An interiors blogger has shared how she transformed two second-hand cabinets into ‘retro’ accent pieces for just £15 - using paint and gold handles.

Kelsey Heinrichs, from London, wanted to spruce up her two-bedroom garden flat in southwest London, and was in love with the ‘mid-century retro dinner party’ vibe.

After researching the trend, she came across a company that sells removable glass film, turning any regular glass into a unique design feature on a budget.

To keep costs down, she found some pieces she could upcycle.

“We decided to source some second-hand glass cabinets that we could give a new lease on life," Kelsey told Jam Press.

“We spent an afternoon on Facebook Marketplace and within a few hours, we had already picked up two cabinets for £15 each.”

She managed to pick up a solid wood antique cabinet which was covered in stains and holes, as well as an IKEA ‘leksvik’ cabinet.

Kelsey has lots of DIY knowledge but hadn't used glass film product like this before. Luckily, she was able to do it in five steps.

She said: “I self-taught myself the skills to upcycle, which I learned from watching YouTube tutorials mostly.

“I didn’t even know this type of product existed. There is a world of possibilities when it comes to glass film options that can significantly update an interior theme."

She began by filling in any holes with wood filler and then sanded both the cabinets down.

She said: “Sanding isn’t always necessary when it comes to upcycling furniture.

“We went over the cabinets with 240 grit sandpaper using an orbital sander for large areas and also did the sanding by hand on the delicate areas.

“I specifically sought out a fast-drying primer so that we could get onto painting sooner. We used the Dulux Trade Quick Dry Wood Primer Undercoat.

“Make sure to use painter's tape to avoid getting paint on the glass.”

After painting the cabinets in a green-toned black, she measured the glass panels. For anyone wanting to try it, she recommends ordering a width that is slightly wider than the panel.

As the glass film came with an application kit, which includes a spray bottle, Stanley knife, and squeegee, the process was easy enough to complete.

Finally, she added the finishing touch with two gold hardware handles.

She said: “To elevate the look of these cabinets, I ordered some inexpensive gold handles that gave a striking contrast against the dark paint.

“For the IKEA cabinet, I chose two semicircle handles that mirror each other perfectly at the opening.”

Kelsey is absolutely thrilled with the results of this budget-friendly DIY cabinet upcycle, which only took her two days to complete.

She took to Instagram to share a full tutorial on the project which gained over 38,000 likes.

One commenter said: “This is fabulous!” while another eager follower added, “I have this exact cabinet - cannot wait to get stuck into it."

Another impressed commenter said: “Wow! What a fantastic transformation."

One user wrote: “It looks incredible lovely!”

Someone else added: “Looks so so good!!!! The reeded glass it’s just beautiful!”

Another admirer said: “Love the idea of adding film to the glass. I would never have thought to do that. So clever and really elevates the piece.”