcycle your furniture at home with our DIY painted furniture ideas.
BEFORE: DIY Hand Painted Tables
Once you've chosen your furniture to paint the first thing to do is to prep the furniture. Make sure your furniture is lightly sanded and washed down before you paint. We'd also recommend that you ensure that they are dry, clean and free of dust before painting. In terms of paint choice, an eggshell emulsion is preferable rather than a gloss - we have eggshell emulsion paint in every colour in the RSG Paint Collection (click here to shop). It's advisable to use a dead flat varnish over the paint to make your painted furniture last over the years.
To paint the tables, Lucy Tiffney requested the following pieces from Rockett St George:
- 3 x Moroccan Side Tables (now in the RSG Sale and available to shop here).
The paint Lucy Tiffney chose was:
- Rockett St George Eggshell Paint - Portobello (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Eggshell Paint - Emanuella (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Eggshell Paint - French Ochre (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Exclusive Paint Collection - Bohemia (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Exclusive Paint Collection - Dalloway (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Exclusive Paint Collection - Pimpernel (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Exclusive Paint Collection - Gladstone Grey (available to shop here).
- Rockett St George Exclusive Paint Collection - Azurite (available to shop here).
THE PROCESS: DIY Hand Painted Tables
Step 1:
Choosing your favourite base colours (Lucy Tiffney chose our French Ochre, Portobello and Emanuella paint), paint the entire table. Just be sure to protect your floor and nearby surfaces with an old sheet that you don't mind getting paint on.
Step 2:
Paint a second layer of your paint colour if necessary and then allow to fully dry for a day or two before attempting step 3.
Step 3:
Once your tables are completely dry, it's time to get creative! Choosing your selected pattern paint your side tables with a thin tip brush, allowing each paint layer to dry before painting over it. Ideas for your table include star constellation patterns, swirls, typography, polka dots, tropical rainforest ... there's no end to what you can create.
For her tables, Lucy Tiffney was inspired by the Moroccan theme and created freehand Moroccan palm tree, leaf and dotted patterns on her three tables.
RSG Top Tip: If you're not confident on painting your tables by freehand, then stencils are the perfect solution! You can source most stencils from your local craft shops or you can download them online. We have created a Pinterest Board that you can view here for inspiration.
AFTER: DIY Hand Painted Tables
In Lucy Tiffney's Words...
"I loved trying out the new RSG paint collection. I like the fact that there are a broad range of colours, both warm, bright and neutral to choose from that will fit into any interior style. The Moroccan side tables are a really lovely, rustic shape as well as really practical and functional. I chose three because I like the fact that they can be grouped together or moved around singularly when needed. The paint is a really great thickness and consistency and it goes on really easily, it's like painting with double cream. The coverage is excellent. I did 2 coats as a base layer, but could probably have got away with one!I also enjoyed painting freehand patterns on to them. I was inspired by the Moroccan theme and the warm colour tones I selected. My fave all-purpose colour is ‘Portobello! Overall I would give them a 10 out of 10, in terms of coverage, consistency and colour choice/ palette selection….I will definitely use them again!”
Unpainted Furniture For Creatives
Curated to perfectly pair with the Rockett St George Paint Collection, the Merci Chair, Traditional Side Table and Traditional Dinner Table have purposely been left bare so that you can get creative and paint your furniture with your favourite shades and tones. A lovely way of adding unique and personal pieces in your home that tells a story!
“Our super creative customers love DIY projects and activities. It was important to us, to offer you furniture pieces that you can paint and design yourself and so this year we have left our Moroccan side tables and Merci Chair so that you can personalise them with your favourite choice of our gorgeous paint colours”.
- Lucy St George, Co-founder of Rockett St George -