Restoring old furniture can be quite useful. You can choose to revamp your furniture into modern styles to go with your home décor, or just bring back the original feel of the old furniture.
A piece of antique furniture can be in your family for generations and restoration can give it new life.Sometimes you come across beautiful antiques at throwaway prices at sales – you can restore these too to add charm and grace to your living room. Read on to find out some simple ways to restore old furniture:
Removing the old paint
Old paint that is peeling off and faded makes your furniture look drab and shabby. You can remove this old paint with the help of eco-friendly soy gel. Just wrap your furniture in plastic after you apply a good amount of this gel and leave on longer than you would leave a chemical stripper like methylene chloride. Or strip the paint off using some sand paper, starting with coarse grain and finishing with finer grain paper. You could use a power sander on flat and large surfaces.
Wood staining
Old furniture pieces have beautiful wood grains and you may consider staining to give it a classy look. After stripping off the paint, you can apply some wood conditioner and then apply the stain with a piece of soft cloth. This must be done evenly and you can apply several coats to get the best results. Do put on gloves while you stain. And finish with a coat of varnish. You can find eco-friendly bio wood stains online, if you want to avoid chemicals.
Milk,latex and spray painting
Latex paints are available in a variety of colors you can choose from. Cleaning up latex paint is hassle free too; just dunk your brushes, rollers and cloths in water, as latex is water soluble. However, milk paint is non-toxic and is an environment friendly choice. You can customize the colors and it can be applied to both finished or unfinished wood surfaces. Experts suggest spray paint for outdoor furniture.
Waxing antiques
To preserve the original finish of antique furniture, the best way is to apply wax finish. Clean the dirt with a solution of water and vinegar (tiny amount) with a cloth, and toothbrush for those unreachable places. Then with a cotton cloth, apply a little wax in small, circular motions. Rub in a thin coat vigorously and apply a final coat. Wait for half an hour to an hour for it to dry and then buff up with a clean cloth.
Removing paint splatters without damaging the wood
You can remove paint splatters, old or new ones, easily, and have a paint free finish. Wrap masking tape around both edges of a razor and bending the razor a little to give it a curve, so that you can remove the paint layers, without injuring yourself or the wood.
Applying epoxy in place of missing wood
If you thought of getting rid of a piece of beautiful antique furniture because of some chipped wood or missing veneer, you don’t have to. Using epoxy is one of those really effective furniture hacks, which allows you to repair / hide / fill any damaged / missing wood. You can stain, shape and sand it like wood, so the epoxy will blend seamlessly with the wood you’re repairing. Add the sticky soft epoxy to the missing area and use a razor to level the epoxy with the surrounding surface. Then sand and stain the epoxy with the same color as the wood of the furniture piece.
Cover up cracks with colored wax
You may notice some holes or small cracks in the finish. You can cover this up with wax sticks or wax pencils which you can buy from any paint store or home center. The best way is to warm up a little bit of wax in your hands and press it into the flaw with something smooth, like a dowel. With a cloth, buff it for the finish.
Re-covering seat cushions
Seat cushions can be restored by replacing the foam and fabric. Buy fabric matching with your décor and staple it using a staple gun.
You can restore your old furniture pieces into new and trendy styles – sometimes just with a dash of color or by repairing and reupholstering.Additionally, you can save money too by restoring,rather than buying new furniture.
