fiLuxury wallpaper and paint manufacturers Farrow & Ball got in contact with me to see if I wanted to start upcycling a wardrobe with wallpaper from their new wallpaper collection. It just so happened that I actually had a disaster of a wardrobe in one of my rooms, so this was the perfect chance to give it a makeover. The wallpaper I chose was a grey and white paisley pattern at £95 per roll. Can you put wallpaper on wardrobe doors? Read on to see my upcycled wardrobe with wallpaper.
Start by removing what is left of the existing wardrobe’s handles and locks. If you can’t fix a broken lock like this one and the wardrobe doesn’t stay shut on its own, get thinking of an alternative way to close it. I opted for winding some ribbon round two new handles.
Can you put wallpaper on wardrobe doors? Yes! Farrow & Ball sent their own wallpaper paste; but I opted to use PVA glue to apply the paper, which I bought from B&Q for £4.98. I did this as I didn’t want to have to sand the gloss off of the wardrobe surface (I hate sanding and find it akin to nails on a blackboard). I also wanted to be able to apply a layer of PVA over my newly applied Farrow & Ball wallpaper to dust-proof, water-proof and generally just protect my new upcycled wardrobe with wallpaper. Be careful though – using PVA instead of wallpaper paste means you can’t fix mistakes. You can’t move the wallpaper about as much once you’ve applied it, to correct the position or smooth out creases. This left me with some creases!
Upcycling wardrobe with wallpaper tricks
I used the PVA glue neat (straight out of the tin) to apply the paper. This gave it a really strong bond. Papering the wardrobe this way used up three quarters of my 250ml can of glue. I then diluted the remaining quarter (four parts glue, 1 part water). This was to use as a shiny protectant wash over the wallpaper. I just used a regular large paint brush to do all of this.
Finally, once it had all dried, I used a little bit of neat PVA glue that was left in the tin’s lid to stick on two handles that I had also bought at B&Q for £1.98 each. I then got some ribbon from my stationery box to wrap round the handles. To create an upcycled wardrobe with wallpaper, you need the correct tools and glue. Then you need more patience than I did to apply the wallpaper without the creases that I got.
Choose a wallpaper that’s of a thick, high-quality like Farrow & Ball. This will ensure your creation lasts longer. Or you could use printed photos from somewhere like Wallpics Photo.
I’m really happy with how it turned out, despite the creases. I was able to breathe a new lease of life into what was once an eye-sore. I hope you took some inspiration from this upcycling a wardrobe with wallpaper post.
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