Despite the fact that Soviet-era furniture is quite reliable and strong, it is not considered beautiful, let alone competing with modern furniture. In addition, by this time it was pretty worn out and in need of repair. Even in such conditions, the owners are sorry to part with it. To buy a new, modern one, you need a lot of money, because furniture has always been not cheap, and it is not cheap even now. In this case, there is one, alternative option to leave the old furniture and not buy a new one - this is to try to update the furniture with your own hands, giving it an attractive and modern look. Cabinet furniture is quite easy to remake, especially since there are all the materials necessary for this. In any case, it will be much cheaper to purchase materials for remodeling furniture than buying new furniture. One of the easy and affordable tricks is to change the color and replace the hardware. There will be no special problems with fittings, but with a change in appearance, everything is much more complicated. There are several options, but two are considered the most common - painting and gluing a special film or wallpaper.
The most affordable and easiest option is to paste old furniture with self-adhesive film. On sale you can find a film for every taste, both color and monotonous, of various colors, shades and textures. Many prefer wood effect film, but there are other options that meet the spirit of modernity. This approach can really turn an old wall into furniture that will have an attractive and modern look. It is not at all difficult, it is enough to do your work slowly and carefully, which will allow you to get an interesting result that deserves attention. To see this, just look at 2 photos. In the first photo, an outdated Soviet wall made of chipboard, and in the second - the same wall, but after renovation.
The wall has received a new appearance thanks to the use of compacted self-adhesive furniture film, cream color with a matte surface. Where there was an open part of the wall, there are glass doors pasted over with a translucent matte film. For edging used furniture layout, chrome colors, and also self-adhesive.
The work consists of the following stages:
- The old wall is dismantled, everything that is not needed is removed, including accessories.
- All surfaces are cleaned of dirt and degreased. To do this, use a soft cloth and detergent. After that, the product is washed off with warm water and vinegar and finally the surfaces are wiped with a dry, clean cloth.
- Fragments of the required size are cut out of the film, with a margin of up to 1 cm. After pasting, the excess film is cut off with a clerical knife.
- The surface before pasting is irrigated with water from a spray bottle. A wet surface will allow you to accurately position the film, as it can be moved, or even peel off if the first time it was not possible to glue it well.
- Before pasting, the protective film is removed from the film, after which it is laid on the surface. Having correctly positioned the film fragment, they begin to smooth it with a soft cloth in the direction from the middle and to the edges. The main thing is that there are no air bubbles under the film. In this regard, all work is done slowly and very carefully.
- When bubbles form, they are pierced with a thin needle and the air is expelled from them. This operation is also carried out with a rag, moving from the edges to the puncture point. After that, this place is carefully rubbed with a rag.
- After the film is glued, a thin cotton fabric is taken and superimposed on top of the film, after which an iron with an average heating temperature is used. The fabric is ironed along with the film.
- In conclusion, the finish (edging) is glued and fittings (handles) are installed.
- This technology is applied to each glued part. Glass is glued in the same way, only from the inside. After complete assembly, you will get a completely new furniture wall. In this way, you can breathe a second life into items such as bedside tables, chests of drawers, cabinets and kitchen furniture.
After the wall was successfully pasted over, the old cabinet was also updated and installed on the right. As a result, it turns out that the entire wall is filled with updated furniture. Using the same technology, you can also update old kitchen furniture - stick a self-adhesive film and replace the handles.
There is a second option for updating furniture, which is less expensive and, most interestingly, you don’t need to disassemble anything. In this embodiment, only furniture doors are pasted over and not with a film, but with non-woven wallpaper. PVA glue is used for pasting. So that the edges of the wallpaper do not bulge, they are cut into blanks, the size of which is 5 mm smaller than the size of the doors. Judging by the photo below, the result is not bad at all.
The advantage of such a finish is that the finish can be replaced with new wallpaper at any time.
As a rule, the surface pasted over with wallpaper lasts for five years. A similar technology was used in the finishing of the kitchen set. To make the surface washable, the wallpaper is covered with two layers of PVA glue. The most important thing here is to do everything carefully so that smudges do not form, since you will have to work with a brush.
Alternatively, the wallpaper can be varnished, but before that it is better to experiment on unnecessary wallpaper. It is important to determine what will be the reaction of the wallpaper to the varnish. When choosing a varnish, you need to know that acrylic and cellulose give a transparent surface, and polyurethane, after a certain time, will turn yellow. Polyurethane varnish is practically not amenable to the action of solvents and, if it is necessary to remove it, then mechanical action will have to be resorted to. Usually, coarse sandpaper is used for this or an electric drill with a nozzle is used.
How to update a chest of drawers
An old chest of drawers can stand in the attic for several years and lose only its appearance. As a rule, the old lacquer coating cracks, but otherwise, modern furniture can envy it. It does not dry out and remains as reliable and strong as it was before. In this case, the chest of drawers undergoes a more complex update, using painting and decoration, using polyurethane molding and wallpaper.
Stage number 1. All fittings are removed from the chest of drawers, after which the old coating is removed. As a rule, the old varnish coating is removed mechanically using sandpaper (large). All shells, cracks and chips are sealed with putty and wait for it to dry. After complete drying, the surface is polished with a fine emery cloth. The result is what is in the photo below.
Stage #2. Installation of polyurethane moldings. The main task is to choose the right moldings so that they are neither small nor large. Basically, products up to 5 cm wide are selected and very narrow if you look at them in profile.
Acquired moldings are very carefully and accurately cut into segments of the required length, and the corners are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. At the same time, care must be taken to match the pattern. The molding is attached with PVA glue. Alternatively, you can use self-tapping screws for reliability. At the same time, before screwing them, recesses are made for them. All recesses are sealed with putty very carefully, otherwise there may be problems when the putty dries.
Stage 3. All surfaces for gluing are treated with a primer. As a primer, it is possible to use PVA glue diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. After the primer has completely dried, proceed to painting. As a rule, 2 coats of water-based acrylic paint are applied. Color - coffee with milk, although the photo does not match the color indicated due to poor color reproduction.
Stage number 4. Decoration is carried out on the basis of wallpaper made using silk-screen printing technology. Segments of wallpaper are cut clearly according to the size of the inner part, bordered by molding. The wallpaper is glued with PVA glue. After complete drying, the entire chest of drawers is covered with a water-based varnish in 2 layers.
Stage number 5. In conclusion, modern legs in the form of wheels for furniture are screwed to the chest of drawers and handles are installed.
If you carefully study the technology, then everything is much simpler than it might seem. Although, all stages require a certain accuracy, otherwise there will be problems with the appearance. In the same style, you can update the wardrobe. The result is not a bad set for a room or bedroom. Maybe not quite modern, but original and stylish, and most importantly - very cheap.
If old furniture has a varnish coating, then getting rid of it is very difficult. In the absence of obvious flaws, it is better to resort to the help of a primer for complex surfaces and only after that proceed with painting. This approach will minimize the effort to update old furniture.
Updating an old nightstand
The photo below shows the process of updating an old polished bedside table. First of all, polishing was removed, after which the surfaces were puttied and sanded. After that, it was painted with acrylic paint in two layers. In conclusion, paper from the gift bag was glued onto the door, thanks to which it was possible to obtain an original drawing. After that, the entire bedside table is covered with two layers of semi-gloss acrylic varnish.
All stages are not particularly difficult if you have the slightest skills. All processes correspond to the sequence of actions described during the restoration of the chest of drawers. The result exceeds all expectations.
This old nightstand needs to be updated. 
This package will serve as an excellent decor for the doors. 
The result of updating the old nightstand. Remodeling furniture with your own hands is simple and accessible to everyone, if there is a desire. Unfortunately, without desire, nothing will work. Above in the photo, you can see a bedside table, remade according to a very simple technique: the bedside table was simply pasted over with embossed wallpaper and varnished twice.
How to remake a table
Having adopted such technology, it is enough to simply turn an ordinary coffee table into a piece of modern interior. It is simply taken and pasted over with wrapping paper. This is a thick paper that sticks without problems and does not sag under the action of varnish.
First you need to do the legs and edges of the tabletop. They need to be painted in a light color so that they fit more with the new style. After that, you can proceed to further work.
Before gluing, a paper blank should be cut out a little larger than the size of the countertop. PVA glue is used for gluing. The surface is well rolled with a roller so that there are no air bubbles. The result should be a perfectly smooth surface.
After that, remove excess material by running a fine-grained emery bar along the edge of the tabletop, pressing the paper against the tabletop. This method allows you to very evenly remove excess material, which is more like a professional action.
Finally, the surface is covered with two layers of varnish. In this case, the layers should be thin. Each layer is applied perpendicular to the previous one.
Alteration of furniture: photo ideas
The times of shortage of furniture are long gone, and today we can buy whatever we want for an apartment and a house to our taste. But until now, many owners of furniture from the era of socialism are trying to repair them, to give them a new life. And this is not from greed or a keen attachment to things. Just such an object as an old chest of drawers may not be rubbish, the place of which is perhaps in the country, but a challenge to one's own imagination and the ability to create with one's own hands.
Restoration of an old chest of drawers: pros and cons
The processes of repair and restoration are similar, but have several significant differences. When repairing old furniture, we simply transform it most often: remove peeling paint, sand it, apply a new layer, fasten loosened elements. Restoration is a deeper work that goes far beyond the boundaries of cosmetic repairs. In addition, a restored chest of drawers can become more valuable if it was originally a rather original, exclusive product.
Before you decide to restore an old chest of drawers, conduct a thorough assessment of its value. Inspect the product for tags or stamps indicating the name of the master and the time of manufacture. It may turn out that your chest of drawers is an old piece of furniture art, and by starting to process it, you will lose a truly valuable thing.
An old chest of drawers may be of antique value
Signs of antiquity can be the following:
- sharpening of internal corners as a result of long-term operation of the chest of drawers;
- uneven notch on the fastening screws;
- different distances between the turns of the notch.
The last two signs may indicate that the fasteners were made by hand, and not industrially.
All of the above can be seen with the naked eye. A deeper analysis will be carried out by a specialist whom you invite to evaluate the product. Until the final conclusion, it is not recommended to start restoration or repair work.
Restoration process from start to finish
So, you have decided to restore the old chest of drawers with your own hands. The work will be painstaking, requiring attention and time. Each step is extremely important, so try not to miss anything.
Old chest of drawers in need of restoration
For work you will need:
- putty and glue for wood;
- sandpaper of different grain size in a set;
- a hammer;
- Screwdriver Set;
- rubber mallet;
- gloves and respirator;
- toothpicks, toothbrush;
- a tool for cleaning accessories (tooth powder is suitable);
- brushes;
- paint and varnish.
Product cleaning
An old chest of drawers must be cleaned so that the surfaces and decorative details are not damaged. First, wipe the product with a sponge and soapy water. The water should be warm, but not hot, and as a detergent - household or stain-removing soap without chlorine.
Antique pieces of furniture, especially chests of drawers, are often decorated with small details and carved inserts. A toothbrush will help you clean them well.
Remove the furniture fittings (this will give you access to the surfaces under the parts for better dirt removal) and rub with a cleaner. For example, tooth powder works well for silver.
Clean hard-to-reach places such as crevices and corners with an awl or toothpick. Plaque and ingrained dirt can be removed with fine sandpaper. It should be used very carefully, otherwise the finish may fade as a result of strong pressure.
If you decide to change the color of an old chest of drawers or cover it with a new layer of varnish, the surface must be carefully sanded.
Preliminary preparation
After the old chest of drawers has been washed and dried well, repair or replace the damaged items. Finding suitable parts is likely to be difficult. To do this, it is better to contact an antique shop or a carpentry workshop to order the manufacture of the necessary decor items. You can also get professional help with installation parts there.
Check how well the screws and bolts are tightened, if the wood is cracked. Loose or rusty bolts must be removed and replaced with new ones. Fix small cracks on the surface with wood glue; those that are larger, cover with putty on wood, picking it up strictly in tone. If you plan to subsequently cover the chest of drawers with stain, then use a special putty.
Painting work
Now you rarely see furniture made of natural wood in a wide sale. An old chest of drawers may not match the modern style of your home. Therefore, in addition to a fresh look, this product can be given a new image. The easiest way is to paint it in one color, for example, white.
First of all, remove the old coating from the surface. Do this carefully so as not to damage the wood and leave no traces of the old coating in the cracks and corners.
Thoroughly clean the surfaces of the chest of drawers so that there are no bumps
Now sand the surface to get rid of bumps and small imperfections.
Sand the surface well
After sanding, proceed to putty. Carefully repair all chips and unnecessary holes. After the putty has dried, rub it with fine-grained sandpaper.
To paint the chest of drawers, use a special paint for wood. It may be necessary to re-sand the surface. To give the chest of drawers a gloss, a layer of varnish can be applied over the paint (naturally, after complete drying).
Replacement of old parts
The old chest of drawers used in our example had iron handles. Of course, they are beautiful and give the furniture an antique look. But unfortunately, some of these pens are hopelessly damaged. The easiest way out is to completely replace them with new ones that are more suitable in style. This is easy to do: drill holes of the desired diameter in suitable places and insert the fittings.
Replace your old dresser handles with new ones for a modern look.
As you can see, the chest of drawers has become completely different: new, modern and exclusive.
New life for old furniture
Decoupage chest of drawers
If pure white is not enough for you to breathe new life into an old chest of drawers, decoupage.
- Paint the surface with white acrylic paint. Let dry well.
- Cut out patterns from decorative paper napkins. Stick them on the dresser with PVA glue.
- After everything is dry, varnish the chest of drawers.
That's all, your chest of drawers sparkled with new colors! Decoupage is good because you can choose any pattern and pattern that your imagination allows.
Master class on decoupage chest of drawers (video)
Another repair option
This method will help you turn an old and boring bulky chest of drawers into a light and elegant piece of furniture. For the transformation, we will take the classic model without any special decorations: three wide drawers and two small ones.
Classic chest of drawers with three large and two small drawers
You will need the following tools and materials:
- means for removing an old layer of varnish or paint;
- sandpaper;
- chisel;
- matte putty;
- PVA glue;
- self-tapping screws;
- polyurethane foam decorative moldings;
- wallpaper;
- paraffin;
- acrylic water-based paint;
- transparent water-based varnish;
- 8 decorative handles.
Training
Unscrew the knobs on the chest of drawers. Examine it carefully from all sides. Pay special attention to the lid and legs: in these places, the wood is usually subject to the greatest damage. If the deficiencies are minor, it is not necessary to eliminate them. But in case of detection of more serious damage, sometimes it is necessary to replace some parts completely.
Free the chest of drawers from the old varnish or paint. The upper layers can be removed with a chisel; they usually come off easily. Carefully rub the remains with emery so that clean wood is visible.
Thoroughly clean the product of old paint and remove accessories
In places where noticeable bumps and dents are found, apply mastic with a spatula and level the layer. After drying, sand these areas with fine-grained sandpaper. Do this carefully, do not press too hard, otherwise you will damage the fresh layer of mastic. As a result, the surface should become perfectly flat.
The new drawer handles you buy may be smaller or larger than the old ones. In this case, you need to seal the holes left from the old handles that you removed with mastic and make new ones in the right places with a drill.
Note! There are handles that are attached to special screws. They do not need to drill holes. If you have the opportunity, purchase such accessories to make your work easier.
Dilute PVA glue with water. Using a brush, treat the entire surface of the chest of drawers. You can replace the glue with any primer. When the surface is completely dry, you can start decorating.
decorative elements
First of all, prepare the main elements of decor - frames for sidewalls and drawers. They can be made from conventional polyurethane moldings. In this work, the main thing is the correct measurements. The frame for the drawer should be located strictly along the edge. On the sidewalls it is better to make a small indent.
Correctly calculate the dimensions of the decorative frames on the boxes
It is also very important to properly trim the corner parts of the molding.
When you have prepared all the details for the frames, proceed to fix them. For greater reliability, fasten the frames with screws, then seal the places where they enter the moldings with mastic so that the hats do not stand out.
Cover with mastic the places where the screws enter the moldings
Now paint the installed frames with acrylic paint. Choose any color that you like or suits the interior of the room. For example, light coffee or beige is well suited for a French-style chest of drawers. Apply the paint in several layers, each time waiting for complete drying.
Paste wallpaper inside the frames. It is good if they have a thick texture and a fancy pattern. The ornament should be darker than the general background. After you finish pasting the wallpaper, carefully screw the handles into place.
For original decor, use wallpaper
The final touch is the coating of the chest of drawers with a transparent varnish. It should be applied in several layers.
Chest of drawers after restoration in the interior of the bedroom
To make the drawers slide out of the grooves easily, grease the wooden parts of the pull-out system with paraffin. Sliding will be greatly facilitated.
How to restore an old chest of drawers (video)
As you can see, turning an old bulky chest of drawers into a completely new and attractive interior element is not at all difficult, although troublesome. But all the difficulties fade before the result of the work. Tell us in the comments about your ideas for restoring and reworking old furniture. Good luck and enjoy your home!
A chest of drawers is an element of the decor of many apartments and houses. It is convenient to store bed and underwear, clothes and home textiles in its capacious drawers. During operation, the appearance of the furniture loses its attractiveness even with careful handling. Product design may lose relevance in a modern interior. Do-it-yourself restoration of the chest of drawers allows you to return the furniture to its former attractiveness, to revive the appearance.
There are many ways to restore a chest of drawers. Coloring, decoupage or aging is suitable. You can restore furniture made of plywood, chipboard, restore the look of an old chest of drawers. Before performing any restoration option, old furniture must be prepared and stocked with materials for work. This will require the following tools:
- grinder to remove the old coating;
- putty on wood and a spatula for covering cracks;
- screwdriver for dismantling old rusty screws;
- metal corners with which you can strengthen the structure;
- fine-grained sandpaper for sanding the coating;
- brushes and primer on wood for processing furniture for painting;
- drill for making holes for fittings, fasteners;
- paint, brushes, roller and tray for restoration at home.
Instruments
Depending on the finish option, the list of tools and materials may vary. If the chest of drawers is painted, varnish is used to fix the coating. When using the decoupage technique, you need PVA glue, beautiful stickers that will decorate the surface.
All materials and tools must be prepared in advance, as soon as it is decided how to update the chest of drawers. In order for the furniture to serve for a long time, it is recommended to replace the fixing and decorative fittings with new elements.
Furniture preparation
Restoration of an old chest of drawers will be successful if the furniture is properly prepared for work. The chest of drawers is freed from the things and objects stored in it, the boxes are taken out. Old handles are unscrewed - if they are antique, the products can be repainted in gold, bronze or silver. Parts that cannot be restored must be replaced with new fittings. Surface preparation is carried out as follows:
- to finish the old chest of drawers with their own hands, the furniture is wiped from dust and dirt. You can use warm soapy water for cleaning;
- do not use aggressive chemical components - ordinary laundry soap will do;
- carved elements are cleaned with an old toothbrush, and small decorative holes with an awl or other sharp object;
- grinder remove the old paintwork, hard-to-reach places are treated with sandpaper;
- repair of furniture fasteners - loose legs are disassembled, reassembled, adding PVA glue to the joints;
- wooden slats on which the boxes “ride” can be replaced with modern guide rails;
- if the product has cracks and chips, they are covered with wood putty. The mixture dries for at least a day;
- the restored places are carefully rubbed with fine-grained sandpaper so that the surface is even and smooth;
- to improve the adhesive qualities, the furniture is coated with a primer in two layers, allowing each coating to dry;
- the soil dries out from 12 to 24 hours - it depends on the type of primer chosen.
An antique chest of drawers with a long history may contain a unique brand or mark of the master on the surface - these fragments should be preserved in order to convey the charm of a restored antique product as accurately as possible. Restoring a chest of drawers with your own hands requires patience and skill. You can not ignore the process of preparing furniture, otherwise all the work will be in vain.
Dust removal
The old coating must be carefully removed from all decorative elements.
Sanding furniture surfaces
Restoration options
To return the furniture to a presentable appearance, various restoration techniques are used. The simplest option is decorative wallpapering, as in the presented photo. Some craftsmen cover with fabrics or lace. You can use stencils to apply original drawings with paint or make complex decor with plaster. But most often, restoration is carried out with the help of painting, spectacular decor.
Decoupage
Decoupage is the use of various materials to decorate furniture. For decoration, a variety of clippings are used, which are glued to the chest of drawers. The theme can be anything - floral motifs, birds, portraits, photo collages. Acrylic paints and ready-made stickers are used to complete the work. Decoupage of a chest of drawers in the popular shabby chic style - drawings are combined with an aged surface:
- prepare the surface of the furniture for processing (grinding, putty, primer), remove the boxes and remove the fittings, treat with alcohol;
- I restore the inner parts of the chest of drawers with white paint or ivory, let it dry for 12 hours;
- to simulate "scuffs" on the convex parts of the chest of drawers apply a dark stain with a dry brush in a small amount;
- the outer surfaces of the chest of drawers are coated with a primer, after drying they are treated with sandpaper;
- black acrylic paint is applied to the aged areas, after drying they are rubbed with a paraffin candle;
- paint the chest of drawers with your own hands in the base color. To make the drawings look expressive, use white, cream, beige;
- the paint is applied in several layers, each time the coating is dried until completely dry;
- decorative elements are cut out of decoupage paper. It is convenient to place large parts in the center, small ones in the corners;
- coat the pictures with PVA glue on the outside and inside, apply glue to the sections of the chest of drawers and glue the decoupage, as in the photo;
- the edges of the pictures are smoothed with paint to visually erase the borders. Cover the entire chest of drawers with varnish, fasten the fittings.
Antique furniture handles are painted antique. If decoupage is done in a modern style, you can choose new accessories to your liking. For decoupage, you can use newspapers, photos, napkins for needlework, stickers.
An interesting decoupage option in the Provence style is a combination of paper flower applications with lavender splashes. The chest of drawers is painted white, medium-sized blue or purple flowers are glued on, and then droplets of paint are splashed with an old toothbrush from a distance of one or two meters. The greater the distance, the smaller the droplets.
All irregularities are smoothed out with sandpaper
Edges and handles are painted with brown acrylic paint.
Edges and handles are rubbed with a candle
Painting with white acrylic paint and sanding
Drawing up a picture from selected pictures
Applying a layer of glue
Leveling with fine sandpaper
Replacement of metal parts
Old chests of drawers require not only decoration, but also the restoration of the system of fasteners and fittings. Metal elements of the dresser - bolts, screws, handles, corners. They eventually become unusable and lose their external gloss. Antique beautiful fittings can be left if the products are not damaged, or painted. This is true for models in the old style and shabby chic design. For restoration in a modern version, furniture handles should be replaced with new products. Fixing parts of the chest of drawers also need to be repaired or replaced. How to restore an old chest of drawers to make furniture more durable:
- carefully inspect the condition of the fasteners;
- unscrew old loose screws;
- wood glue is added to the holes;
- install dowels of suitable size;
- new fixing screws are screwed into the dowels;
- frame parts are connected with metal corners;
- the corners need to be fixed in the inside of the chest of drawers.
Be sure to check the condition of the legs. If they are loose, the products are disassembled and new fasteners are installed. To make the drawers slide easily when opening and closing, furniture rails can be installed instead of mounting strips. The main thing is that they do not disturb the harmony and harmony of the restored product. Additionally, furniture can be decorated with metal decorative overlays that imitate carvings or patterns. The main rule of restoration is to first replace the fasteners, and then proceed to decorating.
Drawer guides
One of the easiest ways to restore the beauty of a chest of drawers is to paint the furniture. It takes a little time, reliably hides the slightest defects and flaws, allows you to give the product any color. Before painting, the chest of drawers is prepared for restoration. Fittings are twisted from it, drawers are taken out and the old coating is removed. If the chest of drawers is polished, the top layer must be removed thoroughly so that the new paint does not peel off. Coloring master class:
- surface grinding, crack filling, priming;
- applying paint with a brush on the corners and in hard-to-reach places;
- painting the smooth surfaces of the dresser with a paint roller;
- drying of the first layer, secondary staining, drying;
- fixing the decorative coating with a layer of varnish.
You need to apply paint on furniture at least two times to make the color rich and beautiful. You can cover the chest of drawers with three or more layers - this way you can repaint dark furniture in light shades and vice versa. First, paint the internal parts, and then proceed to finish the external surfaces. Acrylic paints work well for painting. You can use alkyd enamels, but they release toxins and a strong characteristic odor.
Thermal removal of the old coating
Grinding can be done with a machine or special nozzles for drills.
Acrylic putty will hide defects visible to the eye
Painting is best done with a brush.
Painted chest of drawers
Aging
The current trend in furniture restoration is the use of aging techniques. It is in this way that an old chest of drawers can be given an original look. Aging work is slightly different from traditional staining. In addition to acrylic paint, white paraffin candles are needed. Restoration with the effect of aging is shown in the photo:
- furniture is prepared for work - cleaned, primed, strengthened fasteners;
- allocate dark paint (brown or black) accent areas. For the Provence style, blue is used;
- after the paint has dried, the places where the effect of aging needs to be applied are rubbed with wax;
- the entire surface of the dresser is covered with a layer of white paint several times. Places treated with wax are carefully scraped off with a knife;
- painted surfaces are rubbed with sandpaper to give the furniture the desired antique effect, and varnished.
You can achieve vintage “scuffs” on furniture by using contrasting shades - a white base and dark accents or a black base background, painted with light paint and rubbed in some places with sandpaper. Aged furniture harmoniously looks in the interiors of shabby chic, Provence, country, vintage houses.
Many of us have such furniture in the house that still functions, but outwardly already outdated. No need to throw away old things, because they can be transformed. One of the best solutions for such furniture is cosmetic repairs. Consider simple and interesting ways to update an old chest of drawers with your own hands.
Transformation of an old chest of drawers
Using this technology, it is not necessary to restore the old chest of drawers, you can also transform the new one a little, thereby betraying a little chic to the furniture. Before starting work, it is important to properly prepare the surface for painting.
Preparing furniture for painting:
- Before painting it is necessary to remove all fittings from the chest of drawers. You also need to remove all decorative strips and drawers.
- Now we need a rough skin, we will grind the surface with it. Then we will replace it with a fine skin.
- Next, we collect a basin of water. We soak a rag and wipe the dust. Moreover, the rag should not be wet, but slightly damp. We wait until the surface is completely dry.
- Using putty, it is necessary to level all chips and cracks. After drying, sand again with fine paper. We clean from dust.
Choosing a paint for a chest of drawers
There is a huge variety of paints for furniture. We recommend choosing water-based acrylic paints. They can be easily applied to any surface. In addition, they are harmless and do not contain lead.
Let's start painting
- First of all, it is necessary to prime the surface of the dresser with a 20% paint solution. Acrylic paints can be thinned with water. The primer allows you to reduce the consumption of paint material and smooth the surface.
- Now, with the help of a roller, we apply several even layers of paint material. But we don’t do it right away, after applying the first layer should dry, only then you can apply the next one. Remember that the paint can dry all day.
- If you are painting outdoors, do not do it in windy weather. Evening is also a bad time to paint furniture, as dew will prevent the paint from drying properly.
Attention!
The first 2 weeks after painting it is forbidden to clean the surface with detergents, it is enough to moisten a rag in water and wipe the dust.
We carry out decor
When decorating furniture, the option of painting with a stencil looks very original. It can be made independently from a dense PVC film, linoleum is also suitable. You can look at the design on the Internet or come up with your own, then cut it out on the film with a clerical knife. If there is no time for cutting, then you can order ready-made stencils.
After choosing a pattern, it is necessary to limit the surface for painting with masking tape. We apply the stencil to the chest of drawers and fix the edges with tape. We pass the roller with paint on the sticker several times.
If it seems to you that the drawing turned out to be small, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe furniture allows you to still apply the design, then you can safely rearrange the stencil and paint in other areas. In the same way, you can decorate the sides of the chest of drawers.
Restoration of a chest of drawers in the style of craquelure
The craquelure technique is small cracks on the surface of the furniture. Often they are covered with paint and craquelure varnish in several layers. To make the paint raw materials dry faster, you can use a hair dryer.
Attention!
It is not worth driving a brush over the same place, as the paint will roll into lumps.
Following the craquelure technique, you need to understand that in which direction the coating is carried out, there will be cracks.
It was a single-phase method, but there is also a two-phase method. Its main difference is that cracks are formed not from paint, but from the finishing layer of varnish. It contains a pigment that tightens the paint when it dries.
Decoupage restoration
The decoupage technique combines aging and sticky decorations. Scuffs are made with a stain and applied with a dry brush. Then comes the acrylic layer of dark shades. As soon as the layer dries, the surface is rubbed with wax. Then the last layer completes the painting work.
For decor, you can use ready-made stencils or a large paper print. If desired, you can stick small pictures to the chest of drawers and cover with a layer of varnish.
Aging technique
First of all, the entire surface of the chest of drawers must be cleaned and primed. We apply a dark color of the coating to the desired areas. Then everything is waxed and varnished. If there is no wax at hand, then sandpaper is suitable for work. In this case, the varnish layer will have to be applied several times.
How to replace metal parts
It’s not enough just to decorate an old chest of drawers, it still needs to be restored. Metal elements of furniture eventually become unusable.
For modern restoration it is necessary to change furniture handles for new products.
- It is necessary to carefully inspect the condition of the fasteners.
- Unscrew loose screws.
- Pour glue (carpentry) into the holes.
- We select the size of the dowel and install. Then we screw the screws into them.
- Using metal corners, we fasten the frame parts inside the chest of drawers.
Now we check the condition of the legs of the furniture. If they are loose, they should be replaced. Mounting strips are replaced with furniture guides. This is necessary so that the boxes slide easily. Then you can start decorating. As a decoration, you can use metal decorative plates.
Restoration of a children's dresser
Children's chest of drawers is a reliable and practical thing, where a lot of children's things are stored.
Furniture made in a thematic style is placed in the child’s room, then it will fit perfectly into the interior.
- Children love bright colors. For boys, furniture should be painted in blue, light blue, brown or green. While girls use other shades: pink, white, red, yellow, beige.
- As a decor, pictures with characters from cartoons and fairy tales can be applied to the chest of drawers, creating interesting collages. And varnished on top. Also girls love butterflies, flowers, animals, boys cars, robots, soldiers.
Here it is important to choose everything correctly so that the color scheme of the furniture is in harmony with the overall interior.