Radiogram makeover by Christel Bradbury

When I saw this old radiogram on marketplace, it was love at first sight. I just had to have it!

I’ve kept it in my "stash" for a while, waiting on something special to come along for it. Queue the Folk Art I transfer by Aussie Decor Transfers!

The radiogram had doors on the back, having been turned around by a previous owner, and its gorgeous front was hidden! I had the idea to add a door to the arch, so asked my hubby to make sliding cabinet doors and a mirrored back for it.

I had to get my heat gun out and paint stripper as well, to get off all the old paint. Once this was achieved, sanding and repairing took place to provide a smooth surface to begin bringing this beauty back to it's glory days!

As it was an old piece, tannins were most likely to rear their ugly head, so I coated the whole piece twice with DB Boss, which is a great stain blocker with no noxious smell.

Once it was all prepped, the decision of what background colour to go with had to be made. You would think it would be easy, but I had quite the dilemma choosing the background colour!  This transfer goes so well with natural timber, bright colours as well as subtle colours.  I ended up choosing DB Buttermilk Cream as I wanted this ol' girl to be elegant.

Once she was painted and clear coated ready for the transfer, it was then deciding on which images to use out of the pack and how they were to be placed.  While I was "umming and ahhing", my Mum popped in to have a look and together we went over design ideas. Thank goodness for Mums!  The transfers were selected, and I had a solid plan in place to be able to go forward and create.


Once I cut up and placed the transfer images on the piece, it was then time to add a little colour to the moulding to complement the Folk Art I transfer.
I chose to use the Idaho Orange Aussie Mica Dust . This was a no brainer as it’s the perfect match for this transfer!

You don’t need much Aussie Mica Dust mixed with Gloss Clear Coat to give a gorgeous translucent look, which is what I was going for. I used about half a teaspoon of Aussie Mica Dust to 2 teaspoons of Gloss Clear Coat and applied with a brush to the top edge, the middle trim and the bottom skirting. Once they were dry, I went back and added a gold metallic paint to the legs and side trims. If I had had some Brilliant Gold Aussie Mica Dust, I would have used that instead of the gold paint, as the Dust is brighter, easier to apply, and more reflective.

Once that was done, I sealed the transfer in a Satin Clear Coat, and then it was time to sit back and admire the finished result.

Hope you like it as much as I do! I really enjoyed creating this piece!

I would love to see your finished projects using this beautiful transfer set😊

Christel 😊