Do you have old furniture in your home and don’t know what to do with it? No need to throw them away, transform them! Driven by the decorative trend of upcycling, revamping old furniture is very fashionable. From the wardrobe, to the table, passing through the chairs found in flea markets, have fun shaking up the codes with more or less audacity by customizing them to your tastes in order to give them a second life. Follow our advice to find inspiration and easily transform your old furniture!
OLD FURNITURE THAT WE LOVE TO REVAMP!
STYLE FURNITURE
Style furniture has long been considered outdated, but is coming back into fashion through contemporary colors and patterns. We love its curves and the moldings that characterize it. Our tip: transform your old Louis XVI chair with pastel, matte black or even cream paint. Armchairs, wardrobes, chests of drawers and other sideboards, there is no doubt that your customization will sublimate your old furniture.
SCANDINAVIAN FURNITURE
Scandinavian design was born in the 1930s and has conquered generations! If you opt for period furniture, it’s a safe bet that it may be a little damaged. For this type of furniture, nothing beats natural wood, which can be combined with a few pastel colors. From the Scandinavian table, to armchairs and chairs, this furniture is a must for interiors that want to be trendy!
SCHOOL FURNITURE
The school chair and desk have marked the times! Today, this furniture can also be found in our interiors. Wood and metal will be the two key materials. The first can keep its color or even in some cases be associated with pieces of magazines stuck on it for an original look. The metal can also be repainted, black for the wiser and colored for the more extroverted. Even if it is school furniture, there are no rules!
SEVENTIES FURNITURE
The furniture from the 1970s integrates Scandinavian or bohemian style decorations wonderfully well. This furniture is in tune with the times and blends perfectly with the Scandinavian, bohemian or pop style. Go for the low sideboards, the dressers, the small tables, the shelves that know how to highlight the wood.
RUSTIC FURNITURE
From the rustic table to the old straw chairs, this furniture has real charm. Appreciated for its authenticity, this country furniture is no longer only destined to integrate our country houses. It is modernizing and finds its place in all convivial interiors! We like to choose to repaint it in light shades for a Provençal spirit or dark for an industrial look. We also love to keep its raw aesthetic that has made it famous.
TIMELESS FURNITURE WITH SOBER LINES
Timeless furniture crosses the ages! We love it thanks to its all-purpose style, its absence of moldings and too pronounced curves. Depending on the finish chosen, you can give it a country, vintage or even downright contemporary style. Wardrobe, bookcase, table or console… it’s up to you!
OUR SOLUTIONS FOR MODERNIZING AN OLD PIECE OF FURNITURE
REJUVENATE IT WITHOUT DISTORTING IT
You don’t necessarily need to be very creative to modernize an old piece of furniture. It is enough, sometimes, that the latter finds a new youth and its brilliance. For this, there are glossy clear varnishes, but also matte. If you want to change the color of the wood while leaving the grain visible, choose stains, waxes or tinted varnishes which are most often wise choices.
REPAINT IT
The choice of color can drastically change the look of your old piece of furniture. Whether you opt for a matte black full of elegance, an off-white that will bring clarity or even a vibrant shade like mustard yellow, your furniture will be transformed! We particularly like the two-tone furniture which is very trendy at the moment.
BET ON THE WALL TAPESTRY
Far from the image of old fashioned tapestries, these pieces of paper are coming back into fashion. We particularly love the Scandinavian, floral or animal motifs typical of Scandinavian and bohemian decorations. Placed in the boxes of a wardrobe or even on the front of the drawers of your old chest of drawers, the tapestry, if it is well chosen, will certainly modernize your furniture. It is one of the essential elements of upcycling decoration!
CHANGE THE TRAY
To revamp a table, a console or a chest of drawers, sometimes you just need a few things. By changing the top of your furniture, you will give it a new look. Among the star tops: marble, Dekton, ceramic, lacquered wood or laminate. There is something for every taste !
REPLACE HANDLES
One of the other essential techniques for customizing furniture is changing the handles. From the wardrobe, through the chest of drawers or the table with drawer, the handle is not only practical, but also aims to be aesthetic. Among our favourites: the edge handles for minimalist interiors, the shell handles for Scandinavian decorations or even the leather strap handles that we like to find in industrial decorations.
THE DIFFERENT STEPS TO FOLLOW FOR THE MAKEOVER OF YOUR FURNITURE
STUDY THE CONDITION OF YOUR OLD FURNITURE
This is common sense, but it is essential that the foundations of your furniture are correct so that you do not have to redo everything! First, make sure it’s worth it. To do this, check the assembly or even the general condition of the wood to ensure that there are no parasites. If you find a few holes, a simple treatment will usually be enough to get rid of the little critters. If it’s metal furniture, do a full inspection to check for signs of rust. Do not hesitate to look at every nook and cranny, open drawers and doors, check the solidity of the hinges, etc. The general inspection of your furniture will also allow you to more easily quantify the time to devote to it. For instance,
EQUIP YOURSELF WITH SUITABLE EQUIPMENT
A good handyman must be equipped to facilitate the makeover of the furniture and protect it from possible injuries! In the toolbox you should find:
- Brushes and paint rollers: the essential tools for repainting your furniture.
- Coarse and fine grit sandpaper: your allies for sanding your furniture.
- Glue: with it, your good old furniture will regain its solidity.
- Wood putty: finished the holes, with it, they will be filled.
- Various products for preparing wood and metal: stripper, dewaxer, anti-parasitic and anti-rust treatment, etc. these maintenance products will prepare the foundations for the makeover of your furniture.
- Various products to customize wood and metal: paint, wax, oil, varnish, etc. these cleaning products will give your old furniture a facelift.
- Gloves and masks: we sometimes forget, but sanding or using certain products can be harmful if you inhale fumes or are in physical contact with chemicals. It is therefore important to ventilate the room and protect yourself with a mask and gloves. The latter will also avoid a few minor sores.
STRIP THE FURNITURE
According to Homary, stripping is an important step in applying a finish to your furniture: paint, oil, varnish or wax. This step is also used to more easily assess the condition of your furniture and treat it if necessary. Before stripping a piece of furniture, you should be sure of the finish applied. To identify it, especially if it is wooden furniture, rub an inconspicuous corner of your furniture with a cloth soaked in methylated spirit.
If the cloth stains and becomes sticky, it is a waxed piece of furniture. If the cloth only absorbs the dirt, the furniture is varnished. This step is important because the stripping will not be the same. If your furniture is waxed, it will be necessary to apply a polisher. This will remove the old layers of wax without denaturing the wood. For varnished or painted furniture, you will need a brush with only nylon bristles that will resist the wood stripper you will use. For metal furniture, use a special metal stripper or a sander with an abrasive disc to remove all the paint, then a drill with a brush to erase any potential scratches left behind.
TREAT YOUR FURNITURE
Rare are the old wooden furniture that are spared from pests or rust if they are made of metal. Once your furniture has been stripped and therefore in its raw state, treat it with a suitable product. Even if your product is not attacked by rust or critters, preventive treatment is always safer to ensure a lasting future.
FILL CRACKS, NICKS AND HOLES IN FURNITURE
Once your furniture has been treated, it should be patched up by filling in the missing parts and other small holes that are detrimental to the beautiful aesthetics of your furniture. To do this, equip yourself with wood filler, putty or resin to fill in the holes and reconstruct the missing parts. If a part is dislocated, use special glue adapted to the offending material.
APPLY TWO COATS OF PAINT
Your furniture is now ready to be painted. Nevertheless, be sure to respect the following rule: always apply a second coat. Even if the result seems satisfactory to the naked eye, the second coat will make your furniture more resistant over time. If you want to keep the color of your wooden furniture, apply a clear varnish. Another solution can be interesting: use patina techniques! In this case, use waxes and patinas to age. These products will allow you to keep the vintage look of your furniture.
APPLY A PROTECTIVE FILM
Your furniture is almost finished! In order to give it a touch of shine or a matte appearance, you can apply a varnish. Wooden furniture can also opt for wax or oil. There you go, your old piece of furniture finds a second youth and is ready to face the next few years!
You Must Know About
