Methods for restoring old furniture with your own hands at home.

Self-adhesive film

This is one of the easiest ways to remake old furniture, which does not require special skills. In construction and online stores, you can choose any suitable canvas – with imitation wood texture, plain, with a pattern. A wide range will allow you to update a children’s room, living room, bedroom or even a kitchen.

Its main advantage is moisture resistance, which helps to easily clean. The film is easy to stick if you follow the instructions, it is resistant to temperature changes and even detergents. But this material serves no more than 5 years, and fades in sunlight and in places of active friction.

Before purchasing the film, it is important to take measurements and add a small reserve. The surface requiring renewal must be leveled, cleaned, degreased and primed. Then apply the markings. When pasting facades or a tabletop, you need to apply the film on top and gradually remove the paper layer. You should smooth the canvas with a rubber spatula. If air bubbles form after gluing, make small cuts in these places and press the material to the base.

Decorate with decorative elements

An old dining table whose tabletop has swelled or cracked, you can decorate it with tiles or mosaics. To do this, you need to sand the base and apply wood impregnation, which will reduce the consumption of tile adhesive. The number of parts should be calculated in advance. In order not to cut the tiles, the panel can be framed with wooden planks. Ceramic adhesive should be applied at five points – in the corners and in the center. The tiles are laid one by one and separated by crosses. After drying, the joints between the tiles are leveled with grout.

The photo shows a wooden table covered with tiles. Such a tabletop is not afraid of moisture and hot objects.

Old wooden furniture can be decorated with various fittings (rivets, original handles, belts) – this will give the product an unusual brutal look. Another way to turn a boring chest of drawers into a modern and stylish one is to stick mirrors on the facades. It is better to entrust the cutting of the panels and the processing of the edges to professionals, and everything else can be done independently: paint the chest of drawers, fix the mirrors with special glue and attach suitable handles.

Remains wallpaper

This is one of the most budget-friendly options for remaking boring furniture, but also the least durable. For decoration, we recommend using vinyl or non-woven fabrics, preferably moisture-resistant. After pasting the furniture with paper wallpaper, after drying, it is necessary to apply varnish.

Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare wallpaper, PVA glue, sandpaper, primer, roller, scissors and a ruler. If facades are being decorated, they should be removed and sanded. If there are any defects on the surface, they must be filled and treated after drying. Wallpaper is glued to a pre-primed base and smoothed with a rubber spatula.

Using stencils

This is an ideal solution for those who want to decorate furniture with painting, but do not know how to draw. Templates for the stencil can be made from thin plywood, cutting out patterns with a jigsaw, thick paper or film.

Before applying paint, the surface is sanded and degreased. The stencil is fixed with masking tape (if the furniture is already painted, it is important to ensure that the adhesive residue does not damage the product). Aerosol or harmless acrylic paints are suitable for decoration. The finished product should be varnished for better preservation.

Repaint in a different color

When painting furniture yourself, you can show your creativity and give the product any look. The most popular paint used in home decorating is acrylic. It dries quickly, is resistant to external influences, is economical and has almost no odor. In second place are aerosol paints in cans, which allow you to quickly update the product. It is recommended to apply them outdoors due to the small splashes that fly away.

The photo shows old but sturdy furniture repainted with a gradient effect.

Before you start remodeling, you need to repair the furniture and clean it from dirt. If necessary, remove the old coating with a spatula, wash or heat. Defective areas should be filled with putty. Then the surface should be sanded with fine-grained sandpaper and coated with a primer.

Hard-to-reach areas (joints and corners) are easier to paint with a small brush, and everything else – with a roller. If necessary, use masking tape to protect areas that do not require painting. To paint dark items, at least three layers of paint are required, which should be reapplied only after complete drying. To add nobility and sophistication to classic furniture, stylize it as antique using artificial aging or gilding.

When using chalk paint, which consists of water and chalk with mineral additives, there is no need to remove or prime the old coating.

Artistic painting

With the help of drawings applied to furniture by hand, it becomes exclusive. It is important that the resulting work fits into the interior, becoming part of a complete composition. It is easiest to paint wooden or natural veneered products, as well as MDF facades covered with acrylic.

The photo shows the remake of an old but sturdy bedside table. Hand-painted furniture fits perfectly into the rustic style.

Artistic painting is a painstaking work, as it includes drawing small details. The basis for painting is a primer. It is important not to neglect the preparation of the surface – even the most talented painting can be spoiled by a defect or crack in the base. Acrylic paints are best suited for the work, and matte or glossy varnish applied in several layers is best for protecting the finished drawing.

It is not necessary to paint a chest of drawers or a wardrobe from all sides: individual accents on the facades look more aesthetically pleasing.

Decoupage

This technique will be appreciated by those who do not own a brush. Depending on the thoughtfulness and accuracy of the procedure, the furniture can look professional and even luxurious.

The photo shows an old chest of drawers, covered with paint and decorated with music sheets.

Furniture can be decorated with paper napkins, wallpaper, old photographs, geographical maps, tram tickets. Before gluing the material, the surface should be painted with acrylic paints. After drying, the base is coated with PVA glue, onto which the picture is carefully glued. After that, another layer of glue is applied. The finished product is varnished.

Veneering

This method allows you to give worn wooden furniture an updated look. Natural peeled veneer is usually used for home veneering. It can be used to restore door panels, facades and tabletops.

The base that requires reworking must be flat and sanded. Thin veneer, sold in rolls, should be straightened by wetting it with a damp sponge and placing it between two heavy boards. Then the sheet should be trimmed along the edges to get rid of uneven edges. The veneer is glued with contact glue, which is evenly applied to the base in two layers. The sheets are fixed with an iron heated to 50º – ironed through paper. After drying, the joints are sanded, and oil, varnish or stain is applied to the finished product.

The photo shows the process of finishing a table with veneer. The width of the canvas is usually 30 cm, so joints are inevitable when used.

Craquelure

This is a type of artificial aging, after which the item acquires the appearance of antique antiquity. Craquelure looks great on classic furniture, which fits perfectly into the Provence and shabby chic styles.

One-step craquelure looks like a cracked layer of paint, through the cracks of which the base of the product is visible. This is the easiest way to give an item a touch of antiquity. The furniture is covered with a special craquelure varnish, which must be dried. A second, contrasting layer of acrylic paint is applied to it, which, under the influence of the varnish, cracks picturesquely. The thinner the paint, the bigger the cracks.

Reupholstery

This process is not complicated, but painstaking: you can reupholster an old chair, as well as an armchair or sofa. Dense natural fabrics are better suited for re-upholstery. First of all, you need to disassemble the furniture and inspect it – this will help you understand how exactly the material is attached to the wooden frame.

If the upholstery is old, damaged and smells, it is recommended to remove it and strengthen the frame with metal plates. Sometimes the filler requires replacement. In the case of re-upholstering popular Soviet armchairs, we recommend adding foam rubber: the product will be softer, more comfortable and solid.

Calculate the amount of fabric with a margin. It is important to fasten it tautly so as not to create folds. The material is fixed with a furniture stapler.

Before and after photos

We recommend starting to remake furniture with small items – chairs, stools, bedside tables. A sanding machine will be a great help in restoration, as it will speed up the process of removing the old coating.

A great solution for a modern interior will be chalkboard paint: it is easy to apply, safe, and odorless. It can be used to paint old kitchen fronts, a cabinet, or sideboard doors.

With a makeover, even the most boring chest of drawers or nightstand can be turned into a work of art.

Updating furniture is an interesting process that allows you to get an exclusive piece of furniture and realize your creative abilities.