Upcycled wooden kids kitchen

One of my favourite things to do is flip toys! Maybe it’s because my inner child gets to play. This Christmas, I upcycled this kids kitchen as a present for my niece. I got it for free on a second-hand site, and I was delighted with my thrifted find even if it was full of pebble spray paint. 

As you can see from the before pic, it was covered in layers of pebble spray paint. I knew by looking at the kitchen that there was solid wood underneath. So, I knew it would be worth the effort to strip the pebble spray paint. 

^{*This post contains affiliate links}

How I removed pebble effect spray paint from the wood

To remove the pebble spray paint, I used my heat gun. I try to avoid using harsh chemical strippers. However, they would have made the job easier.

As the weather was cold, I decided against using a striper as I would have had to use it outside, and the cooler temp may have taken longer to work. It is also really messy to clean it off. 

If you are looking for a more environmentally friendly paint stripper, Check out this post, where I used the Autentitco Bio Strip to remove chalk paint. 

It took me a few hours to remove the pebble spray paint. I brought my piece outside and gently heated the paint until bubbles appeared. Then I scraped the old pebble pant off. 

Take care when scraping off the old paint as you may scratch the wood underneath. 

Also, when using a heat gun, I always wear a mask to protect my lungs from any toxins from striping the paint. 

Paint stripping is messy work, but it’s worth it when there is good wood underneath. 

Finishing the wood on the Kids kitchen

When I removed the old paint, there was pinewood underneath. The pine had its notorious orange hue. So, using my sander, I sanded the wood. 

I started with medium-grit sandpaper and finished with fine-grit paper. 

I wanted to keep some of the wood exposed as I loved the details in the grain. On the inside, I painted the wood using a light shade. In my stash, I had some leftover Benjamin Moore paint in the shade Pale Oak. (I used it on this project here)

On the painted areas, I applied a coat of primer to stop the knots in the wood from bleeding. Then I applied two coats of Pale Oak. 

Whitewashing the wood to get a bleached effect

To lighten the wood, I watered down the Pale Oak paint. Using an old carton, I mixed 50/50 with water and paint. 

I then used a sponge to wash the paint into the wood and worked it into the grain. 

On a previous furniture makeover, I did try bleaching the wood, but it took many layers and smelt harsh. By doing a wash of paint, you get the same bleached wood effect ( only if previously sanded). 

To seal the wood, I used two layers of clear polyurethane varnish. 

Styling the finished upcycled kids kitchen 

Now, this was the fun part! I bought pretend food from Smyths so that my kitchen was fully stocked. I added an Ikea basket to the bottom, and I replaced the old knobs with wooden ones I bought from woodies. 

I am excited to see my nieces reaction to the upcycled kitchen. Some of you might remember last years dollhouse makeover, and you can catch that here. 

Also, if you want more toy flip inspiration, check out this playlist full of toy makeovers. 

Click here to watch the YouTube video for this upcycle

I hope you got some inspiration from this post. So many toys get thrown away, and one of my guilty pleasures is making them new once again. 

Thanks for reading, Chat soon, Catherine.