Like many of us, you too probably have at least one old
piece of furniture you’re very fond of. Whether that is the first chest of
drawers you’ve ever bought, or an heirloom piece handed down to you from your
great-grandparents, parting with that piece of furniture isn’t something you’re
willing to do.
The only problem is that the furniture doesn’t fit in with
the rest of your home design. So, if you think your only two options are to
keep it as is or get rid of it, we have a great alternative. And that
alternative is old furniture restoration.
Restoring and refurbishing old furniture is something that
you can do on your own or hire someone to do it for you. Either way, restoring
furniture is a great way to give life to your old pieces. Let’s see why and how
you can restore old furniture.
Reasons to Restore Old Furniture
If you’re still considering whether it’s worth restoring
your old furniture, we made a small list of reasons why it’s a great
idea.
Investing in the restoration of old furniture pieces is less
expensive than buying all new furniture. On top of that, furnishing a home with
all-new furniture pieces can be daunting. That’s why restoring old pieces can
be your best option.
For just a fraction of the price, you can completely
transform an old furniture piece, give it new life, or repurpose it. Not to
mention that the quality of old furniture is much better than that of new
pieces.
The second reason why restoring your old furniture is a
better option than investing in new has to do with protecting our environment.
Creating new furniture contributes to deforestation, soil erosion, and
greenhouse gas emissions. If you invest in new furniture, you’re contributing
to all this. And by restoring and refinishing old pieces, you are reducing the
carbon footprint.
5 ways to restore old furniture
If we convinced you to save the life of at least one
furniture piece, here are X creative and simple ways to do so.
1. Strip old finishes
If you have a nice wooden piece of furniture that just lost
its shine, or you don’t like the finish it has, stripping it is the easiest way
to upgrade it and save some money.
For this process, you’ll need a good paint stripper, a pair
of chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses, a brush, and scrapers.
Before you start the process, take your piece outdoors
because paint stripper fumes are poisonous. Depending on the type of stripper
you choose, you’ll have to either spray it on the piece or brush it on. Leave
the stripper to do its job for a couple of hours.
Later, you’ll notice that the old paint has bubbled up. To
remove it, you will need different types of scrapers to remove the bubbled-up
paint. Once this is done, neutralize the striper with mineral spirits and
remove all the debris.
If you have a heirloom piece that you believe has some
value, don’t try to strip it on your own. Instead, take it to specialized antique furniture restoration in Sydney.
2. Refinish old furniture
Sometimes, instead of stripping old pieces, you can refinish
them. It’s a much less labor-intensive process as you don’t need to strip or
sand the piece.
Start by thoroughly cleaning up the piece. This is the most
important step. You can mix dish soap and water in equal parts and gently scrub
the surface, then rinse and dry.
After that’s been done you can use a gel stain and apply it
on your piece. The gel stain is good at hiding scratches and keeping your
furniture in great condition. To finish off everything, apply several coats of
clear wax.
3. Reupholster the furniture
In many cases, the only thing your furniture piece needs is
new upholstery. Re-covering a seat cushion on a chair is a simple project that
won’t break your budget. All you need to do is buy new fabric. Then remove the
old one by unscrewing the seat cushion.
Before you get rid of old fabric, use it as a template for
the new one. You can also replace the foam and batting if they appear old and
worn. The final step is to cover the seat with your new fabric and attach it
with staples. And finally, screw the seating back to the chair.
4. Spray paint it
Some pieces can’t be stripped or sanded without being
damaged. If that’s the case with your old furniture, don’t fret because you
have other options. One such option is spray paint.
Choose the spray paint color you like and then roll up your
sleeves. The first step is to clean your piece. Dust it off and use soapy water
to clean it thoroughly. Then let it dry completely before spray painting.
Take the piece outside and use gloves and a mask to protect
yourself. When spray painting try to keep your strokes as equal as possible,
and without any drips.
5. Quick fixes and updates
Reviving your old vintage furniture doesn’t even require much
work. You can completely elevate a piece and change its look with a few simple
and quick updates and fixes.
For instance, you can simply change the hardware on your old
pieces and they will look different and more modern.
Additionally, swapping old legs with modern ones on chairs,
tables, sofas, dressers, and so on, can be enough to transform the
pieces.
Conclusion
Restoring old furniture doesn’t have to be a complicated
process. With some simple changes, you can have a completely different
furniture piece. And the best of all is that you won’t spend a lot of money.
Previous Post
