How to remake old furniture with your own hands, illustrative examples before and after
Old furnishings can be of high quality, long life and attractive appearance. The upholstery may be worn off or the armrests will become dirty, but they will still be reliable and durable. In order not to throw away these objects, it is considered optimal to remake old furniture with your own hands, photos before and after confirm the feasibility of work. The procedure will improve the appearance of the products, making them ideally suited to the existing interior style. For this, different techniques can be used, and many methods are easily implemented with your own hands.
Content
Necessary tools and materials
There are many different ideas for remaking old furniture. The choice of a particular method depends on the skills of the owner of the interior item. Depending on the chosen technique, the tools and materials that will be used during operation are determined.
Alteration or decoration method | Materials and Tools |
Painting | Paint or varnish, primer, putty, protective clothing and goggles, respirator, fine sandpaper, rubber spatula, adhesive tape, water, tray for paint or varnish, rollers, brushes, clean rags. |
Film use | A film of optimum color and quality, a tool for cleaning the surface, a degreasing agent, rags. |
Hauling | New upholstery, stapler, staples of optimal size, scissors, measuring tools, pencil. |
Aging with varnishes or paints | Special compounds, brushes or rollers, a bath for a product, a respirator, clean rags, sandpaper to clean the base, degreasing solution. |
Decoupage | Stickers or stencils with different images, adhesive. |
Cloth decoration | Quality fabric for upholstery, stapler with staples, scissors for cutting material, ruler, pencil. |
Old furniture is being restored in different ways, but first you need to make sure that it is really in good condition, there are no decayed or warped areas.
Modification methods and work technology
You can remake your old furniture with different methods, each with its own technology and features. Most methods are easily implemented independently, even without the appropriate experience or skills. To do this, just study the instructions, as a result of which old things easily turn into original designs.
Painting
This method is chosen for different wooden interior items, which include tables, stools, chairs, walls, cabinets or other cabinet furniture. Due to the long service life, various scuffs may appear on the surfaces.Also, due to exposure to moisture or heat, old paint may burst and crumble. For furniture, it is advisable to choose water-based paints, as they are safe for living quarters and have good durability.
The most commonly selected formulations:
- Acrylic paint, characterized by ease of use, drying speed and the absence of an unpleasant odor;
- Thixotropic paint with a dense structure. After it dries, a coating similar to a plastic surface is obtained. It is convenient for beginners to work with the material, since when applying the composition there are no stains left.
Before buying a certain paint, the instruction is surely studied to make sure that the composition is intended for use in residential premises, and not on the street. Do-it-yourself alteration of the old Soviet wall or other furniture with the help of painting consists in performing the following steps:
- The furniture is disassembled into its components, the doors are removed, drawers are pulled out and accessories unscrewed;
- Mirror and glass are glued with masking tape, as well as other surfaces that do not need to be painted and cannot be removed;
- All parts are thoroughly washed with water and detergent;
- Wear safety glasses and a respirator;
- The surfaces of all elements are protected, for which it is recommended to use fine-grained sandpaper;
- Details are covered with a primer;
- If different cracks or chips are found, then they are filled with putty;
- Again, an acrylic primer is applied, after which again you need to walk a little along the surface with sandpaper;
- Dust is removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner;
- If you bought paint in a spray can, then it is sprayed at a distance of 30 cm from the surface, and during operation smooth movements are made;
- If the composition is bought in a jar, then it is poured into a prepared tray, after which it is applied to the furniture surface with a brush or roller;
- If there are hard-to-reach areas, then they are painted with a brush;
- To obtain a bright, uniform and beautiful coating, it is desirable to apply the paint in three layers;
- After the composition dries, the varnish is applied, which can be glossy or matte;
- At the end, masking tape is removed from the mirrors or glass.
It is only necessary to work with paint with open windows for ventilation, and it is also advisable to pre-cover the floor with some newspaper so that the paint does not get on the floor covering. Photos of items before and after remaking old furniture with your own hands allow you to see how the appearance of the structures changes. They look updated, refined and stylish.
Film
The ideas used to update and remodel furniture include the use of a special decorative film, which covers different surfaces of the furnishings. This method is ideal for walls, cabinets, and even household appliances.
Modern films used for old furniture can have different images. They are easy to use, durable and withstand various mechanical stresses. They can even be used in the kitchen, as they do not deteriorate when the temperature changes or when exposed to water.
Step-by-step instructions for remaking furniture with a film:
- The surfaces of the interior item are prepared, which will be covered with this material. They must be cleaned and covered with a degreasing compound;
- A roll of self-adhesive film of optimum width is purchased;
- Material is cut in accordance with the dimensions of the furniture surfaces;
- Protective material is removed from them, after which they are applied to the desired areas of the interior;
- The film is smoothed with a spatula to completely eliminate bubbles;
- The edges are aligned, the excess film is cut with a clerical knife.
Due to this method, an interesting design is obtained from old furniture, which has a beautiful appearance with different images or patterns. The process does not require the investment of numerous funds and time, while it is available for execution by each person independently.
Aging
During the repair of an apartment, many people prefer to adhere to a certain style. If you choose the style of Provence or country, then you need to remake old furniture to the conditions and requirements of these areas.
Designers appreciate antique antique furniture, so some interior items need artificial aging, which will give them sophistication. Such alteration of old Soviet furniture is considered a simple process for which special compositions are used. Often, materials are selected for these purposes:
- Antique wax - it is effective for wood structures. Before using it, all surfaces are cleaned and degreased. After that, a stain is applied, which dries for about 7 hours. The remnants of the product are wiped with a sponge. Then, antique wax is rubbed into the surface, giving an antique look to any furniture. Above are applied patterns and various monograms with acrylic paint. At the end of the work, the structure is varnished;
- Acrylic paint - this tool can be used not only for wooden furnishings. They effectively age old or modern constructions made of plastic or metal. The desired effect is obtained by combining two colors of different shades, differing slightly from each other. Before work, a surface is prepared which must be clean and even. Several layers of these two paints are applied successively, and for high-quality aging, it is necessary that each layer completely dries. After the coating hardens, in some places it is advisable to go with sandpaper, partially erasing the paint, which ensures that the objects look old.
Furniture remade in this way looks elegant, aristocratic and luxurious.
Hauling
High-quality upholstered furniture can serve more than 30 years, but it quickly loses attractiveness due to wear and pollution of upholstery. In order not to spend money on the purchase of expensive structures, a constriction is carried out, allowing you to update the appearance of a sofa or chair. We remodel furniture so that the new upholstery is high-quality and durable, so a lot of attention is paid to its choice. Material must be:
- Durable;
- Tight;
- Easy to clean from contamination;
- Keeping a form at the long term of operation;
- Impregnated with dirt-repellent and waterproof compounds.
Often, leather or flock, as well as a tapestry or jacquard, are selected for the constriction of furniture. The master class on remaking old upholstered furniture consists in the implementation of the stages:
- The design is disassembled into separate parts;
- The staples that fix the old upholstery are eliminated with round pliers;
- The fabric is removed;
- The old upholstery creates patterns;
- They cut new elements from the upholstery material;
- On the machine seams are sewn;
- Upholstery parts are applied to the necessary parts of the furniture, after which they are fixed with brackets;
- During operation, you must ensure that there are no sagging or creases;
- The material is nailed to the frame with small nails or steel brackets, the distance between which is 2 cm;
- After work, the structure is assembled.
A photo of the finished furniture alteration result shows that after a banner its appearance changes dramatically, it looks updated and can last for a long time.
Decoration options
There are many more different ideas used to decorate different old furniture. Due to their application, the possibility of further use of structures in modern interiors is provided. These methods apply.
Method | Technology features |
Veneering at home | The process involves the use of a special material - veneer, which has an attractive appearance. It is made of natural wood, therefore it is environmentally friendly. It is glued using hot veneering using a heated adhesive solution. For a high-quality result, it is important to carefully smooth the glued elements. |
Decoupage or decopatch | The technique is to use different images that are applied to a special fabric or paper. The drawings can be different, so they are selected depending on the style of design of the room and the furniture itself. |
Cloth decoration | The method can be applied not only to upholstered furniture, but even to stools, walls or cabinets. Different types of fabrics that fit well into the interior and have high strength can be used for this. |
Stencils | This decoration option is considered simple, but quite interesting. With it, you can decorate different types of furniture, while the owners are not required to have specific skills or abilities. For work it is enough to buy suitable stencils and paint in aerosol cans. Next, the stencil is applied to the desired surface area, after which drawings and patterns are created on the furniture with the help of paint. |
Wood carving | Used for wooden structures. It is considered difficult to perform, as it is necessary to have certain artistic skills. |
Burning out | To do this, use a special tool. Initially, a pencil drawing is applied to the surface, after which burning is carried out along the lines. |
Mosaic | Special glasses or small stones are selected that are glued to the prepared surface with high-quality glue. |
Thus, remaking old furniture can be carried out using different technologies. They differ in the materials used and the result of the work. Many technologies can be performed independently, but it is important to choose high-quality materials and carefully approach the work to get updated, refined, luxurious and bright furniture.
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