Before & After: Wallpaper Transforms a Tired Table

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(Image credit: Claire of PillarBoxBlue)

Claire from Pillar Box Blue generously made over her friend’s worn table in a single afternoon. Adding bright color and vivid patterns to a wood table not only upgraded the piece, it changed the vibe of the entire space.

(Image credit: Claire of PillarBoxBlue)

From Claire: My friend Wendy’s dining room table was in a sorry state. It was a well-used table that had become full of scrapes, scratches and even a dirty big iron burn. The table was in her main living/dining room and a bit of an eyesore.

We decided to upcycle the table so that it was no longer an embarrassment. We wanted to make it a focal point of her living area and for it to complement her mid-century modern decorating style.

The whole table upcycle was done in an afternoon and cost very little. The only cost was the wallpaper paste and the roll of wallpaper. You can often pick up part rolls of designer wallpaper cheaply on eBay.

I love the color and the bright modern poppy print wallpaper. I’m not sure I would do anything differently next time except perhaps choose a wallpaper pattern that’s easier to match up.

(Image credit: Claire of PillarBoxBlue)

It is really easy to transform an old table with wallpaper. Wallpaper is an instant way to add some colour and get a designer look for very little money.

It is also very practical as wallpaper is often wiped clean. You can also varnish it for extra protection. Also when you are fed up with the design it is very easy to remove and wallpaper again with a different pattern.

The only thing you have to think about is how the pattern will look on the table and how you will match it up. We used 3 strips of wallpaper to cover our table carefully matching up the poppy pattern each time.

The wallpapered table has totally transformed Wendy’s living room it has gone from rather dull and boring to bright and colourful. It definitely has a mid-century vibe which fits in nicely with the rest of her decor.

Thank you, Claire! You can see more on Claire’s blog Pillar Box Blue.