The winner of our #PrelovedRestore competition, Pica Pica Home, tells the story as to how they created this amazing upcycling piece!
Image: @PicaPicaHome on Instagram
Story of Pica Pica Home
Upcycling, reuse, rework, revamp, whatever you prefer to call it is something I love to do. It’s addictive. I’m an addict!
I’ve always had a thing for interiors. When I was younger, my friends would be buying smash hits and plastering their walls with posters, and I’d be buying Your Home and hell would freeze over before blue tack went on my walls.
Like most, we had to ‘make do’ and I then discovered tester pots and, with my Mums approval and armed with tester pots, I went forth and began the journey of painting furniture. My parents still have the very first piece I painted in their home 20 years later (a very naff Chinese symbol in gold on my bedside cabinet!).
When I moved south, my kitchen chairs got the Dulux treatment and the sort. But, it became serious when I called into Sara Hughes Home in Marlow. She’d just opened, my partner and I had a house sale going through and about to move to Wales after 15 years in Buckinghamshire. She had the most amazing pieces of furniture and vintage finds.
Image: Sara Hughes Home
We promptly bought some fabulous chairs and were introduced to Autentico Paint which she stocks and uses. Wow. That was it. I was hooked! The paint is incredibly user-friendly and I pretty much painted everything I could. When the house sale fell through, Sara nursed me through with a mixture of tea and paint and for her sins took me under her wing and I became part of the shop.
I was there for 4 years before we took the plunge and headed back to North Wales where Pica Pica Home is based and I spend my happy painty days.
Pica Pica’s #PrelovedRestore Piece
I’m absolutely thrilled that my candy skull piece was chosen as the #PrelovedRestore winner for more reasons than one. When you are choosing a new direction for an item it’s so easy to get lost in grey’s and neutrals as they are slightly easier to sell, perhaps as they are easier to visualise in the home? So sometimes I like to really give a tired old piece some personality and be a little more ‘me’ and that’s exactly what this makeover is.
I spotted this chest of drawers and fell in love with the handles and thought it was a perfect
#PrelovedRestore project. But, by the time it got to the workshop one was missing. I was so gutted but had itchy paint brushes and couldn’t wait to source another one. So, I decided a complete change was in order.
Image: @PicaPicaHome on Instagram
I’m borderline obsessed with Muck & Brass’s amazing work, check her out, you’ll be smitten I promise, so inspired by her pieces bold and fun was the order of the day. I sanded and cleaned before the fun part commenced.
The wallpaper I used on the drawers had been squirreled away and knew it would work perfectly so out that came to play. Then, I finished with Polyvine varnish to protect the paper.
I painted the carcass using Autentico Paint ‘Nearly Black’ which is a favourite. To complete it, I added some gold knobs which brought out the gold in the skull and ta-da! A brand new old piece, from Preloved to Reloved.
Image: @PicaPicaHome on Instagram
Why not have a look on site for some Preloved pieces for your own project? Freeloved is full of goodies in need of some love! Plus, don’t forget to share your upcycles and restorations with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
