Transform the inside of a cupboard

The only way to revamp a cupboard is to paint, stain or cover it in wallpaper, right? Here’s another idea: fabric — on the inside. We turned a narrow-shelved cupboard into a funky wardrobe with a little fabric, a staple gun and a glue gun. Here’s how.

1. Remove enough shelves to make room at the top for clothes to hang.

2. Measure the inside of the cupboard’s back and side walls and cut fabric to size. Measure the inside of the door if you want to cover that, too.

3. Paint the cupboard and shelves in a white low-sheen acrylic paint.

4. Once dry, staple the fabric to the inside back and side walls. Lay the cupboard down to do this. We used a striped fabric for the back and door, and a khaki for the sides.

5. Hide any untidy edges by glue-gunning a coordinated ribbon along the edges.

6. Measure the interior, side wall to side wall, and a cut a curtain rod to size using a saw.

7. Attach towel-rail end-sockets to either side of the cupboard wall with the screws and hang the curtain rod in between.

Freestyle-paint a pattern on your dresser

We loved this old-fashioned kitchen dresser, but felt it could be modernised a little. We freshened it up with white paint, then painted a leaf pattern along one side — the design of the plate on the middle shelf inspired us — and even camouflaged one of the drawer knobs by painting it to look like a brown “berry”. The trick: don’t make your pattern too over the top. Too much detail is harder to paint and not as effective. Paint with a steady hand, and make sure the tones are harmonious with the rest of the room. We kept furniture neutral and used the pattern’s colours of green and brown to accessorise the room, which subtly enhanced the look of the painting. But if you’re adding pattern to an already decorated room, choose the paint colours carefully — best to pick out the room’s most obvious colour and work around it.

For more great ideas and practical solutions for your home see http://www.reallivingmag.com.au/