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Life And Style Through The Eyes Of An Optometrist

What Lizzy Loves
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Built in 1873: Storage Cupboard Makeover

  • 10 May 2023
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  • Elizabeth
large storage cupboard for towels and bedding painted in Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green

Initially, I thought this cupboard makeover would take a weekend to complete. How wrong I was. However, that’s partly because I kept adding more to my brief.
The cupboard is on the landing and is ideal for storing bedding, towels etc. Initially I was simply going to paint the textured wallpaper and give the shelves a coat on varnish. On closer inspection though I noticed that some of the wallpaper was peeling off and three of the four shelves were broken- it needed re-wallpapering and new shelves.

As the project evolved, I realised it was an excellent opportunity to practice my decorating skills in a relatively unseen area. To this end, I decided to add coving. The house has some stunning original plaster coving in the reception rooms but there isn’t any in the bedrooms. Ultimately, when we decorate, I’d like to add coving so I wanted to have a go at mitre-ing. I ound it incredibly difficult and frustrating but I’m glad I persevered. It looks anything but perfect, but I have a much better idea about it now.

There was a small piece of very tired looking vinyl flooring which was covering dark floorboards. I sanded and varnished them which made the floor look infinitely better. It took more hours than I bargained for but I’m delighted with the result.

Cupboard Makeover: Step by Step

Here is the step-by-step process with relevant links at the foot of the post.

1. Take out old shelves. 

landing cupboard makeover

2. Strip wallpaper.I used a steamer and a scraper.
I was sparing with the steam though because I didn’t want to risk damaging the lime plaster below.

Stripping wallpaper with a steamer

3. Remove gloss paint from the wooden batons and the hooks. I used varnish stripper, a scraper and elbow grease followed by sandpaper.
It would have been so much easier to remove the batons, but again, I wanted to minimise the risk of damaging the plaster by taking them off the wall.

varnish remover to remove gloss paint
sanding batons

4. Fill holes. I used a dry-mix plaster which I sanded once it was set.

5. Undercoat then paint the batons and hooks. 

painting batons and hooks in storage cupboard makeover

6. Wallpaper.

alexander wallpaper by Anaglypta

7. Give the wallpaper two coats of paint and give the batons their second coat.

Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green on Anaglypta wallpaper

8. Cut new shelves to fit. I used a circular saw.
Forgive my hands and unkempt nails. They have been ruined by unpacking, cleaning and DIY-ing.

using a circular saw to cut shelves

9. Undercoat the shelves then give two coats of paint.

undercoating shelves

10. Strip and sand the floor. I used varnish stripper and a scraper followed by an electric sander. After that, I used wood dye to stain the boards.

stripping floorboards
sanding mouse to sand floorboards

11. Add coving and give it two coats of gold paint.

polymer coving

gold coving

12. Put the shelves in and paint the front-facing edges gold.

green shelves with gold edging

13. Stand back and admire.

store cupboard upcycle

large storage cupboard for towels and bedding painted in Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green

Materials and Kit

landing cupboard materials and kit

Wallpaper: *Alexander, Anaglypta. Wallpaper Direct.

Undercoat: No Nonsense primer and Undercoat, Screwfix.

Green paint: *Breakfast Room Green, Farrow & Ball.

Gold paint: *Metallic Effect Furniture Paint, Coachella, Good Home, B & Q

Coving: Arthouse High Density Duropolymer Coving. Wickes.

Coving Adhesive: No Nonsense Grab Adhesive, Screwfix.

Shelving: Solid Spruce Shelving, Wickes.

Paint/varnish stripper: No Nonsense Paint and Varnish Stripper, Wickes.

Wood dye: Liberon Palette Wood Dye in antique pine, Wickes

Clear varnish: Interior Varnish, clear matt finish, Wickes.

landing cupboard makeover before and after
large storage cupboard for towels and bedding painted in Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green

Disclosure:

Like many bloggers and content creators, I use affiliate links. I identify these with an asterisk. I identify gifted items within the body of the post. I am a paid ambassador for STEPPER Eyewear and for MAC Eyewear. For links to my current clothes, accessories and homeware, click here. Thank you for reading

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  • Built in 1873
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Elizabeth

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whatlizzyloves

Outfits | Eyewear | Lifestyle
House Renovation: @built_in_1873
📧whatlizzyloves1@gmail.com

Elizabeth
~ Specs by Prue 👓 ~ Yesterday, @benjaminoptici ~ Specs by Prue 👓 ~
Yesterday, @benjaminopticians, we had an open day to celebrate the practice’s 70th birthday. I was delighted to be sharijg the full collection of @specs_by_prue courtesy of @mac_eyewear_uk_ireland. It is a stunning, vibrant collection which is very wearable, very comfortable and beautifully fabricated. I always encourage patients to try something out of their comfort zone and it’s amazing how many will fall in love with a style they wouldn’t have gravitated to. 
I’m wearing model 22012 in colourway 3, tortoiseshell and aqua (with my prescription lenses in). Swipe to see it in detail and in other colourways. 
#teammaceye #specsbyprue #benjaminopticians #skiptonopticians #skipton #optometrist #eyewearblogger #eyewearstyle #whatlizzyloves
~Jumpsuit~ I absolutely love this jumpsuit. A wor ~Jumpsuit~
I absolutely love this jumpsuit. A wore it a few weeks ago for our friends’ Silver Wedding party and I’ll be wearing it again in Sicily next week. I cannot wait for some sunshine and a bit of relaxation with Ian 💚☀️🇮🇹
~Yorkshire Sculpture Park~ Today we met up with I ~Yorkshire Sculpture Park~
Today we met up with Ian’s brother and sister-in-law at @yspsculpture. It was my first visit and I thought it was brilliant with sculptures by @damienhirst, @erwinwurm and more, (swipe through). The lunch was rather nice too (artichoke bruschetta if you’re interested)💚. 
#yorkshiresculpturepark #yorkshireblogger #visityorkshire #damienhirst #whatlizzyloves
~Good Luck Poppy 🍀~ I’ll be thinking about y ~Good Luck Poppy 🍀~
I’ll be thinking about you all day today as you start you grad job in London. So excited for you and proud of you 🩷🩷🩷xxxx 
@p0ppyisabella #whatlizzyloves
~Flowers~ Roses, rosemary and Fatsia Japonica fro ~Flowers~
Roses, rosemary and Fatsia Japonica from the garden @built_in_1873. As Poppy and her boyfriend leave for London, Ian’s son and his girlfriend arrive. I love having the young ones here 💕
#builtin1873 #familylife #loveroses #whatlizzyloves @ian.monty70
~Good Luck Poppy🍀 ~ Last night- dinner and dri ~Good Luck Poppy🍀 ~
Last night- dinner and drinks in Leeds to wish @p0ppyisabella good luck as she heads to London to start her grad job. Also wishing her boyfriend @olivertonkinson all the very best as he embarks on the next step of his legal career tomorrow. We’re so proud of you both and excited for you xxx
@bibis_kitchenleeds #leeds #family #whatlizzyloves
~Inaya Sandals 🤍~ Ad(reason: #gifted shoes). T ~Inaya Sandals 🤍~
Ad(reason: #gifted shoes). The beautiful @lotusshoes1759 Inaya sandals I wore to my cousin’s wedding a few weeks ago. I wore them from midday to midnight and danced for several hours in them- they are supremely comfortable and absolutely beautiful. 
#shoeaddict #lotusshoes #weddingguestoutfit #whatlizzyloves
~Silver Wedding~ The loveliest afternoon yesterda ~Silver Wedding~
The loveliest afternoon yesterday celebrating our wonderful friends’ Silver Wedding anniversary. Congratulations Liz and Paul- thank you for a fabulous afternoon and evening xxx
#friends #friendship #sezanne #meandem #agelessstyle #whatlizzyloves
~Trouser Suit~ We’re now in Lichfield, ahead of ~Trouser Suit~
We’re now in Lichfield, ahead of our friends’ Silver Wedding anniversary celebrations tomorrow. I really enjoyed wearing my trouser suit- a rare departure from wearing a dress 🩷
#meandem #trousersuit #checkedtrousersuit #femininetrousersuit #agelessstyle #whatlizzyloves
~Roses~ Ian and I have just spent a lovely few ho ~Roses~
Ian and I have just spent a lovely few hours @david_austin_roses in Shropshire. So much inspo for our garden @built_in_1873, and I had a rather fabulous rose Battenberg cake after a very nice quiche (swipe through to see) 🌹 
#davidaustinroses #davidaustin #roselover #whatlizzyloves
~Today~ For a dear friend’s 60th birthday 🎂 ~Today~ 
For a dear friend’s 60th birthday 🎂 
#reddress #bodenbyme #over40 #agelessstyle #dresslover #cultgaia #whatlizzyloves
~Wedding Guest~ My cousin got married at the week ~Wedding Guest~
My cousin got married at the weekend and it was the most wonderful day. So lovely to catch up with family 🩵
#weddingguest #weddingguestoutfit #weddingguestdress #dresslover #dressupwithcoast #over40 #agelessstyle #whatlizzyloves
~Trend Watch~ The August/September issue of @opto ~Trend Watch~
The August/September issue of @optometry_today has just landed and it’s got a fab new look. I now have a full page which is rather exciting! 
I featured @eoeeyewear, @etniabarcelona, @theoeyewear @fitzframes @monoqool @wiresglasses. 
#optometrist #optometrytoday #theaop #associationofoptometrists #eyewearblogger #eyewearjournalist #womeninoptometry #whatlizzyloves @benjaminopticians
~Stalking paid off~ I mentioned on my blog that I ~Stalking paid off~
I mentioned on my blog that I was stalking the matching trousers to this fabulous @me_andem jacket. My tenacity paid off and they came back into stock in my size so I duly snapped them up. And..they’re fab. I can’t wait to wear them both as a suit and as separates. 
#meandem #intelligentstyle #timelessstyle #agelessstyle #whatlizzyloves
~Wedding anniversary~ Two years of being Mrs Y-M ~Wedding anniversary~ 
Two years of being Mrs Y-M. 
Thank you Ian for being the most wonderful husband @ian.monty70 ❤️❤️❤️
#weddinganniversary #bestdayever#whatlizzyloves
(Photos: the amazing @jenna_meeking_photography)
~Dinner date~ Ian and I went into Leeds for dinner ~Dinner date~
Ian and I went into Leeds for dinner last night to a fab restaurant (I’ll share photos later because the food was excellent). It’s our wedding anniversary on Monday so this was our celebration. I only got the jacket a few days ago and I absolutely love it. I’m going to wear it again later for a lunch date with Poppy. I’ll put all outfit details on my blog later on if I get the chance 🩷. 
#datenight #notwatchingbarbie #meandem #over40 #slowfashion #whatlizzyloves
~Highlights~ The last time I had highlights was in ~Highlights~
The last time I had highlights was in November. I only have the T-section done, but it makes such a difference. 
Lovely to see you as always @gemma.chichairstudio 💇🏼‍♀️ 
#chichairstudio #skipton #redhead #strawberryblonde #whatlizzyloves
~Rediscovered~ I “rediscovered” this @boden_cl ~Rediscovered~
I “rediscovered” this @boden_clothing citrus-yellow necklace a few weeks ago when I was sorting through my boxes of costume jewellery. It reminds me of my early blogging days when a Breton top with a statement necklace were my school-run staples. Hard to believe that was a decade ago. 
Anyway, I’m glad I found it because I still love it 🍋. 
#nofastfashionhere #statementnecklace #yellownecklace #bodennecklace #bodenbyme #whatlizzyloves
~Ad~paid partnership~ ~Wedding dress-up~ I loved p ~Ad~paid partnership~
~Wedding dress-up~
I loved playing wedding dress-up for @stepper.eyewear. Not every bride wants to wear contact lenses so we chose some beautiful styles that would make the perfect wedding eyewear. Remember that there is a choice of European, Asian and African fits too to suit different facial characteristics for #theperfectfit. All details on the STEPPER Eyewear website and on my blog. Links to both are 👆🏻.
This is model SI-30192👰🏼 
(The stained glass is in our hall @built_in_1873 by the way. This was one of the original features that stole our hearts when we viewed the house). 
#bridaleyewear #weddingeyewear #bridalideas #eyewear #eyewearstyle #eyeweartrends #eyewearblogger #optometrist #steppereyewear #whatlizzyloves #builtin1873
~New bag~ @cultgaia is one of my favourite brands ~New bag~
@cultgaia is one of my favourite brands for unusual bags and shoes- I love the bold details and unusual, often quite sculptural shapes. A treat for sure, but one I’ll enjoy for years 🍋💚
#cultgaia #cultgaiabag #limebag #statementbag #whatlizzyloves
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