Choosing the Style French Provincial
After choosing our furniture flipping project we focused on the main features and which style could enhance these original characteristics. French Provincial furniture pieces typically have butterfly-shaped legs on them which make the seat more comfortable as well aesthetically pleasing due to the fact that these types of chairs were usually found at grandparents’ homes rather than being bought by young couples just starting out.
As soon as I saw this chair at the charity shop I noticed the butterfly-shaped legs and knew exactly what style I was going to use for this particular upcycle project.
French Provincial Style is a type of interior design that emphasizes the traditional aspects and aesthetics from centuries past. It features heavy furnishings with padded upholstery, patterned curtains or bedspreads in rich colours; intricately carved wood pieces such WoodUbend mouldings and trims!
This look can be seen across many cultures but usually has more intricate designs compared to other styles which might only feature lace patterns instead.
Adding WoodUbend mouldings
Adding WoodUbend mouldings is definitely our favourite part of the furniture flipping process. The heat bendable mouldings add so much character to your furniture makeovers and crafting projects. Our WoodUbend appliques can adhere to almost any surface whether it be wood, concrete, plastic or even glass!
We had to bear in mind our French Provincial theme when choosing the mouldings for this dresser chair.
For this particular project, we started by heating the 2110 and 2118 designs until they are flexible. Then it’s time to apply good quality wood glue to the entire back of the surface and adhere them to the backrest of the chair.
Along the side of the chair, the WoodUbend trim TR718 takes centerstage. When applying a WoodUbend trim or any other WoodUbend applique it is advised to follow the 5 simple steps to successfully adhering your WoodUbend product.
The 5 simple steps to applying a WoodUbend moulding:
- Heat your WoodUbend moulding/trim until the heat bendable applique is flexible. (You can heat the mouldings with a hairdryer, heat gun or even a sausage griddle!)
- Apply good quality wood glue to the entire back of the surface. If you are working with a trim, you can apply the wood glue to the designated substrate. We like to use Titebond Quick and Thick which can be found on the Dixie Belle website by clicking here.
- Apply the moulding to your project, pushing each section until the moulding cools down.
- After pushing the moulding onto the surface you may see some excess glue seeping out from under the moulding. This means that the moulding is adhering well to the surface. You can wipe away the excess glue with a wet paintbrush, a wet wipe of a cotton bud. Alternatively, you can leave Titebond glue to add texture to your project as it dries clear.
- The last and most important step involves bringing back your heating appliance. Re-heat the moulding or trim and give it an extra push. The extra push will ensure the whole moulding is attached to the surface as well as remove any air bubbles in between.
Painting Fabric
The best way to make a fabric chair your own is by painting it. The colour of choice for this project should be one that compliments the natural materials used in its construction and gives an attractive appearance. We decided to choose a colour from Dixie Belle’s Silk all-in-one mineral paint collection. ‘Bay Breeze’ originally caught our eye as we wanted the fabric to be a soft colour that would look good from both sides and angles.
We found that choosing another mutual tone, ‘Endless Shore’ helped the subtle ‘Bay Breeze’ colour stand out a lot more on the fabric.
When painting a fabric chair, we found that using a spritz of water here and there was a great technique for helping the paint glide along the surface. A pointed brush and circular brush strokes can also help the paint get into all the fabric’s finer details.
For more fabric furniture painting content, take a look at another project we created using Dixie Belle Paint on our Youtube channel.
Final Touches
The final touches include a stroke of gold gemstone mousse. This is applied along the edge of the cushion to create a glamorous border. This strongly pigmented, water-based product has a beautiful thick creamy texture and excellent opacity to allow you to highlight and accent your furniture pieces.
If you are more of a visible learner you may want to watch the creation of our French Provincial chair. Click here to be directed to our Youtube video.
WoodUbend Takeover
We hope you enjoyed reading our blog and can take away some tips for your own projects!
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for more furniture flips throughout the week.
We are excited to announce that WoodUbend will be taking over the Chalk Mineral Paint Enthusiasts – A Dixie Belle Paint Group very soon… We’ll see you there!
