A Piece With Family History

This little chest and chair set came with a really lovely story.

The chest had belonged to my client’s husband when he was young, so it already had a lot of family history tucked into it. Rather than putting it away or replacing it with something new, they wanted it redesigned for their daughter’s bedroom, and hopefully for any future little ones too.

The brief was soft, pretty and feminine, but not too babyish.

My client didn’t want a big rainbow painted across it, and she didn’t want any wording or anything too theme-led. The idea was for her daughter to grow with it, so it needed to feel sweet and playful now, but still lovely as she got older.

Pretty, But Not Babyish

My client chose a palette of pastel rainbow shades, but we kept the design much softer than a traditional rainbow.

Instead of bold stripes or a clear rainbow shape, I blended the colours together into a gentle ombre effect. Think soft lilacs, minty greens, yellows, pinks and peachy tones, all washed into each other so the whole piece felt dreamy rather than loud.

It was still colourful, but in a much more subtle way. The kind of colour that feels cheerful without taking over the room.

A Lot of Prep Before the Pretty Bit

This one needed a lot of prep before I could get anywhere near the fun part.

The chest had clearly lived a very full life. It had old woodworm damage, lots of holes, dents, cracks and worn areas. So it needed quite a bit of repair and stabilising work to make sure it was sound enough to be used again.

I filled a lot of the worm damage, repaired cracks with glue and filler, scrubbed back rusty hardware and worked through all the little jobs that older furniture likes to throw at you.

The chair also had a broken hinge, so I called in a local metalworker to help repair and weld it properly. Some jobs are best handed to someone with the right kit and the right skills, and this was definitely one of them.

Edwardian wooden toy chest before being repaired and upcycled by Upcycled & Reloved by Jodi.
A simple wooden chair for a child before being upcycled by Upcycled & Reloved by Jodi.
Upcycled children’s toy chest and chair painted in an ombre effect in soft pastel Fusion Mineral Paint shades.
Close-up of a repaired Edwardian toy chest with pastel hand-painted ombre finish using Fusion Mineral Paint.
Inside of a toy chest painted in soft pink with pastel ombre detail on the lid, upcycled by Upcycled & Reloved by Jodi using Fusion Mineral Paints.
Upcycled children’s toy chest and chair painted in an ombre effect in soft pastel Fusion Mineral Paint shades with a soft toy elephant and pink fluffy pillow atop the chest.
Pastel ombre painted chair with soft pink, yellow, green and blue tones from the Fusion Mineral Paint range.
Upcycled children’s toy chest and chair painted in an ombre effect in soft pastel Fusion Mineral Paint shades.

Keeping the Little Marks of Time

Even with all the repair work, we didn’t want this chest to look brand new.

It had been in the family for years, and that was part of its charm. The aim wasn’t to fill every little dent, square off every edge or make it look factory perfect. It still needed to feel like the same piece, just safer, stronger and ready for its next chapter.

So I repaired what needed repairing, but kept enough of its age and character showing through.

Those little knocks and marks are part of the story. They’re proof it’s already been loved.

Soft Pastel Layers With Fusion Mineral Paint

Once the chest and chair were repaired, cleaned, sanded and primed, I started building up the ombre finish using Fusion Mineral Paint.

Colours included:

Each colour was worked into the next to create that blended, watercolour feel across the chest and chair. The finish needed to look gentle and hand-painted, not too neat or stripy.

That’s one of the things I really loved about this set. It didn’t need to be perfect in a polished, showroom way. It needed to feel soft, personal and full of warmth.

A Birthday-Ready Toy Chest

This commission was finished just in time for the little girl’s first birthday, which made it feel even more special.

Seeing it in place, filled with her birthday toys, was such a lovely full-circle moment. A chest that had once belonged to her dad was now ready to hold her own little treasures.

That’s the magic of upcycling sentimental furniture. It’s not just about changing the colour or making something look prettier. It’s about keeping the story going.

This chest and chair could so easily have been forgotten, stored away or replaced. Instead, they’ve become part of a little girl’s room, part of her childhood, and maybe one day shared with a sibling or two, too.

Commissioned Furniture Upcycling and Refinishing

Have an old piece of furniture looking for a fresh new look? Or an idea and would like my help to source the right piece to bring it to life? Get in touch and let's make it happen!

Contact me

There's more to explore

1 3