DIY: Decoupage Cabinet

Josef Frank decoupage storage cabinet, 1950s. Sold at Christie's London in 2008.

Designer Josef Frank, whose furniture and textiles form the backbone of the Swedish home-furnishings shop Svenkst Tenn, was very fond of decoupage. He especially liked applying paper ornamentation, botanicals and the like, to the carcasses of wood cabinets, transforming their blocky shapes into lyrical artistic explorations. Last fall at Christie's in London, an entrancing Frank decoupage cabinet was auctioned, part of a collection of furnishings being sold from a town house decorated by the great John Stefanidis—and the hammer price was $51,613.

Shocked and intrigued, I wondered what components could be pulled together for a Frank emulation. IKEA, of course, is the perfect resource for inexpensive cabinets, and after some searching I tracked down the Ivar cabinet for $80. (The Cyril computer cabinet, $199, would be an excellent, even more sophisticated choice.) Now what about feet? Adams Wood Products, a firm in Tennessee, has several handsome handmade models, all of them cost-conscious. All you have to do is the find the botanicals you like to set the project in motion.

Basically the steps to be followed are simple. Paint the cabinet with primer and several layers of paint, inside and out, that will complement your chosen botanicals. Ditto the wood feet—you could, of course, stain them or gild them, which might be fantastic. Carefully glue the selected botanicals, in an orderly grid, on to the front, sides, and top of the cabinet. Once they dry, lightly and thoroughly coat the cabinet with several layers of protective matte-finish clear polyurethane or another clear alternative, drying between layers. Then add the feet. Voila!

A 1951 chest by Josef Frank for Svensk Tenn is covered with reproductions of Linneaus botanical prints.

A Flora mahogany-birch-and-brass cabinet by Josef Frank for Svenkst Tenn, 1950s. It is covered with paper illustrations from the 1906 book "Nordens Flora" by C A M Lindman and is being sold tomorrow, 30 April 2009, at Phillips, de Pury in London. It is expected to bring $36,898 to $51,663.

Ivar pine cabinet, 32 inches long by 20 inches deep by 33 inches tall. Made by IKEA, it costs $80.

Cabinet foot A0551-DS4 by Adams Wood Products. It costs $12.75 to $16.60, depending on wood and grade.

Cabinet foot A0536-DS45 by Adams Wood Products. It costs $6.80 to $11.20, depending on wood and grade.

Cabinet foot model A0530-DS45 by Adams Wood Products. It costs $9.35 to $14.40 each, depending on wood and grade.

The Cyril computer cabinet, $199, IKEA.