Ideas for Refurbishing Old Furniture

Surely, when most people think of decorating or creating a new look for their home, they always think of buying something new. But what if you’re just tired of how your things look but they’re still perfectly fine and functional? Are you really going to ditch that old piece of furniture that can really look more modern by just using paint? You just need to know the simplest and most basic restoration techniques. Here are some basic but incredible ideas:

Paint and/or stain wooden furniture1. Paint and/or stain wooden furniture.

Do you have furniture that is looking worn out, or has bumps, stains, and scratches that cannot be undone?  The most common restoration process for redoing pieces of furniture with this problem is by removing old paint and varnish, and applying new paint and/or stain. A low, wooden piece of furniture like dressers, cabinets, and drawers can get an amazing look by re-staining the top and giving a new color to the body. Larger pieces of furniture can be painted or stained wholly, depending on your taste.

Re upholster2. Re-upholster.

Have an armchair or sofa that looks so old and used? Instead of replacing them, re-upholster them and give them an entirely new look by choosing a different color and design. You can check out DIY re-upholstering ideas online, or take them to an upholstery shop. In this way, you can match your chair with other furniture in the room. Make it look like you bought it from a premier furniture store without paying a premium price.

3. Turn your dresser into a TV console.

Modern media centers may look so good in your house, but they’re a bit expensive.  If you have an old dresser, you can just sand it down and paint it for a more modern look. It will be sturdy enough to support a flat screen TV of any size. Plus, the drawers could serve as storage for gaming systems, gadgets and accessories, satellite boxes, movies, games, and other items. If there are broken or missing drawers, it would be alright – just leave it as space and put those cable box, CD players or gaming consoles in there.

4. Have your rusty, metal furniture coated with Rustoleum.

Think twice before dumping that old and rusty metal patio furniture into the trash. If you can just sand those patio tables and chairs and then give them a fresh coat of Rustoleum, they could look good as new. Do this as well with your grandmother’s old metal cart and turn it into a great little shelf for the bathroom or kitchen.

5. Decoupage your furniture.

Decoupage, or the art of decorating objects using paper cutouts with special paint effects and other decorative elements, gives a whole different look for a piece of furniture. It works best with wooden items; just add a bit of decoupage and you can transform an old, boring dresser into a stunning, Pinterest-worthy piece. You can contact experts in woodwork repair and restoration service providers to ensure you’ll going to bring back the best state of your wooden furniture, antique belongings, or memorabilia.

6. Give them a new “old” look by distressing furniture.

The distressed design makes new paint feel natural to the already old piece of furniture. You can make it look subtle or dramatic, depending on your taste. Simply use matte and chalky types of paint (not those gloss or semi-gloss finishes) to make the distress effect look better. This makes your home feel inviting and is perfect for shabby chic, contemporary, cottage- or coastal-style homes.

7. Restore your wooden furniture by pickling or whitewashing.

Whitewash, pickling, bleaching – all of them are about treating woods appear lighter without hiding their natural grain pattern. If you’re tired of your brown cabinet, give it a vintage, shabby chic or rustic look by whitewashing or pickling. The method to pick depends on the type of wood you’re planning to use. Whitewashing is best for furniture made of pine, while pickling is best on oak.

8. Redo your old dining chairs by painting and cushioning.

Instead of throwing those old dining chairs with fading paint and worn cushion, give them a fresh life so you can also save money on new chairs. Simply strip them of paint and padded seat and paint them. Then, choose a new fabric for the seat and create a simple cushion. This is not a difficult job and could also be a fun project to do with the kids.

9. Make it darker and more dramatic.

They say, black is beautiful, and yes it really is. Black furniture looks modern, simple and elegant, and looks pricier than others. If you can’t afford to replace your old chest of drawers right now, get that effortlessly fancy look by coating it with black enamel paint. Just add a few accents of light colors such as white or yellow, replace the knobs, and you’ll have a brand-new-looking drawer without spending so much.

10. Put a crown molding to make it look elegant.

Your old kitchen cabinet or bookshelf would look French-inspired if you would add a crown molding on top and color them white. Brand new French-style pieces could cost you months of your salary, but by just DIY-ing, you can achieve the same look for your humble abode while saving a lot more and making use of scrap wood from your garage.

11. Repurpose a lamp into a table.

Perhaps you have at least one lamp just sitting around in your home that is collecting dust. If it doesn’t serve you as a lamp anymore, turn it into a side table so it can be functional again. A new side table would be perfect for storing decorations or phones for your living room. It can be a perfect accent to a room in itself, depending on how you would design it.

13. Spray paint your old items.

Change the look of an old vase, jar or a lamp that you don’t use anymore with just a little spray paint. If your vase or lamp has a design on it, you may start first with a coat of primer to conceal it, so you can better paint it the way you want to. Your creation could be perfect for entryways, in the living room, or anywhere you want to show it off.

13. Turn old mirrors into chalkboards.

Revamp the look of your old wall mirrors or dresser mirrors by transforming it into a café chalkboard – perfect for the kitchen as a decorative tool to communicate messages for your family. Most likely, your mirror already has those ugly black spots, so why not turn it all black by using chalkboard paint? Then paint the mirror frame with a color of choice (preferably white or light, pastel colors) to give it a trendy, café-style look.