How to update a Soviet wardrobe: 14 ways to give new life to a wardrobe

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration. Let's talk about how to do this at home, without financial or physical costs.

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration.

Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself. Many houses have old furniture, creating a nice and comfortable nest for families. This is why people came up with the idea of ​​restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.

Restoring furniture with your own hands is not only exciting.

Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home. If for some reason you don’t have tools at home to work with old furniture, you can easily purchase them at the store.

The decor of the cabinet can be fixed with patterns or pasted over with various fragments from old albums and books.

When starting work, inspect the location of your furniture, what colors and tones should be chosen.

Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself.

The main advantage of restoration at home is that the bulky cabinet does not have to be taken outside its abode. The second plus is that you watch the whole process yourself and it’s easy to make any changes. About the third, as mentioned above, all tools are easily accessible.

Each master puts a piece of his soul into his products - this is not a metaphor.

When restoring a cabinet without the help of specialists, you estimate the cost of the work, which also has a positive effect on your budget.

This is why people came up with the idea of ​​restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.

In general, only creative people can cope with such work, since they need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more. But if you approach your work more responsibly, then, perhaps, even without much talent, you can transform your old wardrobe, which has remained necessary for many years.

Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home.

Before you start working

First of all, you need an idea. First of all, you need to check what condition the furniture is in, and whether it makes sense to take on it at all. You should soberly assess how easy (or difficult) it will be to bring it into proper shape, at least from the point of view of basic functionality, since restoring an old cabinet does not mean simply repainting it.

Any antique cabinet requires a little restoration, which will significantly improve its appearance.

At this stage it should already be clear what tools will be required. For example, it is better to varnish antique furniture made of solid wood, while more modern furniture made of chipboard can be either painted or covered with film or wallpaper. In any case, you need to prepare sandpaper, a set of screwdrivers, a spatula, brushes or roller, primer and putty for chips.

The restored surface can be painted or decorated at your discretion.

Important! It is highly desirable to maintain a reasonable compromise between flights of fancy and practicality. Especially if the updated furniture is intended to be used for its intended purpose.

Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself.

Painting polished furniture

The easiest way to remodel an old polished cabinet is to paint without sanding. For this you will need:

• Otex adhesive primer on an alkyd basis (or another similar composition for problematic and previously painted substrates);
• alkyd paint;
• varnish;
• White Spirit;
• brushes or foam roller;
• covering film;
• rag.

Work order:

1. Cover the area around the furniture with covering film.
2. Wipe down the cabinet, remove handles and remove drawers.
3. Degrease the surface with white spirit.
4. Apply primer evenly. Let the product dry. Apply a second coat of primer to the furniture.
5. Apply paint. For uniform coverage, painting is done in 2 layers, allowing each layer to dry completely.
6. Varnish the furniture.

Alkyd-based products have a strong, unpleasant odor. Therefore, during restoration work the room should be well ventilated.

Do-it-yourself restoration of an old cabinet: preparation

The preparatory stage involves the use of various tools, paints, putty, all kinds of chemicals (sometimes quite aggressive), as well as everything that turns an ordinary room into a workshop. Therefore, you need to worry in advance that there is enough space so that noise during work does not bother anyone, and that the work itself is convenient to carry out.

Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home.

In general, the order of operations may look like this:

1. Inspect surfaces for damage. It is necessary to determine the condition of the wood and indicate places of chips, impact marks and other damage.
2. Analysis of the suitability of preserved fittings. If necessary, evaluate the possibility of replacing it with the same or similar one.
3. Disassembling the cabinet into components. It is advisable to do this as completely as possible (including the frame), since it will not be possible to restore an old cabinet at home if the fastenings turn out to be broken and the insides are rotten.
4. Removing old coating. It is better to treat large areas with a grinder, and hard-to-reach areas with sandpaper or apply a special paint remover.
5. Alignment. Irregularities, chips and dents must be removed with putty, and deep cracks must be repaired with wax. After drying, the treated surfaces must be cleaned again.
6. Primer. Before proceeding directly to restoration, it is necessary to apply a layer of primer.
7. Consolidation. After the surface has been given the proper appearance, in most cases varnishing is applied - this protects the decor from damage and gives the furniture an attractive appearance. The varnish must be applied in several passes.

Each master puts a piece of his soul into his products - this is not a metaphor.

Decoupage

Modern art stores will surprise any novice craftsman or amateur with an abundance of assortment of napkins and paper for decoupage. Napkins have a small format and are often used to decorate small items. In the case of a cabinet, they can be considered as elements for the design of drawers or mezzanines. Decoupage paper is available in large sizes, so it will be optimal for this type of work.

Before restoring the cabinet, select a theme for the product. These can be floral motifs, historical ornaments, images of people, heroes, or just vintage pictures. Decoupage consists of several stages:

• The surface prepared for repair is sanded and primed in several layers. After this, light acrylic paint is applied to create a background;
• at this stage, paper materials are applied to the surface of the cabinet, mentally coming up with the plot and location of each detail;
• Transferring a picture to a surface is considered one of the most difficult tasks. You can use the "file method" to do this. Prepare a regular office file, remove the top 2 layers from the napkin and place it face down on the file. Next, take a spray bottle of water and gradually wet the entire napkin. As soon as it gets wet, gently use your fingers to try to push out all the bubbles. If this is not done, wrinkles will be visible on the product. As soon as the napkin has become even and smooth, we apply it along with the file to the surface of the cabinet. Carefully delete the file and move on to the next step;
• using a thin synthetic brush and special glue, treat the surface of a napkin or paper in 1 layer;
• As soon as the napkin sticks and dries, you need to treat the surface with acrylic varnish. The photo shows options for decoupage of old cabinets.

Restored furniture gives the room a fresh look - it looks original, non-standard. Such products will delight all guests, positioning the owner as a budding master of decor.

Elements that do not require restoration are covered with masking tape

Painting furniture elements

Glue the napkin

Applying clear varnish

Ways to restore old cabinets at home

Today there is no universal recipe that determines how this should be done. Nevertheless, we can identify several of the most common options that will be useful when searching for the optimal restoration method.

When restoring a cabinet without the help of specialists, you estimate the cost of the work, which also has a positive effect on your budget.

Restoration by painting

It makes sense to paint those surfaces that have either been painted previously, or are required by the design idea. However, it is not necessary to make everything monochromatic. It is advisable to use acrylic paint, as it is quite easy to work with and is easy to wash off in case of a mistake. At the same time, it is better to varnish furniture made of natural wood. There is no point in hiding its structure, given that such furniture will fit perfectly into a vintage-style interior.

A cabinet that has gone out of fashion, but is still quite strong and will last for many years, can simply be repainted.

Wallpaper as a method of restoration

Sometimes it is extremely difficult to decide how to restore an old cabinet, especially when you want to do everything beautifully and not disturb the existing style. In this case, the decorating technique using wallpaper is suitable.

If updating furniture is one of the stages of a recent renovation, do not rush to throw away the remaining meters of wallpaper.

Thanks to a huge selection of patterns, textures and colors, you can find the right solution. Moreover, applying wallpaper to the wooden parts of the cabinet is no more difficult than pasting the walls. After drying, the finished surfaces must be varnished. This option is an excellent solution for interiors in a classic style.

For better preservation of the finished product, it is coated with a protective varnish.

Application of decoupage

Using such a technique can give excellent results, but only if you have a clear understanding of what to do and where, since a cabinet decorated with newspaper scraps or old napkins is not suitable for all interiors.

You can decorate your closet with a pattern so that it blends firmly with its surface using good old decoupage.

The execution itself is not difficult - a slightly moistened newspaper is glued to the prepared surface and, after drying, it is varnished several times. Usually this solution is well suited for country style.

Despite the “childish” simplicity, the finished product can look professional and even luxurious - depending on the accuracy of the work done.

Using fabric for renewal

Surprisingly, you can update old furniture with fabric. Of course, elaborate forms will not lend themselves to such finishing, but in most cases this is not required.

A separate option is the use of lace, which will fit perfectly into the classics or complement the space of a sophisticated nature.

As a rule, such methods of restoring old cabinets at home are used to give the desired accent, attract attention or complement. It goes well with a Provence-style interior, especially if you manage to incorporate lace or otherwise add a touch of sophistication.

To decorate an old cabinet, you can also use fabric, and even scraps are suitable - to create a unique craft look.

Craquelure, as one of the options

Here a simultaneous combination of two techniques is used: varnishing and decoupage. There are special varnishes that allow you to achieve the effect of antiquity.

It is better to decorate individual elements of furniture or part of the surface with craquelures.

The first layer of craquelure varnish is applied to the prepared and painted surface. Then, after it dries a little, paint is applied, which will imitate cracks. Fastening is done using acrylic. This technique allows you to achieve the effect of antiquity, and an old cabinet restored with your own hands will ideally suit a romantic or vintage interior.

Craquelure gives products the appearance of an old surface cracked by time.

Last chance: toning and photo printing

An interesting approach to restoration, as a result of which furniture can transform most modern interiors. True, cabinets with large areas of flat surfaces are suitable for this method; three-section ones are best.

A sliding wardrobe or just an old wardrobe can be greatly updated with photographs or photo wallpaper.

Restoration occurs by covering open areas with self-adhesive film, plain or with a printed image. Today, you can print any design on such film, even your own, which will only add zest to the design of the room.

Choose a wide variety of themes - nature, beautiful cities, animals and much more.

Using craquelure

The technique of coating wooden products with a special varnish consisting of 2 components will transform an out-of-fashion cabinet. With its help, it is possible to create an old wardrobe that grandmothers used. To complete the work you will need PVA glue, craquelure, acrylic paint and varnish, and a wide brush.

The technique also does not require specialized talent; all manipulations are similar to conventional coloring. The algorithm of actions looks like this:

• preparation - the old product is sanded, if necessary, putty is used to seal large holes. The final stage of preparation will be a primer in several layers;
• coloring - for work you will need compositions of 2 colors: dark and light. They do not have to be in harmony - the dark version is used to decorate cracks, and the light version is used for the main coloring. Using a brush, apply a dark color, evenly distributing it over the surface of the product;
• craquelure - once the paint layer has dried, you can apply craquelure. This must be done quickly and preferably in several layers - the thicker the varnish, the more visible the cracks will be. Dry the product until your fingers stick slightly;
• second color - the master class on craquelure at this stage suggests applying a light color and waiting for it to dry gradually. As soon as the coating dries, a characteristic mesh will become visible;
• applying varnish - a completely dry restored cabinet is coated with acrylic varnish to consolidate the effect.

When choosing craquelure, it is worth considering that if there is an image on the cabinet, you should not touch it. For this, a two-phase composition is used, the work with which is characterized by application in 2 stages.

This technique is suitable for restoring cabinet facades, but similar manipulations can be performed inside the product. This beautiful antique wardrobe will appeal to all lovers of vintage interiors.

How to update an old cabinet: some useful ideas

Of course, the recovery process is not limited only to the methods described. You can always do what is appropriate in each specific case.

To choose the right decoration method, it is important to take into account the material and degree of wear of the old cabinet.

Moreover, the field of experiments is constantly expanding, so today you can come across quite interesting and unusual ideas:

• Using mirrors or mirror film.
• Using mosaics to highlight individual surfaces.
• Application of gilding to give furniture a touch of nobility and luxury.
• Adding third-party elements: rivets, metal overlays or glass jewelry.
• Screening – relief (volumetric) decoration.

Additional Information! When stenciling, protruding elements can be painted or highlighted with gold. It will look interesting and unusual.

Of course, restoration is not an easy process, which requires both imagination and the ability to work with your hands. However, by breathing new life into an old item, you can simultaneously update your own. For example, qualitatively changing the interior or acquiring new skills, and numerous ways to restore old cabinets at home will allow you not only to revive an old thing, but also to preserve a piece of history for the future. Even if it's so small.

Don’t doubt your efforts, feel free to get to work and you will definitely be satisfied with the result!

New fittings

An important stage in the reconstruction of old furniture is the replacement of fittings. First of all, you should pay attention to the condition of the hinges. They need to be replaced if they are rusty or damaged. The location of the hinges is changed if pieces of material are torn out at the places where they are attached. The resulting holes are sealed using putty or sawdust mixed with PVA glue.

It is also necessary to check the condition of the guides in the cabinets. If necessary, they can be replaced with higher quality fittings. The extension system can be roller or ball. The second type of guides is considered more reliable. They ensure silent drawer opening.

The last stage is replacing the handles. They should be chosen taking into account the design of the furniture. Handles can be completely metal or combined - with ceramic or glass elements. For antique furniture, bronze fittings are suitable.

Cover with fabric

This method gives a smoother, more textured look than wallpaper. It is better to cover large elements such as wardrobe doors with fabric, fasten them with a furniture stapler or with glue. It is interesting to choose leatherette as a fabric for a luxurious look.

Fabrics made from pieces using the patchwork technique will make your closet more comfortable and will help you fit it into a child’s room or into styles such as Provence and country. The style can be embodied with wallpaper or film if you cover the panels of the drawers with materials with different patterns.

Updating using mirrors

One of the most extravagant options for updating furniture is the use of mirrors. Mirrors can not only hide all the defects of the cabinet and make it special, but also expand the space of a small room, making it very bright.

To transform furniture using this method, you will need the following:

• mirror cloths;
• liquid nails or special fasteners.

First, you need to measure the surface of the furniture you want to refinish. Next, you need to contact a specialized workshop where they will make you mirrors of the required size. After this, you need to apply liquid nails to the mirrors and attach them to the surface. This method assumes that each mirror sheet will be mounted in a horizontal position. Therefore, you need to either disassemble the cabinet or turn it over. You can also install temporary fasteners, which you will remove after the liquid nails have dried. Mirrors with a sandblasted pattern will look original.

How you can modernize furniture: methods and options with photos

You can redo it completely. Replace components, sort out shelves, install new doors, replace fittings. If the cabinet functions normally, then you can limit yourself to decorating the facades only.

Remodeling and updating doors

• Photo restoration . Both photo wallpapers and personal photos are suitable for this method. There are printing houses engaged in large format printing. They will take you pictures of any size in good quality. They can be used to decorate surfaces. Before gluing photographs, you should thoroughly clean the body and prime it. The top can be coated with clear varnish.
• Wallpapering . More economical way. No skill required, anyone can do this task. The main thing is to choose wallpaper to match the interior and calculate the amount of material. Glue is applied to the surface, the wallpaper strips are ironed on top with a roller.
• Decoration with fabric . This method will add softness and volume to the outline of the furniture. First, a lining made of padding polyester or foam rubber is attached with staples, and the fabric is stretched over it.
• Coloring . The most common method of restoration. Here you can simply refresh the color or change it. Sand and level the surface with primer or putty. You can paint with a regular brush, but it is preferable to use a spray gun or at least a spray bottle, then the color will lie more evenly. There must be at least two layers of paint. After drying, open with varnish.
• Mirror decor . First you need to carefully measure the area, determine the parts that will be changed to mirror ones. Then order mirrors from the workshop. They can be attached to liquid nails or hanging fasteners.
• Stenciling . A complex option with the creation of unusual three-dimensional drawings. First, the surface is cleaned and leveled. Then the stencil is attached with tape. The surface is covered with decorative plaster. The stencil must be removed before it dries. Paint or open with acrylic varnish.

How to update the furniture built into the hallway in a Khrushchev-era building?

Khrushchev buildings have an inconvenient layout. The closet in the hallway is bulky and takes up most of the space. It's built in to everything, so you can't get rid of it that easily. But it can be remade. For example, decorate the doors using one of the described methods. Or take a radical approach - remodel the built-in wardrobe into a compartment. Here, too, there are options: simply redo the doors or replace the “insides” of the cabinet, remove extra shelves or add missing ones.

What you need for painting

The most time-consuming and financially consuming process is preparing an old cabinet for painting. You may need:

• Sandpaper of different grits for sanding the top coat for better adhesion to the paint, a sponge and a brush for removing dust.

• Metal brushes for brushing if the cabinet is made of solid wood and the goal is to make the wood texture more expressive before painting.
• Grinding machine for automating sanding and brushing. By the way, you can use a screwdriver or drill with special attachments for this.
• A heat gun and a scraper/trowel if the old cabinet has been painted in the past.

• Wood putty for filling holes and irregularities, spatula.
• Solvent, primer, paint tray, masking tape, gloves and other protective items (apron, goggles, respirator, etc.).
• Narrow and wide brushes for painting, foam or velor rollers. Ideally, a spray gun.

Before the advent of chalk paints, acrylic-based compositions were most in demand. Acrylic paints have many advantages: they are diluted with water and mix easily, dry quickly, do not have a strong odor and are resistant to abrasion. Optimal for painting cabinets in children's rooms, bedrooms and kitchens.

To comply with safety precautions, painting should be done in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated area, away from flammable objects and potential sources of fire.