Fancy TV Makeover

I’m trying to upgrade my hat-making studio on a budget, and that means updating some existing items instead of replacing them. This includes the television. I have one of those huge heavy monsters of a TV, but it still works fine and I have the space for it, so I would feel guilty about dumping it for a new one. I decided a while ago that I would try to paint it, because why not? Paint makes everything look better.

I was considering gold stripes, or maybe a star design to go with the curtains, when Iron Orchid Designs announced their Runway Replay contest. Use IOD products to create something based on a dress from the fashion runway. If we weren’t in quarantine, I would have headed to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to find a piece of furniture to upcyle. But I’m stuck with what I’ve got. And that is a TV. So I googled until I found a dress I liked. It’s by Dolce and Gabbana, and it’s black, red, and gold; the right colors to work with my décor. I propped the TV up on my tri-dollies, which make it so easy to paint heavy pieces without feet. I started by priming it with Dixie Belle’s Slick Stick. *All products used will be listed at the end of the post.

I knew I wanted something fancy around the screen like the gold on the dress, so I used IOD Air Dry Clay and the IOD Classic Elements mould to add some pizzaz to the front.

Next, I painted the whole thing black, using a homemade chalk paint. I used a flat black paint for the ceiling of my bedroom and I had some left over. It’s called Black Magic from Sherwin Williams and I just added some calcium carbonate powder (2 Tbsp per 8 oz) and stirred it up. The back of the TV was already black, but I wanted the other paints to stick to it, so I primed and painted it too.

Next came my favorite part. I love the Painterly Roses Décor Stamps from IOD. They are so fun it use. There are so many ways to combine the individual stamps, and the color possibilities are endless. I had lots of Behr, PPG, and Glidden paint samples in various shades of red and green, so I matched them to the dress as closely as possible. I ended up using Behr Flirt Alert, PPG Burning Bush, Behr Morocco Red, PPG Ruby Lips, Glidden Pine Trail, and Behr Perennial Green.

Next I used the tiniest paint brush I own to add Royal Stencil Crème in Antique Gold to the mouldings on the front. I love this stuff because it reflects the light so beautifully and isn’t flat like lots of metallic paints.

The gold didn’t need a sealant, but I used Country Chic’s Clear Coat on the rest of it.

Now I have a totally unique television the will brighten up my studio and make me smile whenever I see it.

I’ve already watched Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice about a hundred times each on that TV (probably not much of an exaggeration, something is always on in the background when I’m working). I’m hoping it lasts for another hundred viewings in its new improved state.

Check out #IOD Runway Replay on Instagram to see all the amazing things that people have created based on dresses. There are some real beauties and I can’t decide which is my favorite.

Cheers,

Fiona