A mum of two from Brighton has completely transformed her dining room furniture for a bargain price herself.
Victoria Tullett, 42, wanted to help her parents who felt it was time for an updated look, but wasn't prepared to spend hundreds on a new table and chairs.
So the recruitment officer transformed the existing dining table and chairs for under £50 using Frenchic paint.
"My parents had mentioned that they wanted to get a new table and chairs and I just thought 'why not try to transform them instead?’," Victoria told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.
"There was nothing wrong with the actual set, in terms of stability and build, just that the colours didn't work with our new scheme."
Victoria also explained how she managed to pull it all off.
"I started by sugar soaking everything and then very lightly sanded it, as if you were wiping it clean, and then dusted all the dust off," she said.
But the first application left her more than a little concerened.
"I used very thin coats of paint, and although I had nothing to lose, I have to admit after the initial coat it was an 'oh my gosh, what have I done moment’," Victoria said.
"I waited the two hours in between coats and set about on the second coat. By the third and final coat, the magic had taken place and it had been totally transformed."
She also had some advice for people planning to update their own furniture.
"In terms of tips, I would say preparation is key. Take your time, use thin coats and wait the two hours between coats if not longer," Victoria said.
"If the first coat looks dreadful, you are doing it right! I cannot stress enough how much you need to do thin coats only.
"I found the chairs to be a bit tacky afterwards, so used a paintbrush and coated them in talcum powder, which did the trick.
"I have since painted my lounge furniture too, and made a whole seating area in my garden out of pallets and Frenchic paint."
The success of the dining room transformation means, Victoria now has plans for more updates.
"I plan on doing my kitchen next. I have a fair few cupboards, so I need to do it in stages. I am just working out colours before I begin," she said.
"What I love about this paint is how you can take something drab and change it into something you love and on a budget."
"I purchased the paint from my local stockists in Hove, but it can also be purchased online via the Frenchic website.
"For the table and chairs, I used Dazzle Me and Swanky Pants each costing £17.95 each, although I did not use the full tin of each, and a very small amount of Finishing Coat for the tabletop, which cost £12.95.”
"I do suffer from anxiety and depression and lockdown hit me quite hard,” she added.
"I find painting is my happy place. The sense of achievement at the end is worth the hard work, although this was not a difficult project.
"The paint went on so easily, and it was really enjoyable. It was all completed in three days!
"Initially we had looked at lots of different tables of a similar design and they were all coming in in the hundreds of pounds.
"For under £50, we were able to create a modern dining area that matches perfectly with the kitchen and for a fraction of the price."
