10 Creative Ways to Update Soviet Furniture for Inspiration

Luxurious dark blue chest of drawers

The owner bought this 70s chest of drawers made of natural wood second-hand, paying only 300 rubles. Initially, it had many cracks, and the veneer had defects. The drawers had extra holes that needed to be masked. The craftswoman wanted to get a chest of drawers in a deep color, preserving the wood pattern and scuffs.

The old varnish was removed with a sander: careful preparation of the original is the key to a high-quality result. The defects were filled and sanded, then covered with tinted glaze: 4 layers were required.

The legs and frames from the craft store were treated with a “walnut” stain. Total cost – 1600 rubles.

Black nightstand with engraving

The story of alteration of this nightstand is not simple: the owner found it in a landfill and several times wanted to take it back for “unruliness”. It took 10 layers of remover to remove all the varnish from the veneer! It took several days.

After applying the protective oil, some defects were revealed, and the craftswoman partially painted over them. The owner was not satisfied with the result, so the cabinet was completely painted black. Only the legs were left untouched.

We used a pencil to draw a pattern on the door and drilled it out with a small drill with an engraver attachment. The result exceeded all expectations!

To avoid wasting time removing the varnish, sand the surface until rough, apply an acrylic primer and paint with moisture-resistant paint in 2 layers. In this example “Tikkurila Euro Power 7” was used. The top of the cabinet is covered with acrylic varnish.

From a wall unit to a stylish set

The owners of this brown “wall unit” took it to their dacha, and then decided to try their hand at remaking it into modern furniture.

The chipboard coating cracked and peeled off in places, so it was completely removed. The cabinet frames were dismantled and re-fastened with Euro screws. The parts were sanded, puttied and painted. The tabletops and legs were made from old boards, and the door layout was re-nailed.

Moldings were added to the front of the cabinet, making it unrecognizable. As a result, we got three sets for different rooms: two bedside tables for the living room, a wardrobe for the bedroom and another set of three cabinets.

Here you can watch a detailed video about the conversion of a bookshelf from an old wall unit. The owners turned it into a TV stand.

Armchair

The famous armchair, which was found in most Soviet apartments, is once again at the peak of popularity today. Owners are captivated by its convenience, simple design and frame quality.

The owner of this example used 8 cm thick foam rubber for the back and 10 cm for the seat, also adding two layers of padding polyester. The upholstery fabric with the effect of lemon-colored furniture tie was bought in a store. The rounded shapes were created by folding the foam rubber over the edge of the back and seat, and pulling it tightly.

The frame was painted using inexpensive matte white enamel “PF-115”, tinted with black color. The painting was done with a velor roller in three thin layers.

After drying, it is recommended not to touch the chair for about two weeks – this way the composition will polymerize completely and will be stable in use.

Reincarnation of a Viennese chair

This old beauty was found in a landfill. It was missing a seat, but the frame was quite strong. The new seat was cut from 6 mm plywood, and the base was carefully sanded.

In the 1950s, such chairs appeared in many homes. They were made at the Ligna factory in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, copying the design of model No. 788 Bresso, which was developed by Mikhail Thonet in 1890. Their main feature is bent parts.

The owner covered the chair with “Tikkurila Unica Akva” without applying a primer: this was a mistake, since the coating turned out to be fragile and now scratches remain on it.

The craftswoman recommends using “Tikkurila Empire”, the most popular and reliable coating. The soft seat was hand-sewn: the fabric used was burlap, spunbond and 20 mm foam rubber. The piping is made from the braiding of a bicycle cable.

Soviet nightstand with painting

Another nightstand of Soviet production in 1977, transformed from a faceless object into a beauty with its own character. As the main color, the owner chose a deep dark green color, which she painted the tabletop, legs and insides, and covered the facade with white. The painting in a botanical theme was done with acrylic paints. The standard handle has also been replaced.

Today, vintage furniture is valued for its laconic design and legs, which give it an airy feel. Thanks to the “raised” structures, the room seems visually larger.

New life for a sofa

You can repair not only small wooden items, but also large ones. This 1974 sofa bed had already been reupholstered, but it wore out again. Its mechanism broke and the bolts were bent. During the remodel, the owner of the sofa saved not only money, but also space: this model is very compact and takes up little space.

There is no foam rubber inside – only springs and a rough canvas on a cotton backing, so the structure has no smell. The frame is in satisfactory condition. The owner bought new hinges, a piece of furniture fabric and new bolts.

Thanks to the persistence and patience of the craftswoman, the sofa mechanism was updated, and the soft part was reupholstered with new material. All that was left was to add a couple of decorative pillows.

New look of the table

On the restoration of this table from the 80s It took the owner 3 weeks. The base is veneered chipboard; only the legs are made of solid wood. The owner removed the old varnish from the surface and sanded it.

The craftsman left the old paint layer only in the veins to create a natural aging effect. To visually lighten the product, he painted the sidewall white.

The structure is covered with matte transparent varnish in several layers. The drawers are complemented by new contrasting handles.

Bright bookcase

The owner decided not to sand this bookcase – she only primed it with “Tikkurila Otex”. The wooden lattice and overlays on the facades were made in the carpentry workshop from 6 mm and 3 mm plywood. The overlays are glued with “Moment Stolyar”.

The outer sidewalls and fronts are painted black “Tikkurila for school boards”. The orange and turquoise coating is “Luxens” for the walls, protected with colorless wax “Lliberon”. The back wall is covered with wallpaper. The handles are from an old IKEA collection.

Boho nightstand with an ornament

To repaint an ordinary vintage nightstand from Avito, you will need:

• White paint “Tikkurila Empire”.
• Spray paint color “rose gold”.
• Painting Scotch tape.
• A small foam roller (4 cm).

The author marked out the design with masking tape and glued it, pressing it tightly to the doors. She painted it white using a roller in three layers. She waited 3 hours between each layer. After the third layer, I waited 3 hours and carefully peeled off the masking tape. I unscrewed the legs, protected them with tape, leaving the tips, and spray painted. Assembled after complete drying.

Remaking furniture is always an interesting and creative endeavor. process. Things updated with your own hands acquire their own history and add soulfulness to the interior.