WEEKEND COURSE: Modern Design Furniture Upcycling at The Barn Wirral, June 28th & 29th 2025

Come and learn to enjoy a full weekend of restoring and redesigning furniture with me in an inspiring space that is packed full of charm and upcycled creativity!

ABOUT THE COURSE

Over two days, I'll share with you all the essential skills you need, plus my personal tips & tricks built up over the years as a professional furniture upcycler, to stylishly upcycle a piece of furniture to take home at the end and leave feeling confident to fly solo on more projects afterwards.

We'll go right from the very start assessing the pieces and work needed, planning the designs & choosing colours together. 

This workshop style gives you the chance to gain insights from other projects as we go along - invaluable experience if you plan to tackle future projects as no two upcycling projects are ever alike! Plus it creates a lovely supportive environment with everyone discovering things together.

Next you'll get a really good understanding of the core techniques required to prepare and repair furniture ready to re-finish it. 

That includes all the different ways to strip back old finishes in order to restore the wood and which to use when as well as getting it ready to paint, depending on your design. 

You'll get to use all the tried-and-tested products I use myself on the workshop so you will be able to move much more quickly into enjoying the transformation process, with far less heartache, less stress and much less wasted time & money!

You'll also get a full supply list along with an accompanying upcycling guide and useful links in the dedicated Weekend workshop private resource area here on the website.

Having said that, I am keen to encourage you to use what products you have and to not feel you have to buy only certain products - upcycling doesn't have to cost a lot! 

Learning good technique can really help you get the most out of different products and paired with the knowledge of what's what you'll be able to select the 

You'll then discover the best ways to apply them to ensure you get a really smooth and durable finish as you start to work on giving your project its new look.

Finally you can explore different techniques to add elements of design to your project to really add your own style to it.

I can share with you the secrets of great geometric designs created with tape which I feature in my own work. 

Or, if you prefer, you can work with stencils in a variety of styles, learn how to add accents with metallic paint and gilding or how to add design by decoupaging with paper.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

This workshop combines all of the elements of Workshop 1 & Workshop 2 but the processes will be tackled in the order that to best fits for your project over the 2 days.  

• Assessing your piece to understand the condition and work needed
• Planning your design & choosing colour schemes, including colour theory
• Carrying out repairs and alterations
• Preparation techniques (Stripping methods & hand / electric sanding)
• Understanding the different types of paints and primers
• Painting techniques for a super smooth hand painted finish
• Modern style furniture design techniques & application (Such as Tape Design, Stencil work, Metallic accents, Decoupage, Re-upholstery)
• Understanding different finishes and how to apply them well to enhance and protect
• Installing new fittings (E.g. handles, legs)

WORKSHOP LOCATION & TIMES

Full venue address:

The Barn Wirral
6 Pye Road
Heswall
Wirral
CH60 0DB  
Getting there

NB: The workshop room is up a flight of stairs 

Workshop start / finish time:

10.30am-5.30pm 

Please arrive a bit before 10.30am on Day 1 to get settled in, do hellos etc!

INCLUDED IN THE WORKSHOP

• All paint, materials, tools and protective wear (aprons, masks, gloves etc) 
  
  You'll get the opportunity to pre-select a specific paint colour/s for your project if you know what you are planning to do, otherwise you can choose with help if you need it on the workshop itself
  
  
• Refreshments & snacks throughout the day both days  
  
  
• Access to a dedicated private online resource area with a downloadable Upcycling guide to refer back to after the class, handy prep process infographic, detailed supply list and other useful links 
  
  
• Getting all your burning upcycling questions asked as we'll have plenty of chance to chat as we work!

Whether its about restoring vintage or running an furniture upcycling business yourself or help with how to tackle other upcycling projects etc.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED 

You simply need to bring a smallish piece of furniture to work on.  That's it!

It needs to have never been painted by someone before - ideally it will be unpainted and wooden as well if you want to have a go at stripping and restoring wood. 

The best type of project to get the most from the weekend is a bedside cabinet with a door or drawer or both.  This will allow you to enjoy exploring more techniques than anything too large or complicated.

Feel free to bring replacement handles / knobs and any other bits you might like to use to upcycle it. 

If you have your heart set on upcycling something else send me a photo and we can see whether it will work in the timeframe.  Though people do get great results as you can see, its a good idea to do a practice project rather than taking on anything more meaningful first! 

Its the right sort of size if you can lift and carry it unaided. 

Here is what people on past workshops have said: 

"Just completed the upcycling workshop with Nicky at Done up North. It was a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Lots of useful tips and help along the way. Nicky makes the day very enjoyable and meeting other like minded 'upcyclers' from those of us who are novices to those already giving it a go. I would highly recommend her workshops. I especially enjoyed giving the geometric designs a go (with Nicky's help) and I am pleased with my finished result."

"Nicky was brilliant!!!! A mine of information on all aspects, learning different techniques, with masking tape blows your mind with the outcome. It was a real fun experience and the time just whizzed by. It was great to see other people’s vision for their pieces and the results. Book on to a workshop you will not be disappointed. A great big thumbs up 👍 from me 😁"

"Before I started working with Nicky, I was struggling to know where to start with masking tape design and what order you did the different steps. But I’m so glad I joined her workshop as I learnt all the skills I needed. Nicky really helped me get clear on the process, the tools required, how to avoid mistakes and importantly, when mistakes do happen, how to correct them!"  

"I was not feeling confident about my skills and I was worried about making basic mistakes. Now, I feel so much more prepared to take on work and challenges in my journey with upcycling! Nicky provided awesome resources and guidance that I can keep with me forever."

"Nicky's tutorials are so informative. Her work is inspirational. Highly recommended."

"I really loved doing the furniture painting course with Nicky. She’s so patient and kind, very knowledgeable and incredibly generous with her time. I was so pleased with the end result. The course is great value for money in amazing surroundings and I feel empowered to get on with some projects solo now. Highly recommended."

I'm happy to personalise private workshops, talks and demos if you are looking for something specific, please get in touch for a chat.  Email me nicky@doneupnorth.com

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About me:

I'm an award-winning Furniture Upcycler and Designer - and Northerner! - who has featured in interiors magazines like Reclaim and Real Homes, demonstrated at events such as Grand Designs Live, Living North Live, Leeds International Festival of Ideas and exhibited at leading design shows like Clerkenwell Design Week and Decorex. 

I am one of the designers on BBC1's Money for Nothing which showcases amazing upcycling projects creating from items rescued from refuse centres.  

I have been upcycling professionally for almost 8 years having left behind the 9-5 life in search of a more creative life! 

I've been teaching other aspiring furniture upcyclers online and in person for over 5 of those years and I absolutely love getting to be part of your creative adventures and sharing in your enjoyment of what you can achieve - especially those of you who say you are not creative! 

My main goal is to inspire everyone to have a go at repairing, restyling and repurposing and enjoy the many benefits it brings to your home, your life and your well-being - as well as of course being a much more planet and purse friendly option. 

I'm happy to personalise private workshops, talks and demos if you are looking for something specific, please get in touch for a chat.  Email me nicky@doneupnorth.com

You can read more about my own Upcycling journey here - My Story

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Tiered Pricing:

I want to make sure learning how to repair and upcycle is as accessible and safe a space for all to enjoy!  

I won't be asking for details, but ask that you use these options only if you identify as a person of the Global Majority or are on a low income or in receipt of disability benefit. 

Standard Rate: Priced at market value - suited for people with stable income and access to food, housing, and healthcare.

Pay it Forward:  You can choose to pay forward by adding this option onto your order (or multiples of).  This will be added to a set aside 'Pay it Forward' pot specifically to go towards helping others who need help to start their upcycling adventures too.

Supported Rate: This is for people with unstable/reduced/low income that creates some stress about meeting basic needs. Use "Supported" at check out for 15% off. 

Supported+ Rate: This tier is suited for people with unstable or inadequate income that sometimes prevents access to food, housing, and healthcare. Use "SupportedPlus" at check out for 25% off.

Optional PGM & LGBTQIA+ Rate: 

It is not assumed that all people identify as belonging to the Global Majority or LGBTQIA+ require or want financial support to enable or encourage access. 

For those who would like to use this, I hope that in doing so it can help us create  equitable, exciting, safe spaces for repair & upcycling that everyone can enjoy together.

Please use "Equity" at check out for 25% off. 

Please contact me nicky@doneupnorth.com if you are interested in running or accessing information about scheduled upcycling workshops for non-profit organisations and charities. 

Workshop booking Terms & Conditions