Better than bespoke
Upcycle a chest of drawers with vintage maps
A pine chest of drawers is transformed with ‘aged’ paintwork, vintage maps and
classic metal handles
Work out the area you want to cover with maps and source them. For this chest we used four interlinking 1960s OS maps. Remove the handles. Unless you’re using ‘no preparation’ paint (follow the instructions supplied), strip everything to be painted back to bare wood with sandpaper or paint/varnish stripper (follow the directions given on the product) or a combination of both.
Apply the first coat of paint,
taking care not to overload the brush and avoiding blobs and dribbles as much as possible. No masking is necessary, just paint slightly over into the areas you want to cover with maps. Once dry, smooth down any blobs with fine sandpaper and apply a second coat, aiming this time for complete coverage. When this is dry, go over all the paintwork with fine sandpaper until all visible areas are smooth.
and drawer fronts with medium/coarse paper to provide a ‘key’ for the
Sand the chest top
glue. Decide on the area of the map/s you’re going to use. Lay them in position over the top, then drawer fronts, marking the areas with light creases along the area edges, then cut out leaving 20mm excess all round. Mix some PVA glue 50/50 with water. Apply undiluted PVA to the wood (try not to go over the edges) and coat the back of the map with the 50/50 solution. This is easier with an extra pair of hands: align the first short edge and stroke flat with your hand, gently and gradually lower the paper down and smooth flat, pushing any bubbles to the edge (don’t wrap the paper around the edges, leave it hanging over but not touching).
Allow to dry. Any slight imperfections in the surface should tighten when drying out. When it’s totally dry, carefully file off the excess overhanging paper using a fine metal file at a constant 45 degrees round the edges (or use a very sharp art/ Stanley knife to cut off the excess, closely following the area edge). Filing the map edges may catch on the paintwork and scuff it, starting off the ‘ageing’ process – if you don’t like some bits, just retouch with paint and allow to dry.
Next, with fine- and mediumgrade paper, work on the ageing process on the edges. Don’t be scared of this; if you go too far you can just add some more paint and start again. Then move onto other areas, such as corners, that would naturally get wear and knocks.
Spray the map areas with two coats of clear lacquer, following the instructions and masking the edges with newspaper if necessary. Alternatively, you could use a clear matt varnish from DIY stores applied with a brush. Leave to dry.
Apply wax to painted areas with a cloth and remove all residue with a second, clean cloth, buffing to a shine. Attach original or replacement handles.
See more of Jenny and Jonathan’s work at tiltoriginals.co.uk