Restoration of old furniture by own hands

Many believe that it is better to quickly get rid of old furniture and buy a new one and even do not know that furniture can be restored. Of course, the restoration of old furniture with their own hands will take a long time, and the result from the first time will not be as ideal as the new factory furniture, however, one should strive to ensure that the work is done in accordance with technology and as accurately as possible.

furniture On the methods of restoration

furniture restoration of old furnitureThere are such ways of decorating surfaces from wood or chipboard:

1. Decoupage.
2. Craquelure.
3. Painting with paints.
4. Veneering or laminating.
5. Cover with adhesive decorative tape.
6. Coating with varnish or stain.

People who have mastered several restoration techniques often try to combine them. For example, along with decoupage, the Craquelure technique is used, since both methods presuppose painting with paints.

Let's consider separately popular methods of decorating old furniture, but first we learn how to prepare old furniture for restoration.

How to prepare furniture

The main thing in the restoration of old furniture - a thorough and unhurried preparation of furniture. It is necessary to prepare each part:

1. Do not damage the cover, wash the surface with a sponge and soap solution. Take care that the water is not hot. Soap is desirable to take with the maximum content of natural ingredients.
2. If in the old chest of drawers or other furniture there are decor elements: metal handles and other objects, they need to be cleaned with a small brush( an old toothbrush is suitable).Difficultly accessible surfaces are cleaned with a toothpick or an awl.
3. The remaining coating can be sanded with an emery sheet. Use "zero" - it will not damage the surface and will not leave a scratch on it.

How to restore life to an old stool

This type of work is also referred to as a restoration, because the old stool, although it lost its appeal, but it is still functional.

You can breathe life into it in this way:

1. If your stool is wooden, and its seat is covered with a dense cloth, then it can both be repainted, and replace foam and lining with new ones.
2. If the chair has a soft seat, it can be removed and sewn new using fabric or leatherette. It is undesirable to make a hard stool out of a soft stool, as it will not look aesthetically pleasing.

1. The stool is completely covered with any cloth. This kind of alteration is called a "drapery cloth".It differs in that even an adolescent will be able to update an old stool or chair.

If we plan to leave a wooden seat, it must be carefully cleaned with an emery sheet, and then painted in any color, preferably monochrome. After that place the seats painted. Here you need to rely on your skill and imagination.

After painting the chair is covered with a varnish, which will serve as a protective layer and will allow the object to be used for a long time.

You have an old stool with a soft seat, but it has already become disheveled and uncomfortable. You can proceed as follows: if the softness suits, then the old lining and foam should be avoided. Using a furniture stapler, directly on top of the new cloth.

If the foam is damaged or lost, then it must be replaced. To do this, you need to cut out a new piece of foam from the new foam, just the right size, only with a margin, because the edges of the chair should be soft. Remove the old paneling with the old foam rubber and nail the new one. You can work as a furniture stapler, or a hammer. Over the foam rubber, put the leatherette and attach. If the first time you can not work with staples and stapler, then the damaged bracket is easy to remove, and in its place to put a new one.

If you have several damaged stools or chairs, they are desirable to decorate in one style.

Restoration of old furniture before and after look at the photo:

Furniture is renewed with the help of a fabric in a short time. The edges of the cut tissue of the desired size are processed on a sewing machine. Depending on the type of fabric and the chosen color - the appearance of the stool or chair will depend. If your fabric is light and translucent, then the chair will also appear airy. If the tissue is heavy - then the chair will be more massive.

How to restore a chair with a backrest

The ideas of restoring old furniture provide a full swing of your imagination. If you come up with that your chair will have an unusual coloring - then do not give up on your dream.

Your chair has a soft seat and a firm back - it is undesirable to make a soft back hard, as such work will be difficult for beginners.

To update the old chair, it must be cleaned with nest and then covered with paint. And not necessarily the color of the paint should be brown. Step back from these rules and bring in your interior more bright colors!

Once the surface of the stool is painted, you can proceed with the upholstery.

This simple master class on restoration of old furniture will allow you to independently cope with the set tasks:

1. Before you chair - the backrest and legs should be cleaned with sandpaper, removing the top layer of varnish. To make the work look neat, the seat must be removed.

2. Clean off any dust and wipe the surface with a soft cloth.

3. To paint the cleared surface in the chosen shade of a paint or to open with a stain and a varnish.

4. We proceed to the upholstery of a soft seat: the old fabric can be removed if it is dense. Just the old cloth will serve as a pattern for a new sitting, plus a few centimeters should be left to the hem.

Take the fabric and use a stapler to nail it to the base. We fix the seat on the chair.

The result can be seen on the photo:

This photo shows an option for upholstery of soft seating with fabric and braid.

By the same principle, you can restore a hard chair - paint and make a painting. If desired, you can make the seat soft or leave, as it was.

Restoration of the coffee table

As a rule, with the years of operation at the coffee table, the legs and the table top deteriorate more quickly. This is because it is not customary to cover such a table with a tablecloth.

Restoration by the method of "laying the mosaic" will get an updated coffee table.

Independently, without certain skills, mosaic masonry from the first time is difficult to do. Therefore, to make your old table become what, as in the photo, you need to come up with a drawing and color scheme, and work to entrust to professionals. But here you need to be prepared for the fact that the restoration of old furniture will have a high price.

An example of this work will inspire you to new ideas. You can perform restorations yourself. To do this, it is necessary to clean the surface and cover with the main color. Using a stencil, which can be done independently( from oilcloth or cardboard) or purchased in an art shop, you need to "fill" the picture. After the layer of paint has dried - the surface is covered with a colorless varnish.

Remodeling the chest

Did you get an old, bulky wooden chest of drawers from your grandmother? Do not rush it away, it can be restored in a way that even your family will not recognize. The chest of drawers can be updated in such ways:

1. Photoprint.
2. Decoration.
3. Art painting.

Photo printing on the dresser looks unusual. The main thing in this business is to choose a suitable figure that will be liked and harmonized with your interior.

In order to make photo printing on the dresser, you need to measure it with a furniture tape measure and order self-adhesive wallpapers in a specialized store. If you purchased the usual option - then paste the paper with a picture on the chest of drawers is not difficult. Work with glue PVA and brush, and after drying, cover the surface with a clear varnish.

You can restore the dresser to the color of the room, or the color of your furniture. By the way, this option is suitable for frequent relocations or if repairs are to be made. To implement the idea you need a roll of wallpaper( or the remaining strips).They seal the front surface of the chest. During work, you need to be careful: measure and cut off the wallpaper with maximum precision, because if the drawing does not match, the work will look sloppy.

After the wallpaper is pasted onto the dresser, it must be covered with a colorless varnish.

Restoring the cabinet

Restoring the cabinet is a big responsibility. Moreover, throwing even a very old cabinet will not be easy because of its cumbersomeness and considerable weight.

The work is carried out in the same way as the restoration of the stool, coffee table and chest. First, the surface is carefully cleaned and painted in any chosen color.

Then directly on the surface using a paint and brush pattern is applied. You can work with both a stencil and manually. After completion of work - the cabinet is varnished and left to dry completely.

And the cabinet-chest in this photo was restored in such a way: cleaned, painted and varnished. And that he got a shine, he was additionally wiped with a furniture polish.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to get a new one out of old furniture with a minimum of costs, the main thing is not to be lazy.

How to get rid of small defects in furniture

No matter how neatly the furniture is used, small flaws will still appear on it.

So, what if:

• on your wooden furniture there was a scratch, a crack or a chip? Buy iodine at the pharmacy and cover a scratch or chip. This method will be effective if your furniture has a dark tint. Iodine can be replaced with paint, and choose a tone in accordance with the color of furniture. After treatment, the crack or cleavage is covered with a colorless varnish;
• if the crack is deep, then it is necessary to use a special furniture wax. According to the instruction it needs to be warmed up and rubbed into the surface;
• instead of wax you can use your own mastic. Her recipe is this: four parts of the wax melt over low heat, add three parts of turpentine and mix. Fill with the resulting mass of the crack and leave until completely absorbed;
• if the chip or cavity has a large area, then the defect can be corrected with a special putty on wood. By the way, it has different shades, so picking the right shade will not be difficult. Specialists recommend doing this: buy shpatlevku light shade and add water-based paint to your desired shade. After the surface has completely dried, the place is sanded with an emery sheet and treated with furniture varnish.
• if only the top layer is lacquer, then the surface is sanded and covered with a transparent varnish. It should be remembered that transparency can be achieved by applying only a certain lacquer: acrylic or cellulose. Polyurethane use is undesirable, because in time it will turn yellow;
• if the scratches on your furniture are small and superficial, they can be painted over with a marker of a suitable color;
• if your furniture is covered with veneer, and you shed tea or juice, then you can remove the swelling by taking a needle and gently pricking the bloat. Type a glue of PVA in the syringe and enter a little into the cavity, then cover the place with a cloth or heavy paper and place the load on top. To speed up the process, it is allowed to warm the paper through a warm iron;
• on the facade peel off the film - apply glue "Moment" or "liquid" nails and leave under the press;
• so that the facades are not exposed to temperature effects, for example, in the kitchen near the oven - such places are covered with a protective thermoplank;
• if a white spot is formed on the wooden table or chest of drawers, it is necessary to apply some automotive polish to the stain and grind;
• if your closet is old and the drawers do not extend well, then the edges of the box must be lubricated with a candle or with dry hard soap.

Restoration of old furniture can be seen on this video: