Many of the old furniture is a pity to throw away and would like to give them a second life. For professional renovation we have to pay a lot, but we do not always have to go to a specialist. Some furniture can be successfully renovated by ourselves!
A solid wooden chest of drawers, a spacious closet or an elegant armchair – such furniture, although damaged, is a pity to get rid of. Fortunately, there are ways to renew them on your own at a low cost. In some cases, renovation of a piece of furniture will not require any deep changes, but only a gentle refresh. Below we present several ways to successfully renovate furniture.
Before you start furniture renovation, first of all you have to think about the effect you want to achieve. Let’s think about the color of paint, its type and necessary tools. It’s also worth equipping yourself with material, which will protect the floor of your apartment during the renovation – it can be foil or cardboard boxes. If we have gathered all necessary elements, we can start renovation.
Furniture restoration begins with removing the old paint and preparing the surface for the new color. The easiest way to clean the top layer of furniture is to use sandpaper. To remove paint, you can also use a grinder – it will speed up the whole process significantly.
After sanding or scraping off the old paint layer, remove accumulated dust and dirt with a cloth, sweeper or vacuum cleaner. This is a very important step when renovating furniture – dust left behind would turn into unsightly lumps when painted with fresh paint.
If our furniture has minor damages or cavities, we can fix them ourselves during renovation. It is enough to fill such places with a suitable preparation after cleaning the furniture.
Any scratches, holes or dents can be filled with a filling compound. On the market you will find it in different colors, so you can easily choose the right shade to our furniture, so that the patched areas are not conspicuous.
This is a proven method of restoring wooden furniture. It effectively protects them from moisture and gives them a fresh effect. Wax is best applied to raw material, just after removing old paint and cleaning dust. In addition to the popular clear wax, manufacturers also offer colored preparations – so by waxing we can change the color of our furniture.
Varnishing is a very popular method of renovating wooden furniture – probably due to its ease of application. It is worth remembering to apply a special primer before varnishing. This will make the renewed surface more resistant to moisture, abrasion and other mechanical damage.
A particularly popular way to renovate furniture is to repaint it with a new color. For this purpose, it is best to reach for acrylic or chalk paints designed for furniture restoration. Which type to choose? It depends on the effect you want to achieve. If your goal is to stylize furniture for the so-called shabby chic, then reach for chalk paint. If you want a long-lasting effect, it is worth choosing acrylic paints.
main photo: unsplash.com/Ryan Riggins
