Transforming unloved secondhand furniture

By Fiona Gavan

I am an avid believer in the beauty of vintage furniture — good quality, well made and well-loved pieces that have stood the test of time and come with a little history; pieces that are a little different and you won’t find in hundreds of other homes. 

With my business Lilyfield Life, I spend my time finding unique pieces of secondhand furniture and, using paint and a little elbow grease, I create beautiful pieces that really speak to you, as well as being very functional items in your home. I absolutely love that paint can update discarded old furniture into treasures that will still be loved in years and years to come.

Here is a little video of the furniture I painted in 2013…

The power of paint never ceases to amaze me. I initially started painting furniture as I was living with a lot of cheap pine pieces that I’d bought in my youth. I have since painted many pieces for my home as well as teaming them with unpainted vintage pieces such as a French oak table that I bought at auction for $105. It’s incredible what you can buy for a reasonable price secondhand.  All the furniture in my dining room below was sourced secondhand at auction or on eBay.

As well as selling my painted furniture, I also write detailed tutorials to instruct and inspire those DIYers who want to improve their painting skills and learn specific techniques. If DIY is not for you, Lilyfield Life can also provide a custom painting service for your furniture.