Furniture- Assembling, Painting & Decorating

Using all of the flat pack pieces I have designed on illustrator and had laser cut onto 4mm/3mm MDF, I have began piecing them together using super glue to hold them together.

Drawing of -Wooden Chairs, Frames, Shelves, Cabinets, Clocks, Microwave, Box Television, Benches.

Drawing Of- Single Bed, Cot.

Drawing Of- Cabinets.

Some of the pieces I coated in white emulsion to give some layered aged effects later on.

I painting the furniture using acrylic paint, trying to create a variety of colours, I imagine nothing would really be the same colour due to the age and source of each piece. I let the layer of acrylic dry, and then around any edges or surfaces that would be worn down over time, I used sand paper to sand away the paint to leave the aged/worn down impression on the furniture.

Using my prints outs of book and newspaper covers, I began glueing these onto foam, cardboard and Kapa-Line Foam board to give them a mode 3D look, to give the impression that they are real books. I used a scalpel and Mod Podge glue to create these. I found glueing the paper along a straight edge of the material and then cutting them out was far quicker and easier to make.

I sourced a piece of dowel that was the correct diameter for a 1:12 scale food/ drink can. I cut them to size, varying the height to make them slightly different. Using a metallic silver spray paint I coated the top and sides with a thorough coat. Using labels I had printed out found online, I cut them out and used PVA to glue the labels onto the cans. I tried to keep a variety of different labels to keep everything looking different.

Once I had painted the furniture, anything white like newspaper or the chess board I used watercolours to dirty them down, to make them look old and used, something that had been sat around a while. I also made a selection of family photographs in frames, images again found online. I created the frame/ photographs in a similar way to the books using cardboard and PVA glue. I began placing things into/onto my furniture such as tables, cabinets. All of the books, cans, photographs and newspapers fill up the space really nicely. I also placed a clock face inside the clock for a mantle piece. I created the chess board by printing a board face off online, and glued it down onto a piece of flat cardboard.

I have used the same process of painting for my chairs, trying to keep a variety of styles/ colours to make everything seem not quite together. The first image was undercoated with white paint and over coated with burnt umber, then sand papered once dry. This has created a very worn down, damaged chair look. The second two are coated only with one coat of acrylic, this gives them a dirty look. I have added a piece of Kapa board to use as cushioning for the seat section of the chair, I am going to colour this and dirty it down. In the last image is my medical cabinet, with x-ray scans placed around it. I am going to add dirty grey spots to this cabinet to make it look dusty and much older.

Here I have completed two tables, a display/shelving unit, a chair and a chest of draws. All sanded down and items I have sourced or made added for decoration. I am really happy with how these are looking so far.

Here are some added details I have included, details of the radiation/ war on the newspapers. Some little Easter eggs from other books and films I like also.

Here are some more examples of ways I am portraying the current worlds situation through news papers.

Here I have put together a little shelf made from the off-cuts from the laser cutter.

Overall, I am very pleased with how everything is looking. While I am staying at home my next step is to start painting the tunnels/ brick work.