Each of us has old bedside tables, and chairs are collecting dust somewhere on the balcony or in the garage. Meanwhile, you can give these things a second life, and at the same time forget the way to furniture store. And how nice it is to admire your little masterpiece and receive compliments from friends!
Bright Side brings to your attention an inspiring overview of the most interesting master classes with magical transformations of old furniture.
New life for an old table
Imagination, a piece of colored fabric, glue and patience can greatly decorate and make an old table much more delicate.
Step by step instructions.
Prettier flower stand
This very stylish little thing was achieved thanks to velvet, fringe, beads, imagination and patience. details about how this beauty was created.
Mirror chest of drawers
A stunning makeover idea. a master class on creating stylish beauty from an old shabby chest of drawers.
This chest of drawers will greatly decorate the interior.
Nightstand from an old shelf
Brushes, paints, perseverance - and the old unnecessary shelf turned into an interior decoration. This is how the bright bedside table was born.
The second youth of the closet
A cute sofa that will cost little to create, but will add beauty and comfort to your home. How to make a transforming sofa from wooden pallets - in detail
Beautiful chord
Transformation of the old acoustic guitar in an original shelf for storing decorative items. It looks very unusual. Instructions
Chest for secrets
From an old suitcase you can create such an original chest for your favorite little things and secrets. Inspiration .
Mosaic decor
Mosaics can incredibly transform any piece of furniture. Choose any colors, patterns. And with the help of glue or liquid nails, post pictures while meditating. Idea
Rescue the nightstand
The cabinet from the 60s has been saved. Now she is pleasing to the eye. Step-by-step master class to save the nightstand. How to restore, paint and decoupage the inside.
Extravagant box
Patience, accuracy and complete freedom of imagination. This is how a stylish and bright box was born.
Royal plastic chair
Everything ingenious is simple! Cape for plastic chair- an elegant solution. It decorates and ennobles very much. Step by step instructions
Bright kitchen
Regular paper wallpaper magically transformed an old kitchen. Now it looks expensive and modern. Great idea presented
Soviet-era furniture - walls, cabinets, chests of drawers - is not beautiful, but reliable and strong. Well, I just can’t bring myself to take it to the landfill. And rightly so. It is very easy to update it, giving it a completely new sound and modern look. Remaking cabinet-type furniture may not be very difficult: there are materials that allow you to significantly change with little effort appearance. Most easy way— change color and accessories. Everything is clear with the fittings - choose what suits your style best, and the color can be changed in two ways - paint and glue film (or wallpaper).
Remaking an old wall: changing the design
Covering old furniture with self-adhesive film is the easiest option for changing the decor. Today, film is available both plain and colored, in different colors, textures and shades. There is no point in gluing a film with a wood pattern; otherwise, it is in trend today. But plain or with a pattern - this is what can turn an old wall into new furniture. The steps are simple, but the work requires accuracy. But the result is excellent. See two photos. The first one shows the old Soviet wall before the renovation, the second one shows it after.
Updating old furniture wall- before and after
Now about how it was updated. Compacted furniture self-adhesive film was used, cream color, matte surface. The open part of the old wall was closed glass doors, for glass we took a translucent matte film. The edging is furniture layout (also self-adhesive) chrome color. The order of work is as follows:
- Everything that can be removed, you remove and disassemble. Remove old fittings.
- Surfaces must be clean and free of grease. This can be achieved more easily by using a soft cloth soaked in detergent for dishes. Then everything is washed away warm water with a little vinegar. Wipe with a dry cloth.
- Cut out the details. It is better to cut the film 8-10 mm larger. The remains are then cut off with a paper knife.
- Spray the part to be glued with water from a spray bottle. On a wet surface, the film can be moved if something goes wrong. You can even peel it off without damaging it.
- After removing the protective layer from the film, carefully lay it out. Having leveled it, begin to smooth it with a soft cloth from the middle to the edges. Try not to have any bubbles. To do this, you need to move gradually, without jumping from place to place.
- If there is still a bubble, you can pierce it with a thin needle approximately in the middle. Then expel air from the edges of the bubble to the hole and rub the puncture site.
- Having glued the film, take a clean thin cotton cloth, spread it on top and iron it with a warm iron (medium heat).
- We glue the trim and install new handles.
This is the sequence of work with every detail. It’s the same with glass, you just need to glue it to the inner surface. After assembly you have a renewed wall. This technique can be used for any item: chest of drawers, bedside tables, wardrobe, etc.
For example, after a successful experiment with the wall, they redid it in the same way old wardrobe and added it to the right. Now the entire wall is occupied. You can also update your kitchen set by gluing self-adhesive film and replace the handles.
There is a second way. It is a modification of the proposed method, but it is simpler and not so labor-intensive. Only the doors are covered, not with film, but with non-woven wallpaper. The wallpaper is glued with PVA glue. To prevent the edges from riding up, the parts are cut 5 mm smaller on all sides. It turns out a kind of edging. Everything looks good (example in the photo below).
What's good about this method: it's easy to change the decor. Tired of the old appearance, they tore off the wallpaper and put on new ones. Despite the fact that the method seems frivolous, the appearance is maintained for several years. Its author even tried it on kitchen set. Only the wallpaper on top is coated twice with PVA glue. In this case, the cabinets can be washed. It is important to apply the varnish layer evenly, without sagging; there are no other difficulties.
Sometimes wallpaper is varnished. But before you do this, try it on a scrap piece: see how they react to it.
When choosing a varnish, you need to remember that acrylic and cellulose varnishes remain transparent after drying, while polyurethane varnishes turn yellow after time. Also, polyurethane is almost not softened by solvents: it can only be removed mechanically (from wood - cleaned with sandpaper).
Dresser update
The old chest of drawers had stood for who knows how many years in the attic, but it was very strong and reliable, it had not dried out one bit, only the polish was cracked. It is much stronger than modern products. This is a feature that is inherent in old, Soviet-era furniture. It's not very detailed (to put it mildly), but after standing in poor conditions for several decades, it remains strong. Remaking a chest of drawers is more complex: two techniques were used: painting, and then decorating using polyurethane moldings and wallpaper.
Step 1. We remove the fittings and remove the old coating. In some places the polishing was scraped off, in others it was sanded with sandpaper. The chips were covered with wood putty and waited until it dried. At the final stage, everything was cleaned with fine-grain sandpaper. At the same time, the chest of drawers became the same as in the photo below.
This is after it was puttied and leveled with sandpaper
Step 2. Installation of polyurethane moldings. When choosing moldings, make sure that they are not voluminous: too thick ones will look very rough on a small chest of drawers. They should be no wider than 5 cm and as narrow as possible when looking at them in profile.
The purchased polyurethane moldings were carefully cut, the corners were filed at 45°. (). The pattern match must be perfect. We glue them on PVA. For reliability, you can additionally secure it with self-tapping screws wide hats. A small recess is made under them, after the self-tapping screw is screwed in, the hole is covered with putty. Try to ensure that the putty immediately lays down perfectly (you can correct it with a wet finger), since it is problematic to clean off dried putty.
Moldings are glued and mounted on self-tapping screws
Step 3. Everything is treated with a primer. You can use PVA glue diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. After the primer dries, paint (two layers). For this case, acrylic paint was chosen water based. The color is coffee with milk, although it looks completely different in the photo. Color rendering is inaccurate.
This is after the second application of paint. Cute
Step 4. For decoration, wallpaper was chosen whose coating was made using the silk-screen printing technique. Pieces are cut to the size of the inside of the frames from the moldings and glued to PVA. After the glue has dried, the entire chest of drawers is coated twice with water-based varnish.
Step 5. And the last to be installed are new legs (furniture wheels) and handles.
We install the handles and legs)) The updated chest of drawers is completely different from the one you saw in the first photo.
As you can see, complex work No. Everything is really elementary. But all processes require accuracy - the appearance depends on it. You can update in the same way old wardrobe. Get a set for the room. Stylish and original.
When updating furniture, the worst thing is if the surface is varnished. The varnish takes a long time and is difficult to remove. If the surface is smooth and the polishing is not damaged, you can apply primer for complex surfaces and paint after drying. This greatly speeds up the process of painting lacquered furniture.
If you have children and a cottage or yard, you may be interested in reading with a lot of photos. And about
How to update an old nightstand
In the photo gallery below you can see the process of restoring an old polished bedside table. First, the old polish was removed from it, puttyed, sanded and after processing it was painted twice with acrylic paint. Then paper with an interesting design was glued to the doors (it was a gift paper bag). Once dry, the whole thing was coated with two coats of semi-gloss acrylic varnish.
The sequence of work is not difficult if you know how to do it. All processes will repeat the sequence of actions that you saw in the example of updating the chest of drawers. The result is also impressive.
Remodeling furniture with your own hands is a painstaking task, but the result is worth it. Below is a photo of a bedside table restored using a simple method: it is covered with embossed wallpaper, and varnish is applied twice on top.
Table makeover
Using the same technology, banal coffee table can be turned into a modern piece of furniture. In this case, it was covered with wrapping paper. It is dense, adheres well and does not become limp when applying varnish.
Before starting work on decorating the table top, the legs of the old table and the edges of the table top were painted light color: this way it fits better with the new design style. Then the process of its transformation began.
When pasting, the panel is cut out significantly larger than the dimensions of the tabletop. It's necessary. The paper is glued to PVA and rolled with a roller so that there are no lumps or blisters. The surface must be absolutely smooth.
After gluing, take sandpaper with fine grain (it is more convenient to work if it is attached to a block). By running it along the edge, they bend and at the same time separate the excess paper.
Even cutting with a guillotine will not give you a fairly even edge. And with this method, it turns out professionally designed. There is no smell of amateur activity.
After the glue has dried, the surface is coated twice with a thin layer of varnish. It should be applied with a soft brush in a small amount. Layers are applied in different directions: first along the long side, then across.
Furniture remodeling: photo ideas
Remaking furniture with your own hands is a creative endeavor. Even something boring can be turned into something great. And it is not at all necessary to repeat exactly what you saw. Many useful ideas comes during the execution of the “project”. It’s just a pity that some of what was planned turns out to be not as attractive as it seemed. Try it, experiment. Good modern technologies allow this to be done at minimal cost.
Have you decided to make renovations, change the interior, or purchase furniture that will match the updated design? But it happens that it is a pity to throw away old furniture, because it is still quite strong and can last a long time. And every piece of furniture keeps its own memories and family traditions. You just can’t raise your hand to take such things to a landfill. But both in landfills and in sales markets you can see furniture that could still serve and serve. Designers are looking for this “treasure” and creating real masterpieces.
But it happens that it is a pity to throw away old furniture, because it is still quite strong and can last a long time.
You wanted to change the situation, make original ideas into the interior so that old furniture sparkles with new colors? You will bring your ideas to life and create magnificent things.
And every piece of furniture keeps its own memories and family traditions.
The furniture of old times had its main advantage - it was very strong, durable, it was made from natural wood. Using all your imagination, you will decide for yourself how best to use certain parts of the sets, what new purpose the table, chair, chest of drawers, etc. will have.
You just can’t raise your hand to take such things to a landfill.
You think this is difficult to do. It's actually not that difficult. Read the relevant literature, look on the Internet, talk to friends and acquaintances who are interested in this matter. You will give things a unique look. There are many materials and methods you can use to repurpose your furniture yourself. By restoring interior items, you can save a significant amount of money than by purchasing new furniture.
Take advantage of the huge number of ideas and methods on how to reconstruct outdated furniture.
Before you begin, decide which restoration method you will choose. Purchase the necessary components. Remember, in this matter you need diligence, endurance, and a serious approach. Maybe this will encourage you to start your own business. You will delight not only your relatives, friends and acquaintances with amazing things, but also fulfill orders.
The furniture of old times had its main advantage - it was very strong, durable, and was made from natural wood.
Living room, study
The living room is considered to be the most important room in the house. Actually, this is where we mostly spend our time, relax, meet friends, and get together with the whole family. If you decide to make repairs or change the interior, take the matter seriously. The environment should be comfortable and multifunctional. If desired, set aside a space for a study. At first glance, this seems to be impossible, because the rooms are small and it is difficult to allocate space for an office. If you work from home, you need to ensure that there are no distractions from your work, and that the conditions correspond to a fruitful, smooth atmosphere. Designers advise to fence off the work area.
You will give things a unique look.
To do this, use partitions. They can serve as racks. To avoid spending significant sums on purchasing furniture for your workplace, use old interior items. You can reconstruct them:
- repaint;
- cover with wallpaper or self-adhesive film;
- change accessories;
- decorate various items, attributes;
- arrange books, indoor flowers.
By restoring interior items, you can save a significant amount of money than by purchasing new furniture.
So that the furniture does not take up much space, it can be converted into a transformer or made on wheels. It is compact, moves, folds and unfolds with ease. The remade furniture will completely match the overall decor in the room.
You will delight not only your relatives, friends and acquaintances with amazing things, but also fulfill orders.
In a small living room, it is important to save more space. Therefore, it is better to use a table-shelf for a work office. It will be more suitable for the overall setting. Repurpose old furniture into wall shelves, shelves, bedside tables, where you will store everything you need for work.
Many houses have old chairs.
colorful chair
Many houses have old chairs. They are worn out, the upholstery has become unusable, do not rush to get rid of them. They can be restored and will last for a long time. By changing their texture, you will regain their former beauty. Now there are many varieties for restoration, be smart.
Now there are many varieties for restoration, be smart.
The first step is to remove the old coating. If the seat is soft, then it is also removed. Then the surface is treated with sandpaper, the grain size can be any. How you sand will determine how the other coating will lay down. The work will be a little easier if you wet the surface. Typically, this procedure results in the old coating becoming viscous. Let the chair dry and sand again with fine-grit sandpaper.
Are you thinking about applying varnish to your chair? It is better to use a colorless primer. You can’t do without it, even if you want to paint a chair. This allows the coating to last longer and apply better. The varnish must be applied in two layers. Before the second coating, the first layer must dry.
If the seat is soft, then it is also removed.
It has become popular to paint furniture in white, and the seat is draped in contrasting colors. There are many options available.
- The chair will look unique if you use a stencil for decoration. The drawing can be very diverse.
- We completely replace upholstery and foam. Fabric will suit any, secured with a stapler.
- Another option is to make a cover. The coating will hide flaws and shortcomings without major rework.
- You can decorate the case in different ways - to suit your taste and color.
- Needlewomen can knit or crochet original upholstery.
Use outdated things in a new way. Unleash your imagination to the fullest.
Use outdated things in a new way. Unleash your imagination to the fullest. Here are a few options where you can use old chairs.
Many craftsmen can make a bench, bedside table, photo frame, flowerpot, hanging shelf, even a dog feeder
For example, such a necessary item as wall hanger. It's quite simple to do. You need to separate the back from the chair, paint or decorate it, attach hooks and hang it on the wall. The favorite rocking chair that everyone wants to have, but not many have. It is easy to make, just make semicircular crossbars and attach them to the chair.
An unusual option is a pet bed. First you need to build a box with a mattress. The filler can be foam rubber. The back of the chair will serve as the headboard, and the legs will serve as the base. They will make a wonderful box for magazines and newspapers.
Have you decided to make renovations, change the interior, or purchase furniture that will match the updated design?
Do you like the environment in rustic style? Towel holders will fit perfectly here. They are made from the backs of chairs, they are quite simple to make, and will look stylish in the kitchen or bathroom.
Designers are looking for this “treasure” and creating real masterpieces.
If the frame is strong, and the legs have become unusable, then the chair can become, to the delight of the children, a swing. First, the furniture must be carefully treated - sanded, coated with an antifungal solution, painted.
Take advantage of the huge number of ideas and methods on how to reconstruct outdated furniture.
Many craftsmen can make a bench, bedside table, photo frame, flowerpot, hanging shelf, even a dog feeder. The chair can be turned into an unusual table for storing various accessories.
The furniture of old times had its main advantage - it was very strong, durable, and was made from natural wood.
Light buffet
Previously, almost everyone had a buffet. Many people kept it, not wanting to throw away an outdated item. It adds a certain charm to the environment. A restored sideboard can be placed in any room. The main thing is that it matches the interior. Before you begin remodeling old furniture, you need to assess its condition and eliminate any defects. Then we clean it - remove the old coating with sandpaper or a tool designed for this, sand it and paint it. It is important not to forget that before any painting the surface must be primed.
Now in fashion light colors, but you can give the furniture bright shade or paint it in a neutral color, apply a design, cover it with wallpaper, gift paper, or film. Use new fittings. If you like to draw, put some image on the doors. If you don't have enough patience, stick the stickers on and cover the surface with clear varnish. If the buffet is wooden, it is better to use varnish for painting. You will get a unique item that will last a long time.
Before you begin remodeling old furniture, you need to assess its condition and eliminate any defects.
How to update an old nightstand
A Soviet-era nightstand is a valuable thing. It is so strong that it can last for more than one year. But her appearance leaves much to be desired. From such a thing you can create a newfangled item.
If you like to draw, put some image on the doors.
You will need the following materials:
- self-adhesive film;
- putty;
- acetone;
- dye.
You will get a unique item that will last a long time.
We look to see if there are any defects, cracks, or other flaws on the bedside table. We wipe off dust and remove dirt. We dismantle the parts and process them with sandpaper. We putty the damaged areas, let them dry, and sand the surface again. Be sure to degrease with acetone. The next step is pasting with film. We prepare a piece of the required size, plus 3-4 cm. We apply it to the plane, remove the backing from above and carefully glue it. So we cover the entire surface of the bedside table. Next, we repair the decoration elements, attach them to the furniture, change the fittings, and assemble the parts.
Instead of film, you can use wallpaper, gift paper, or simply paint it.
Features of wall modification
We all remember the old Soviet walls that stood in the houses of our grandmothers and mothers. The furniture, unfortunately, has become dilapidated; chips, scratches and cracks have appeared. Nowadays you can still see these walls in apartments. If they are strong, but outwardly worn out, it is better to remake them in a modern way.
There are many options for DIY furniture modifications.
Here are a few options.
- Pantry. Remove everything unnecessary, and what you need will remain. Move shelves to another location or add several new ones. Place boxes for shoes, containers for linen, change the façade.
- Wardrobe. We remove the doors, install additional shelves and crossbars for clothes. It’s great if the wall is elongated. Then we change all the doors to sliding doors from floor to ceiling, this will help hide the gaps.
- Or we divide the wall into parts and install it in other rooms. For example, mezzanines - in the corridor or hallway, a wardrobe - in the bedroom or in the nursery, and a sideboard will make a wonderful library.
- You don’t want any changes, but the wall needs updating; you need to completely disassemble it, removing fasteners and fittings. We clean and remove the old coating. Using the necessary pastes and primer, we repair cracks, chips, and scratches. We dry and polish everything. If you are not satisfied with the color of the wall, repaint it, then coat it with matte varnish. After drying, we assemble the wall, change the handles and hinges. If you want, install modern doors.
Keep at it and everything will work out!
Use your imagination, and your wall will turn into ultra-fashionable furniture and update the interior of the room.
How can you repurpose other items?
You can update any old furniture. It is made of high-quality wood and will always be in demand. After carrying out the necessary remodeling procedures, you will have real works of art in your home. After cleaning, processing, painting, decorating, an old chest of drawers will turn into an elegant thing. You can make a sofa out of it or convert it into a table for a mirror. Bottom part Convert the chest of drawers into a place for pets.
It is made of high-quality wood and will always be in demand.
A coffee table will make a wonderful ottoman, and a children's changing table will serve as a unique stand in the country. An old chair can be repainted, the upholstery can be changed, it can come out of a shabby door original table, a cozy bench with shelves can be made from a table for dishes.
You can update any old furniture.
There are many options for DIY furniture modifications. All you need is desire, patience, imagination, ingenuity, and with your own hands you will create special things not only for yourself, but also for relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Keep at it and everything will work out!
VIDEO: Second life for old furniture
In Italy there is a long-standing custom New Year throw old furniture out of windows. In our country, as a rule, things that are no longer in use gather dust in closets or attics. But if you show imagination and put in a little effort, old furniture will not only find a second life, saving money, but will also add a unique style to your home.
And if we add here the fashion of surrounding oneself with antique things, into which master furniture makers not only put the experience of generations, but also their souls, filigree, finishing every detail with great artistic taste, then there is only one thing left - to try to return the old table, chest of drawers or cabinets to its former glory. magnificence.
So, we have brilliant opportunities for independent restoration of old furniture. However, before you begin this simple, but quite labor-intensive process, check out our tips that will not only save the item from a slow death, but also make it the highlight of your interior.
Stages of repair and restoration: nine simple steps “from” to “to”
If you decide to carry out a complete renovation of furniture and update or add decorative elements, then you should begin work in stages.
- The value of the furniture should be analyzed. To do this, study all the tags and stamps that indicate the time, place of its creation, and possibly the artist. If it turns out that the furniture is valuable, it is better to consult with professionals so as not to accidentally nullify all the value. For example, removing finishes from collectible antique furniture can reduce its value.
- Before starting restoration, the furniture must be thoroughly cleaned. It is more convenient to do this with a sponge soap solution, for cleaning small parts You can use a toothbrush; the gaps are cleaned with a toothpick. The fittings are first removed; you can add shine to them with toothpaste. Particularly stubborn plaque is removed with very fine (No. 0000) sandpaper.
- During restoration, each product is disassembled into parts. Leave only glued furniture frames undisassembled.
- The next step is the scraping process, which removes old varnish, paint, and dirt. Sanding must be done very carefully, because old furniture often used veneer surfaces, so the main thing here is not to damage the old veneer. If the parts are carved, you can use special washes.
- The most difficult thing is the reconstruction of lost furniture elements. New parts must be an exact copy of the lost ones. The selected wood must not only be well-dried, but the same color, tone and pattern as the original.
- Assembly of restored parts is carried out dry, without glue. This helps determine if everything is in its place. And only then the parts are glued together, strengthening the supporting structure if necessary.
- Tinting is an important process, because the appearance of the piece of furniture depends on the color of the wood.
- Coating old furniture with varnish is usually done with a brush, as craftsmen did in the old days, which imparts a certain aesthetic sophistication to the object being restored.
- When restoring upholstered furniture, one more stage is needed - its upholstery. It is better to choose upholstery material identical to that which was originally on the furniture. First you should start by recreating the seat - fix the springs, stretch jute ribbons, stuff it with horsehair. After this comes the upholstery with fabric.
Tools for restoration - a standard set of any restorer
If you decide to do restoration, then the necessary tools for this matter should be prepared in advance. You can buy them at a regular hardware store. Here's a list of what you'll probably like:
- mixed-grain sandpaper
- plastic and metal spatulas
- furniture scraper
- steel sponge
- liquid gel that removes varnish coatings
- varnish and paint
- screwdriver
- rubber mallet and hammer to tap or knock out parts without damaging the wood
- set of clamps
- wood glue
- wood putty
- pencil, tape measure, square and ruler
- vegetable oil soap
- gloves
- respirator
- corner tassels (5–8 cm)
- toothbrush, toothpicks, needle or string
Painting is the easiest restoration option
Significant changes in old furniture during restoration are achieved by painting. Using this technique, you can turn an ordinary stool into a glamorous chair, and kitchen table- in a field strewn with flowers. If you have already decided on color scheme and drawing, you need to learn about painting technology and the opportunities provided different types paints
Technology for painting old furniture:
- Stage 1 – degreasing, for which a light soda solution is used;
- then sandpaper is used to remove roughness;
- deep scratches and dents are puttied;
- the next stage is primer;
- The final stage is applying paint.
After the product has dried, they begin to apply the design. It can be applied immediately, but it is better to use a pre-prepared template or stencil - they will allow you to apply the same type of designs.
Acrylic paints are often used for painting on wood, but they are not suitable for polished surfaces. Easy to use car paints in cans.
Craquelure - the web of antiquity
Home decoration is considered fashionable nowadays. antiques. But what if there are no antique items, but they can add such a necessary touch to the interior. To solve this problem, they use a technique for artificially aging things - craquelure, which translated from French means “crack”.
Creating a craquelure effect
To speed up the drying process of the craquelure, choose a warm, well-ventilated room. First you need to do wet cleaning so that particles of flying dust do not settle on the varnish.
The simplest to perform is single-phase craquelure, which allows you to obtain a monochromatic surface with contrasting cracks. To complete it, you will need a one-component varnish and the following steps:
- Clean and prime the surface of the object to be decorated. To speed up drying, you can use a hairdryer.
- To color cracks, apply acrylic paint and let it dry completely.
- Apply the varnish quickly, evenly, without gaps, and then dry it until it is still sticky, but no longer sticks to your fingers.
- Then quickly apply the base paint, which will crack in a few minutes.
- Fix the resulting color with finishing varnish.
Craquelure vases These five steps will help you get a unique piece that fits perfectly into your interior.
Apply after the base has completely dried, coated with paint of a contrasting color. Cracks in the varnish begin to appear almost immediately, so varnishing must be done quickly. The drying process of the product is 35-40 minutes.
Craquelure decanter Two-component varnish
The first layer of varnish is applied very thinly and dries for half an hour. Then the surface is covered with a second layer. If you want deep cracks, then the layer should be thicker. The process of crack formation lasts several days; you can use a hairdryer to speed it up. After complete drying, the grooves are rubbed with the necessary grouts: oil paint, gold powder, crushed pastels, etc. You can use a dishwashing sponge for this. Then the excess grout is removed and the product is wiped with a cloth soaked in vegetable oil. The resulting texture can be fixed with a special fixative or transparent varnish, after wiping it dry.
Veneering is a favorite technique of ancient masters
Veneering is the process of gluing a thin plywood plate of expensive wood material(veneer) to a cheaper wood-board surface.
By restoring furniture by veneering, we can solve two problems.
- The gain is in price. You can “make” an oak table from a pine table, and the external differences will be very minor.
- Design possibilities. You can turn a tattered, outdated item into an Art Nouveau item.
There are several types of veneering, but the most accessible at home is hot, in which the veneer is glued to the base with an adhesive. For it you will need:
- veneered base
- plywood knife
- paper
- wooden beam for grouting
- sandpaper
Carrying out veneering
- To remove old veneer or other coating, the product is placed on horizontal surface. Dismantling is carried out carefully and slowly. If the product is upholstered with decorative fabric or something else, or has glass inserts, then all this must be removed. Then the old veneer or layers of paint are removed. To remove old paint can be used construction hair dryer or special washes.
- The veneered base must be perfectly smooth, so we putty the flaws or seal them with Sydenticon glue. Once everything is dry, we clean it with sandpaper.
- We wet the veneer with a damp sponge and place it under a press. To absorb excess moisture on both sides of the veneer, we place wrapping paper between it and the plywood.
- We pay special attention to the size of the pieces of veneer being harvested: they should protrude slightly beyond the edges of the base (the excess can be cut off at the end). A plywood knife is used to cut veneer.
- Prepared veneer pieces are processed special glue, which is allowed to dry for 10 minutes.
- Then the veneer is applied to the surface of the product and through blank slate ironed at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees, otherwise the iron may burn holes in the thin wood material.
In principle, this is what the entire veneering process consists of.
If you love handmade items and the furniture in your home needs updating, this material is especially for you. We asked Russian designers and decorators to show how to quickly and affordably update your home.
We hope that we were able to inspire you to update your interior. Invent, create and enjoy what you do.
Happy experimenting!
1. Author's decoupage
Updating a furniture façade using the decoupage technique is one of the favorite techniques of designer-decorator Anastasia Kasparyan. What will you need? Photo or painting printed on a color inkjet printer, special glue, masking tape, hair dryer and brushes.
What to do? Place the printed image face down on furniture facade, thickly lubricate with transformable glue, smooth with a roller and dry with a hairdryer. Let it dry, then moisten it with plenty of water and remove the paper. We fix the resulting image with varnish. Voila, the new furniture façade is ready!
2. Cross painting
To give old furniture a new creative look, you can not only repair and paint it, but also paint it. Even if you are far from an artist, there is an easy way to create a real masterpiece on a furniture facade! Anastasia Kasparian shares her secret again.
What to do? Remember good old cross stitch? The principle is the same here. We line the surface, find a design we like, and transfer it to the façade using colored paints. It turns out unusual and stylish!
3. Industrial lacing
Another unusual way furniture renovation - creating a decorative design using nails and ropes. “Such modernization will look spectacular in a loft interior or a brutal men’s room,” says Anastasia Kasparian.
What to do? Nail nails around the perimeter of the selected image, drawn in advance on the furniture, and connect them sequentially using a tourniquet. It turns out very unusual.
4. Soft spot
A common way to decorate old furniture is by upholstering it. But Anastasia Kasparian offers another unusual method of renovation. To create such a charming pouf, we need a rigid mesh base and woolen threads. It could be a mesh metal urn or just a stretched wire.
What to do? We outline a design on the base and begin “embroidery” - almost like on fabric, only on a furniture façade. You can decorate the entire composition with the same homemade pom-poms placed on glue.
5. Pipe decor
If you have neither the time nor the desire to paint and reupholster old furniture, you can simply decorate it. Materials left over from the renovation will come to the rescue, in particular plumbing pipes.
What to do? Designer Victoria Pashinskaya suggests making them unusual decoration, sawing it into pieces, assembling the structure with screws and decorating it with small decor.
This design can be integrated into the interior as a separate element; cover with glass and get coffee table; use it as a table base or decorate a furniture façade with it, using it as a niche for storing small items.
