Perhaps your home still has some dilapidated furniture that has already lost its appeal. However, made from high-quality wood, by modern standards it is considered an attribute of luxury and good income. Replacing old furniture with modern analogues in this case may not be the best solution. There are various techniques available to everyone on how to update it.
- Replacement of accessories
Choosing new handles for old furniture from the assortment
This simple way to update old furniture requires no further explanation. Just choose more suitable handles for your chest of drawers or bedside tables - and their appearance will change dramatically.
Rack with various furniture fittings
- Decorating with moldings or stucco
We use moldings to decorate furniture
At the moment, there are special catalogs that present a wide range of products of this type that can simply be attached to the surface of the furniture you are restoring.
Types of decor for restored furniture
- Updating surfaces, changing color and texture
Unusual update of a chest of drawers by repainting and replacing fittings
The most effective solution that will help give old furniture a modern sound, making it work in a new way for interior design. This can be done in different ways: using varnish, paint, self-adhesive film, and so on.
Updating an old furniture wall - before and after
The methods listed above for updating old furniture can be used together - then they will allow you to get the most interesting and attractive result.
New life for an old sideboard with film
Painted light wall in the living room before and after transformation
Lacquer miracles of transformation
Restoration of antique wooden furniture
Varnishing can give time-worn wooden products a new youthfulness. It will not only improve their appearance, but also protect them in the future from mechanical damage, temperature changes, and the harmful effects of moisture. The result depends on the selection of varnish, a comparison of the main varieties of which is given below.
| Oily | Acrylic | Nitrocellulose | Polyurethane | |
| Gloss level | glossy | Available in both glossy and matte | Available in both glossy and matte | Available in both glossy and matte |
| drying speed | relatively slow | fast | fast | very fast |
| wear resistance | relatively low | relatively low | high | highest |
| smell | cutting | absent | cutting | cutting |
| price | low | low | average | relatively high |
Having made a choice in favor of one option or another, you should dry and clean the furniture to be restored, sand it and apply varnish in two or three layers. After the composition has dried, the old walls and doors will surprise you with a new fresh appearance and beauty.
Improving the structure of wood furniture using marker, alcohol and wax
With the help of varnishes you can not only update furniture, but also change its color. To do this, you just need to add a coloring pigment to the coating composition - and the final shade of the apartment’s furnishings will change.
Restored lacquered wood desk
Updating with self-adhesive film
Beautiful self-adhesive film for decorating children's furniture
You can simply update your furniture with your own hands using this now widespread decorative and protective material. You just need to accurately measure the length, remove the protective layer from the film, stick it on the surface to be treated and smooth out any unevenness with a dry cloth. And a completely new design of your interior items is ready.
Self-adhesive films for furniture with unusual patterns
This film is found in a wide variety of color variations - there are examples that imitate wood, plain, with drawings and patterns. However, imitation of natural wood coating in this case is a mediocre solution - it usually does not look realistic enough. But plain and ornamented versions of self-adhesive film are now at the peak of popularity.
A kitchen set covered with self-adhesive film with an elegant pattern immediately takes on a sophisticated and unusual look.
Sometimes wallpaper is used for the same purposes. In combination with stucco and moldings, they give a spectacular result.
Pay attention to color
— Black and dark brown are ideal for transforming Soviet furniture from the 70s and 80s.
Such shades will perfectly emphasize the severity of the lines in their decoration and add status. - Light colors, on the contrary, will add romance. If you prefer lightness, simplicity and tenderness in the design of the room, then feel free to choose pink and blue colors.
— Diluted pastel colors will help you be transported to the atmosphere of Provence and feel the spirit of old France.
They are sold in stores, they can also be printed from the Internet and cut out on thick paper. Before applying the design to the furniture, the stencil should be secured with adhesive tape.
If simple coloring is not to your liking, then experiment with stencils or lace. For example, you can make your own forms for future drawings. Place the image on thick paper and cut it out along the contours.
Place the workpiece on the surface and paint thoroughly. The print will leave an imprint.
If you take a lace ribbon, first attach it, for example, to the wall of a cabinet or the head of a bed, and then run a paint roller over it, you will get a very beautiful and delicate decor.
Classic and original coloring
Turn an old shelf into an interesting piece of furniture by painting and decorating the back walls
Undoubtedly, an old chest of drawers, cabinet or stool will noticeably change after painting. The main types of paints used for these purposes are latex, acrylic and oil. All of these options are distinguished by the bright and rich color that results.
An old wooden chest of drawers before and after modifications - painting, adding new fittings and moldings
In the classic version, these paints require serious preparation of the surface to be painted. However, if you mix any of these compounds with warm water; chalk, plaster or construction plaster, you get the so-called chalk paint. It does not require preliminary cleaning and priming - you only need to remove fat from the object being treated.
Painting furniture with chalk paint to give items an unusual look
Restoring an old chair using staining
Speaking about original methods of painting, we should mention milk paint, which gives furniture a vintage look. And, of course, the use of various stencils, which allows you to obtain an interesting design on the restored products. For simple geometric patterns, you don’t even have to cut out a special stencil—you can use masking tape. It is glued to fragments that are not supposed to be painted, and then easily peels off, leaving no traces behind.
Original chair in vintage style after painting and decoration
Stage one: out with the old fittings
Let's start with the simplest, but also the most basic - fastenings. Often creaking doors or doors that do not close completely become the cause of anger and irritability on the part of their owner. That is why, if you decide to remodel, then start small.
Buy new accessories: handles, clips, buttonholes. Now there are many variations of details: from simple and laconic to sophisticated. It all depends on the style that you would like to embody.
In addition, you need to prepare special materials with which you can seal the loose holes. This can be done using putty, a screwdriver, and dowels of different sizes.
Despite the fact that this stage of transforming old furniture into new is initial, you should not pay little attention to it. In some cases he may appear first and last. Often, replacing handles or fasteners on cabinet doors is enough to give it new life and transform it.
At FOREST GROUP you can order carved legs from solid noble wood; such details will transform an old table that has seen a lot in its lifetime, and a grandmother’s chest of drawers that is so dear to the heart.
Alteration using decoupage technique
We update an old chest of drawers using decoupage technique for a new interior
This is another good way to effectively update your furniture. Decoupage is the decoration of objects using images and ornaments from napkins, wallpaper, and fabrics. The image you choose is fixed in the desired place using varnish. The description of the technique sounds simple, but there are certain nuances to it.
How to create a new decorative item from an old stool?
To make it clearer how to apply the above techniques in practice, let's consider their use using the example of an old stool.
- Two-color painting
Renewing old chairs by painting
A simple and fashionable method of transformation is to paint the bottom of the legs of a chair or stool in a contrasting light color. This creates a visual effect of lightness of the structure. Looks very conceptual. The upper unpainted part in this case is usually covered with glossy varnish.
- Colorful stripes
Striped openwork stool, decorated with your own hands
Another new trend, achieved with the help of bright colors and masking tape. Such stripes are applied both to the legs of the stool and to its seat. Just remember that the shades you choose must be supported by other design elements of the room, otherwise the result of your creative work will not be in harmony with it.
- Applying a picture to the seat
Decorating kitchen stools using decoupage technique
The decoupage technique described above is very suitable here. Although a stencil in combination with a contrasting coloring composition can also work.
Stage four: let's start decorating
The final step is usually the creative process. You can choose one of the types of decoration and implement it yourself. Paint it, decoupage it, cover it with craquelure varnish, make applique – it’s up to you.
We talked about several general stages of remodeling old furniture in a new way with your own hands. Now let's look at the main ways and techniques that can turn your usual cabinets and tables into a real decoration for your home and make them the highlight of the interior.
How to make furniture in vintage style?
The list of what you can do with your old wall, chest of drawers or grandpa's desk is limited only by your creativity. However, one interesting option is to create the effect of stylish and expensive antiquity. This is another possible answer to the question - how to update furniture. There are different methods in this direction.
- Artificial patina
Antique wood furniture painted with patina
Using an old cabinet as an example, this method looks like this: you need to sand its walls with sandpaper and apply acrylic paint in a muted shade of pink or blue. After drying, it is necessary to treat the surface with a hard sponge so that the walls look unevenly painted. The final step is to sand the walls again with sandpaper so that the wood becomes visible. In combination with the right handles, your cabinet will take on a truly interesting look.
- Glaze
Artificial aging of furniture to create a certain style in the interior
This technique of artificially aging the material is borrowed from painting. It consists of creating two levels - a translucent upper one and a bright lower one, visible from under the upper one. This is achieved by applying a special varnish.
- Spray
Spraying technique for furniture decoration
Applying randomly scattered droplets onto your piece of furniture allows you to get an interesting decorative object that suggests a long history of its use.
