Before and after furniture update: Boho wallpaper coffee table bench. Just enough wallpaper to create interest without having to paper an entire wall.
Several years ago, Ken and I upcycled a 1970’s kitchen cabinet into a bench. You know, back when they made kitchen cabinets with real wood inside and out. We’ve been using the bench to store all our board games, but other than that, it has remained looking like a kitchen cabinet turned on its side. With legs.
How to upcycle a kitchen cabinet into a bench or coffee table
Until now.
I’ve just given it a makeover with peel-and-stick boho patterned wallpaper (at least that’s what the wallpaper designers call it). And I have to say, this wallpaper coffee table bench is no longer a dead give-away for something that belongs in the kitchen.
Most likely, you do not have an upcycled kitchen cabinet bench lying around. But you may have a less than interesting bench of some kind that you’ve been wondering what to do with. Giving the furniture piece an update with self-adhesive wallpaper might be just the ticket.
Here is a list of the items that you need to add wallpaper to a coffee table or bench.
- Self Adhesive or Peel and Stick Wallpaper (I used this one)
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Utility knife
- A clean 2-1/2″ paintbrush (to help smooth the paper)
- Liquid Sander or degreasing agent
Below I share a few tips on how I updated a coffee table bench with a combination of wallpaper and paint.
For starters, I removed the hinges and old handle.
Next, I gave it a throughout cleaning with a good degreaser. And let it all dry.
After that, I started cutting pieces of peel and stick wallpaper. I cut the pieces larger than needed so I had plenty to work with and could trim off any excess.
To adhere the larger length along the side of the bench, I actually used my scissors and cut the back liner down the center of the shorter side. I pulled the liner back, flipped the paper over, and centered it onto the side of the bench.
From there I worked my way outward, using the paintbrush to smooth the paper down.
I had to do overlay sections in certain areas once I got the larger piece on.
Additionally, I used the utility knife to make slices in the paper, then fold the separately cut sections down to mold to the angles of the bench.
For the last part, I filled in the end caps with one larger piece per side. Once again, I went larger than needed and trimmed off the excess.
The final touches included filling in any missing areas with smaller strips, like around the top and top edges of the bench. Because the paper is patterned, the areas of overlap blend right in.
I painted the benchtop with 2 coats of black outdoor paint (Artminds Outdoor Paint, color Tire Swing) followed by a dry brush of tan paint (Artminds Decor Paint in the color Fresh Earth).
Lastly, I gave it a coat of DecoArt Soft Touch Varnish for a more matte-like appearance.
For the handle, I braided three pieces of black jute rope, then put two double knots 4 inches apart. I thread the ends through the existing handle holes and knotted the jute tightly underneath.
I particularly choose a soft handle so that I could use the wallpapered bench for extra seating if we’re having guests over.
In case you didn’t notice, this is our newly updated sun porch area.
We changed it up so we have extra sleeping space for any guests that spend the night.
Of course, they won’t be able to find any munchies in this upcycled kitchen cabinet- wallpaper coffee table bench. They’ll have to mosey on into the kitchen if they want a snack.
Side note: You may notice that on one side of the bench, I applied the paper in its vertical pattern, which was not hard to do, but a bit more time-consuming, but it’s good to know that it can work both ways depending on the wallpaper pattern.
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