How to restore an old polished chiffonier. Do-it-yourself alteration of old furniture (65 photos): original ideas. Painting polished furniture

In any home, the closet occupies a very important place. It is a pity that over time it loses its original appearance: the appearance of cracks, faded paint make it unattractive, it goes out of fashion and looks out of date. We have to think about his future fate.

There are at least two ways out of this situation:

buying new furniture;
renovation of an old closet.

With your own hands, you can give the wardrobe a new life, turn it into a unique object, while saving significant funds.

How to restore?

Any antique cabinet needs a little restoration, which will significantly improve the appearance.

You can restore the wardrobe yourself, if you use the advice of specialists:

A metal brush is used to process decayed wood, after which dead tissue is removed.
The resulting fine dust is washed off under running water.
Sometimes holes from carnations, some bumps and cracks remain in the wooden elements of the cabinet. All this must be cleaned with a spatula. It is necessary to apply several thin layers of putty to match the wood. Each layer must dry before applying the next.
Then all layers are dried in fresh air for 1-2 days. Do not dry wood in the sun.
Sometimes there are metal parts in furniture that have rusted over time, such places should be treated with a special solution.
The restored surface can then be painted or decorated as you wish.
A self-adhesive film that imitates wood, stone, metal is perfect.

How to paint?

A cabinet that is out of fashion, but still quite strong and will last for more than one year, can simply be repainted. In this simple way, a new design of cabinets, chests of drawers and any other old furniture is created. In this case, we are talking not only about giving freshness to dull surfaces, but also about a complete replacement of the color scheme, which will add originality to the product. Painting is the most common option for updating an old thing. Despite its simplicity, it is necessary to approach this process correctly. For a durable result, you must first prepare the furniture walls.

Below is a step by step tutorial.

It will help to qualitatively and competently paint at home:

it is important to pre-clean the surfaces of paint residues: one layer will easily remove the emery-petal disk, special brushes will cope with several layers as a nozzle;
all walls, doors and other parts must be sanded manually or with a tool;
leveling occurs by applying a primer or putty to hide defects that have arisen during many years of operation;
it is necessary to wait for the leveling layer to dry completely, and after that you can start painting;

to apply the coloring layer from all sides, brushes, a roller or a sponge are taken, however, it is faster to use an airbrush or a spray gun. With this method, the paint is applied under pressure, so the doors, shelves and walls inside the cabinet are well painted;
as a rule, several layers of paint are applied. This ensures a rich color and a good surface finish. It is better to paint the cabinet with acrylic, alkyd enamel or other high-quality paint;
paint must be allowed to dry completely, after which you can apply a layer of varnish. It makes the cabinet glossy and shiny. If you prefer a matte surface, you can refuse varnishing. However, the use of this coating has a protective function, prevents abrasion and gives the tone greater depth. You can use not only glossy, but also matte and silky finishes.

Decor

If you decide to leave and decorate an old wardrobe with your own hands, it is possible to decorate it in different ways. There are many techniques that are used for decoration.

Decorative plaster

This is a rather complicated decoration option. First, the product, covered with old paint, must be treated with sandpaper. According to the stencil, it is necessary to apply volumetric elements to the facades of the cabinet with decorative plaster. The stencil itself must be removed before the plaster dries. Then uneven parts are smoothed with a spatula. Finished decorative elements are varnished or painted, gilding or antique patina is possible.

Photo printing

A sliding wardrobe or just an old wardrobe is very updated with photographs or photo wallpaper. Any pictures are enlarged with the help of large-format printing in the printing house. The surface is decorated with a panel or a collage of photographs, most often these are wardrobes with smooth doors. However, the service of such printing is expensive, so the budget option is more often used - photo wallpapers, which are sold in any repair store. Choose a variety of topics - nature, beautiful cities, animals and much more. If you use starch-based glue, in the future it will be possible to change the boring pattern.

stained glass film

You can decorate an outdated piece of furniture yourself without having special skills. It is very easy to stick stained glass film, fashionable this season, on the glass door of the cabinet. This will add the presentability of old furniture. In addition to the decorative function, the film protects the glass from impact and scratches. It is very easy to remove the film, but such a decorative technique looks very impressive, because the imitation is as similar as possible to a real stained glass window.

New fittings

There are no trifles in the process of decorating. Every designer knows that 40% of the success of any interior is details and accessories. In this case, you can transform the cabinet beyond recognition by changing all the fittings on it. New handles are important.

It is a pity if you have to throw away old, but high-quality furniture, especially wooden ones. But such products can be updated and used for more than one year. For a competent choice of decoration method, it is important to take into account the material and the degree of wear of the old cabinet.

natural wood

Previously, wooden furniture was made very high quality. Remove dust with a dry cloth before updating. Then check the fasteners, and if they are broken, they must be repaired or replaced. Inside the cabinet, it would be nice to perform an antibacterial treatment, a more budget option is simple vinegar. It will destroy the bad smell.

Then the choice of decor method is made.

Toning. First, all surfaces are leveled with wood putty, matched to match the cabinet. After the layer has dried, uneven areas are sanded with sandpaper. Processed and even planes are processed with a special structuring tinting for wood. Choose a decorative tinting color darker than the original shade of the cabinet. Such processing will completely change the appearance of the product.

Aging. Natural wood furniture can be "aged". The effect of worn antique cabinet surface is achieved as follows: a light tone of wood is painted in any dark shade, depending on the color palette of the room. Then, after the paint has completely dried, it is necessary to rub several fragments with a candle, after which light paint is applied, for example, beige, white, cream. When after the second painted layer is rubbed with sandpaper, abrasions will be visible through some light places. which are darker. When a dark cabinet is decorated, craquelures are made. To do this, craquelure varnish is applied to the surface. After it dries, small cracks form, which are highlighted with a dry pigment or oil paint of the desired shade.

Toning

Aging

Painting. This option involves pre-staining with light-colored furniture paint. After drying, the facades of the cabinet are painted with acrylic paints. If you do not have the skills of drawing and painting, you can paint the closet using a stencil.

Chipboard

If the cabinet is in good condition, it will be possible to use the same decoration options for decoration that are used in the design of wooden products, excluding tinting. Wardrobe in poor condition requires replacement of doors.

Dark polish. In our country, the cult model of such a cabinet was extremely common. The decor of this product is very difficult to modernize, since the dark synthetic varnish previously used for polishing furniture is almost impossible to remove. In addition, other decorative materials do not stick to it. Here it is necessary to make a strong-willed decision and replace all the doors if they are in poor condition. A well-preserved closet can be remodeled in one of two ways:

tupovka- toning with a sponge. For application, they take golden or copper metallic paint, which falls even on such polishing. The application technique is different in that in some places the coloring layer is stuffed with a sponge up and down. Then the perimeter of the doors is decorated with glued PVC moldings. In the central part of each door, a stucco rosette is glued, similar to the design of the perimeter.
Stencil ornament. To apply such an ornament, gold or copper paint is also used, but in an aerosol vial. First, a stencil is glued on the cabinet door in the form of an ornament. After that, a base for paint is made on a stencil using an aerosol matte varnish, which acts as a primer. After 5 minutes, a tinted aerosol is applied. After a five-minute wait, you can remove the stencil.

stencil ornament

stupidity

Sometimes an original idea to update old things leads to the emergence of a new one. A large number of diverse and unexpected techniques are recommended by designers. Among them:

Lace decor. In itself, lace or lace fabric is unique and does not raise any doubts about its aesthetic value. It is no coincidence that there are always a lot of applications for him in the field of decor, including furniture. Exclusive DIY furniture design is easy to do using it. You will need lace and paint. Attach a lace fabric to the facade in the right place and draw a brush with paint over it. Then the lace is removed, and a beautiful lace pattern remains on the facade.

Decoupage. Perhaps the most amazing effect is the decoupage technique. The cabinet is decorated with napkins that have a suitable pattern on their surface; they can always be found in any hardware store. The pattern is cut out, stratified and then glued with special glue for decoupage. The surface with pasted drawings must be covered with furniture varnish. As a rule, it is applied in two layers. This decor looks especially good on a light background. The cabinet, which was originally dark, must first be painted before decorating.

Today, many people have old furniture at home. It seems to be a pity to throw it away, but it also spoils the view. In reality, a simple restoration is needed. How to do it? Let's find out in this article.

Work process

Let's say we have this closet. After the update, it will stand in the hallway. It can be said to welcome guests. First you need to remove everything that you can. This is primarily a door. The mezzanine should be at the bottom. It will be convenient to store shoes here. Bars are placed under it along the edges, which are screwed with self-tapping screws.

The cabinet on top must be divided with a partition. Usually any board of the appropriate size will do.

On one side, put a crossbar. It is perfect for coats and other clothes. On the other hand, you need to put 2-3 shelves. Boards will do again.

In this photo you can see the switch. But for him it is possible to simply cut a small hole.

The bottom of the furniture became the top. Here you can store umbrellas and hats. As a rule, old furniture is not very attractive. But this is easy to change. All you have to do is paint it white. It is practically universal. Such a miniature mezzanine will fit perfectly into the distance that exists between the main cabinet and the wall. Self-tapping screws and corners are used for fastening.

First, sand the entire surface. Everything is covered with putty before painting. Cover everything thoroughly with paint. Then treat the surface with varnish for durability.

Doors are painted in the same color. You can use patterns from an old cabinet. Just be sure to treat them with gold paint.

Due to the fact that the doors from another cabinet turned out to be small, I had to use a special insert. There are many decorative solutions. But you can additionally screw the handles you like.

Shelves can be pasted over with a film, and the rest can be treated with acrylic enamel, which is odorless. On the left side, you can make a special decorative cutout. Look how great it looks.

As you can see, such a restoration is quite simple to carry out. This does not require a lot of money and time. Almost anyone can do this. So you can process almost any furniture. Naturally, you can make some adjustments of your own. Just use your imagination.

With your own hands? In any living space you can find furniture that makes up its interior. Here you can find chairs, tables of various shapes, armchairs, sofas, cabinets. Such furniture is constantly in sight and in addition to its immediate functions, it is necessary that it be attractive and decorate the interior of the room.

In this case, the question becomes relevant, how to paint the old cabinet? How to do this will tell the article.

Tip: Any cabinet with peeling paint can be made beautiful and spectacular. Therefore, you should not throw away old models, you can simply repaint them.

Features of old furniture:

It has the best quality.
Natural materials are used for its manufacture.
Furniture items are more reliable and durable.

Cabinets can be made from different materials:

From a tree.
From chipboard. Such material absorbs less moisture than wood. Therefore, chipboard will take longer to dry, it is much easier to create the desired color on it, a smaller primer layer is used, compared to wooden products.

When preparing furniture for painting, you must:

Remove all removable items:

pens;
loops;
boxes;
doors.

The result should be a completely clean cabinet frame.

Tip: Preparing and painting furniture should be done in a well-ventilated and well-cleaned area, and even better outdoors when there is no wind.

For the preparatory stage of painting, it is necessary to prepare:

Sandpaper with different grits.

Flat brush.
Sponge or rag.

With a sponge or rag, all dust and dirt is removed from the cabinet.
The remains of the old paint and varnish are removed with sandpaper (see How to remove varnish from wood: how to do the job). The process is performed in circular, sweeping movements.
First, coarse-grained sandpaper is used.
The cabinet is completely cleaned of any irregularities, varnish and paint residues. This will allow the new coating to lie on the surface evenly and smoothly.

Tip: When rubbing the surface, care must be taken not to erase the veneer layer. Otherwise, you will need to additionally rub the surface from the appearance of bumps and holes.

After processing the cabinet with coarse-grained sandpaper, the planes are swept from dust with a flat brush.

Tip: You can not clean the cabinet or chest of drawers from dust with a rag. Thus, it will not be possible to get rid of it completely, but you can clog the remaining dust into the surface itself, which will affect the quality of the cabinet painting in the future.

Places not treated with coarse-grained sandpaper are processed with fine-grained paper.
The cabinet is brushed again to remove dust.
The room in which the work is performed is carefully cleaned and cleaned of dust. A dusty room will degrade the quality of the painting.

What paint is used for the cabinet

Of all types of paint, it is better to give preference to acrylic paints.

Its advantages:

Bright color.
Has practically no smell.
It is quite easy to dilute with water to obtain the desired color.
This paint is quite easy to wash off, which allows you to correct errors when applying the coating.
Water evaporates after the paint dries, and the coating becomes more durable.

It is not necessary to paint the cabinet in one color.

In this case, you can experiment, for example, use two colors:

Beige for the base.
For details - a brighter color.

If you want to choose a different color or shade, you can use white acrylic paint, and then add the desired color to it. Choosing the right shade, its appearance can be checked on a small piece of furniture. Thus, the color that suits best is determined, its saturation is selected.

How to prime a cabinet

Before high-quality do-it-yourself painting of the cabinet, its surfaces must be overprimed.

Wherein:

The primer will prevent the surfaces from absorbing moisture, which will contribute to high-quality drying.
The desired color will not be lost. After applying the paint to the surface without a primer, after drying, the color may change slightly, due to the absorption of its part into the material.

It is best to use an acrylic-based primer. The components of this primer interact perfectly with the selected acrylic paint. Surface treatment with an acrylic primer is quite simple, the instructions for its use will help with this.

When using a primer:

It must dry completely.
It is necessary to make correct calculations of the surface areas to be processed, which will allow you to acquire the required amount of material.
The cabinet is primed with a roller, in a fairly thin layer.
The cabinet is left to dry completely.

How to paint a closet

Before repainting an old lacquered cabinet, you need to purchase the following tools:

Brush.
roller.

When choosing a tool, the owner's preferences and skills should be taken into account, but it is more convenient to use a brush. The latter is more reliable and practical to use.

Brush benefits:

The paint is applied over the entire surface in an even, uniform layer.
It can be conveniently painted in hard-to-reach places.

Tip: When choosing brushes and rollers for painting, preference should be given only to high-quality tools. Otherwise, on the surface to be painted there will be villi falling out of the brush, which is of poor quality. Brushes should be chosen in different sizes, which will facilitate the work.

Cabinet painting technology includes:

The first layer is applied with a paint of a lighter color than the selected one.
Its composition must be liquid.
When hardening, the paint is diluted with water.
The surface may acquire a different color, depending on the number of applied layers:

with one thin layer, the structure of the tree is visible, this is well suited for Provence style;
a thicker layer is obtained after applying several layers of paint.

Each layer is applied only after the previous one has dried.
The mouth of these strokes are applied in only one direction, then you get a uniform color and an original structure.

Tip: When using two or more colors, the borders between them should be sealed with masking tape, which will prevent mixing colors.

After a few days, a thin layer of matte clear lacquer is applied to the cabinet. It will better protect the painted surface from possible damage.
After the varnish has dried, all previously removed parts are attached to the cabinet.

Thus, you can transform an old wardrobe into a fashionable and original piece of furniture, which is well demonstrated by the video in this article.

How to age a closet

By simply painting an old cabinet, it becomes completely featureless, just a freshly repainted old piece of furniture that can be used on a balcony or in a garage. But it can also become a stylish rarity that will remind you of ancient times, a true interior decoration.

Tip: Only matte shades should be used for painting. For the effect of antiquity, gloss is absolutely not suitable.

Before painting the antique cabinet, the surface is primed with a special primer or primer, which will prevent wood oils from penetrating the finished surface and contribute to better adhesion of the paint to the wooden base.

To perform the work you will need the following tools:

Good quality brushes, different sizes.
roller.
Foam rubber.
Spray can.

Coating technology:

Painting begins on the inconspicuous side of the cabinet, which will allow you to fill your hand and determine how much paint to take on a brush or roller, and, if necessary, change the shade of paint.
The front wall of the cabinet is painted.
The second layer is applied after drying the first, after about three hours.

"Aging" the surface can be done in several ways:

"Wrapping" or "scraping". For this:

paint is applied;
the coating dries up;
rubbed with sandpaper places where furniture wear is typical, for example, on handles, in corners. You can scrub to the primer or to the tree.

"The effect of showing through the old coating." In this case, the product is painted in two layers: a paint of a different color is applied with a dry brush in the required places. In this case, the movements should be light, almost airy. This technique is called "dry brushing".
"Effect of contaminated surface from time". This effect can be achieved by uneven coating of dark wax in places where the cabinet is touched by a person’s hands.
An original and attractive technique - applying several layers of paint on top of each other. For example:

green paint is applied to the cleaned and pre-primed surface;
the next layer is bronze or gold;
the final layer is also green.

After the paint has dried, coarse sandpaper is taken and the surface of the cabinet is wiped with it. In this case, one paint should be visible through the other. After that, the surface is wiped with a finer sandpaper.

After obtaining a certain result, a thin layer of white is applied to the surface, which is diluted with water. The final operation is to cover the cabinet with a craquelure varnish.

How to protect the coating

The paint on the cabinet can be protected with a special wax that is used for wood. Wax is applied to the surface with an ordinary clean cloth, as in the photo, or with a foam rubber sponge. It is thoroughly rubbed and left for fifteen minutes before drying.

Wax is of two types:

Dark. The composition falls into recesses, pits, various cutouts, which gives the cabinet an inimitable effect of antiquity. If they cover the entire surface instead of transparent, the cabinet will become a darker shade.
transparent. This coating does not change the color of the product.

Tip: Waxing should be applied after a matt acrylic lacquer used on wood surfaces.

Updating furniture with varnish is best done every six months. The updated and beautifully painted wardrobe will give the interior of the room a novelty and comfort.

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration. Let's talk about how to do it at home, without financial and physical costs.

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration.

Restoring an old closet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself. Many houses have old furniture, nicely and comfortably arranged in the nest of families. For this, people came up with the idea of restoring old things so that they can take on a new look and please for a few more years.

Do-it-yourself furniture restoration is not only exciting.

Basic cabinet transformation tools can be found in every home. If for some reason there were no tools for working with old furniture at home, then you can easily buy it in the store.

The decor of the cabinet can be fixed with patterns or pasted over with various fragments from old albums and books.

Restoring an old closet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself.

The main advantage of restoration at home is that a bulky closet does not have to be taken out of its abode. The second plus is that you are watching the whole process yourself and it is easy to make any changes. About the third, it was said above, all the tools are within easy reach.

Each craftsman puts a piece of his soul into his products - this is not a metaphor.

For this, people came up with the idea of restoring old things so that they can take on a new look and please for a few more years.

In general, only creative people can cope with such work, since you need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more. But if you approach the work more responsibly, then, perhaps, without much talent, transform your old closet, which has remained necessary for many years.

Basic cabinet transformation tools can be found in every home.

Art Deco

For the design of such decorations, interesting and very expensive materials are often used that will last for many years. A distinctive feature of this style are various geometric patterns. They use bright colors for that interior, which at the end of the work are diluted with lighter and softer tones.

Decoupage

This style is used mainly only on wooden surfaces. It is a gluing of cut out figures and patterns, if necessary, finishing them. A common and original way in this style is to use patterned napkins and fix them with acrylic varnish ohm in several layers.

Covering with ordinary self-adhesive film

The name speaks for itself, various patterns are created using a self-adhesive film. Stencils are often used. One of the easiest and most effective ways to restore old wood surfaces.

Craquelure

This interesting way, on the contrary, emphasizes the antiquity of your furniture with the help of special craquelure, which creates cracks on the surface. The main thing in this style is the creation of deeper and wider cracks, for this it is necessary to apply layers, thicker.

Getting started, inspect the location of your furniture, what colors, tones should be chosen.

Let's talk about the latter method in more detail.

Wooden cabinets dry out, resulting in cracks. Our job is not to hide, but, on the contrary, to give beauty and elegance to cracks. Varnishes now there is a huge variety. Just choose the color that suits your interior. After choosing the right color, you need to prepare for work.

The main advantage of restoration at home is that a bulky closet does not have to be taken out of its abode.

If you still doubt whether you made the right choice in the direction of this style, it is possible to experiment on some small wooden things. Only the surface should be wooden and preferably outdated, for a more convincing effect.

The second plus is that you are watching the whole process yourself and it is easy to make any changes.

Materials for decorating the surface of an old cabinet:

acrylic paint;
craquelure varnish ;
matte acrylic .

When restoring a cabinet without the help of specialists, you estimate the cost of labor costs, which also has a positive effect on your budget.

The main thing is to approach all the work creatively and then your closet will take on a newer and more vibrant life.

Cabinet surface restoration tools:

brushes (different sizes);
pieces of fabric without a small pile;
container for dilution.

Only creative people can cope with such work, since you need to choose the right tones, shapes and more.

To quickly dry the surface, you can use a building hair dryer, but it also contributes to the increase in cracks.

When buying materials, be sure to check their quality. The varnish should be quite liquid. When applying, in no case shake the bottle, otherwise the subsequent application will be of poor quality in the presence of bubbles.

Use bright colors, which at the end of the work are diluted with lighter and softer tones.

Do-it-yourself cabinet restoration consists of the following steps:

cabinet hardware replacement;
cleaning an old closet
necessary repairs;
decoration in the style of craquelure.

Wooden cabinets dry out, resulting in cracks.

You can check how dry the furniture is with your finger, if it sticks slightly, but leaves no marks, the surface is ready.

Step-by-step instructions for restoration

We clean the surface of the cabinet from the old coating with sandpaper. Then we cover with acrylic paint, the color should be such that it fits your interior, it will be the main one. If you want to keep the color of the cabinet, apply a clear coat of paint.

Varnishes now there is a huge variety.

The thicker the layer you apply to the surface of the old cabinet, the wider and brighter the cracks will be.

After complete drying, the next layer of coating is craquelure varnish. The thicker the layer you apply to the surface of the old cabinet, the wider and brighter the cracks will be. After applying the second layer, the surface must dry thoroughly. You can check how dry the furniture is with your finger, if it sticks slightly, but leaves no marks, the surface is ready.

After choosing the right color, you need to prepare for work.

When applying the second coat of paint, you need to act very quickly and move the brush in one direction. A Soviet cabinet is covered with one layer. If you decide to create a layer of Venetian plaster, then the paint should be applied with pieces of cloth or a sponge.

Only the surface should be wooden and preferably outdated, for a more convincing effect.

After the paint has completely dried, the final layer of varnish is applied, it may already be matte. To quickly dry the surface, you can use a building hair dryer, but it also contributes to the increase in cracks.

When buying materials, be sure to check their quality.

The decor of the cabinet can be fixed with patterns or pasted over with various fragments from old albums and books. Only your imagination and interior will help here. The main thing is to approach all the work creatively and then your closet will take on a newer and more vibrant life. Do not doubt your efforts, feel free to get to work and you will definitely be satisfied with the result!

The varnish should be quite liquid.

We clean the surface of the cabinet from the old coating with sandpaper.

VIDEO: Cabinet restoration

50 photo ideas for restoring an old closet

Did your grandmother leave you antique Soviet furniture from the 1930s? Did your parents reward you with an old closet from the 60s? Do not rush to get rid of them! In this article, you will learn how to do the restoration of Soviet furniture with your own hands, or rather, how to update old furniture so that it becomes pleasing to your eye again. Photos of successful experiments are attached. So…

Stage 1: replacement of furniture fittings

Most of all, in old furniture, poorly closing doors are annoying. If you are going to take on such a thing as reworking Soviet furniture with your own hands, then first you will have to buy new fittings, find material for sealing loose holes (you can use putty, dowels or corks), get a screwdriver and a screwdriver, and then work hard on fixing doors.

We advise you to also take a closer look at the rest of the fittings. Sometimes simply replacing old-fashioned handles can be enough to make a big difference in furniture. As for the staggering legs of chairs and tables, they can be put in order in any workshop.

Stage 2: furniture cleaning

Before proceeding to the alteration of Soviet furniture, it should be thoroughly cleaned. Do-it-yourself restoration of Soviet furniture begins with the removal of dirt and soot, which is recommended to be done with an ordinary sponge, soap made from any vegetable oil, and warm water. To clean the most problematic places - corners and cracks - use a soft toothbrush, for narrow gaps - a wooden dowel, pointed at one end.

Stage 3: Renovation of old furniture

Worn and upholstered surfaces of Soviet furniture must be put in order. For grinding, use sandpaper or a special grinding tool (whoever has what). Any cracks can be carefully repaired with putty, after which this place has dried, this place will need to be sanded again.

Advice: before puttying and painting, the surface should be treated with a primer - then the adhesion will be better, and the applied paint or putty will lie more evenly.

Stage 4: decorating furniture with your own hands

The fourth stage of the restoration of Soviet furniture with your own hands is a decorative finish. Coloring, varnishing, painting, decoupage of furniture, decoration with stickers - here you will have to dream up and choose the most suitable option. You may be inspired by the ideas in this article.

How to update old furniture - furniture painting

Let's start with the most popular and easiest way to update old furniture. Here you will learn how to paint Soviet-era furniture.

Painting furniture should only be done if it is made of cheap wood (pine, etc.). If your Soviet furniture is made, for example, of oak, then painting it is highly discouraged, as this will permanently reduce its value.

Do-it-yourself restoration of Soviet furniture is usually done with oil paint. How to paint furniture correctly:

Apply the paint with light strokes in a thin layer along the wood fibers.
Let dry for about 12 hours.
Clean the surface with sandpaper, wipe off dust and apply a second coat.

If you are restoring Soviet furniture of the 50s-70s, which was made in a minimalist style, then black and pastel light colors are perfect for painting it. With this finish, it will be a great accessory for a modern interior.

If you want to be more creative in painting furniture, but you don’t own hand-painted, then use templates. They are sold in stores, they can also be printed from the Internet and cut out on thick paper. Before applying the pattern to the furniture, the stencil must be fixed with adhesive tape.

Painting furniture - photos of old furniture before and after:

Do-it-yourself chest of drawers restoration:

Also read:

How to update an old wardrobe:

How to redo an old bedside table and chairs:

It has become very fashionable to paint furniture with thin lace. Just fix the lace fabric on the surface of the Soviet furniture, then apply the paint. The result is amazing!

Alteration of old furniture through varnishing

If Soviet furniture is made of precious woods, then, as we said above, it is better to cover it with a fresh layer of varnish than paint over it. How to update old furniture through varnishing?

Firstly, when reworking or restoring Soviet furniture with your own hands, it is best to use oil varnishes. They are suitable for all types of wood and form very durable, shiny and moisture resistant coatings. The only negative is the long drying period (up to 12 hours). For comparison: shellac varnish dries in 1-2 hours, and nitro-varnishes in 30-40 minutes.

General rules for reworking old furniture:

Varnish can be applied with a brush or a piece of dense, lint-free cloth folded 2-3 times;
The varnish is applied in 3-5 layers, and after applying each new layer, the drying time should be increased;
Excess varnish should be squeezed out on the edges of the jar, the brush can sometimes be washed in an alcohol solution.

How to update old furniture with craquelure varnish

We also want to give you an example of a special varnishing method, which is performed using a special varnish - craquelure.

To remake old furniture today, there are many varieties of craquelure varnish: with the effect of patina, gilding, etc. The most common one is applied in a thick layer on top of the main paint layer, after which it is covered with a different color to highlight cracks. Also, craquelure varnish can consist of two components: the first is applied to age the treated surface, the second to create decorative cracks.

Restoration of Soviet furniture with the help of craquelure is perfect for lovers of antiquity and country style. As, however, our next method is decoupage.

Mastering the decoupage technique will help you turn old Soviet furniture into a real design masterpiece. Decoupage of old furniture is performed using the following tools:

Sandpaper fine grit;
Alcohol;
Primer;
Brush and glue for decoupage;
Roller or sponge;
Decoupage material - newspaper clippings, old postcards, letters, drawings, book pages, etc.

In search of inspirational ideas and materials for decoupage, the Internet will help you. For example, we especially like these 2 examples of how to update an old chest of drawers with the decoupage method:

Surface preparation with sandpaper;
Cleaning with a cloth soaked in alcohol;
After the surface dries - applying a primer (3-4 layers);
If decoupage materials will be used only in places, then the furniture must first be painted to make the background;
If the furniture will be glued completely (for example, with newspapers), then immediately after the primer dries, you can start applying glue;
Thin paper can be immediately applied to the glue, while thicker paper should first be thinned with sandpaper and soaked in water;
Wet paper is blotted with a towel on both sides and applied to the glue;
After gluing all materials, you should walk on the surface with a roller or sponge to remove glue residue;
The last step is to apply varnish to the dried surface.

Original furniture in Provence or vintage styles is ready!

Photos of old furniture before and after decoupage:

How to update an old wall

Those who are interested in reworking furniture with their own hands - here are ideas for you on how to update an old Soviet wall with decoupage and new paint:

Liked? Then read: !

Do-it-yourself Soviet furniture restoration updated: October 27, 2015 by: Margarita Glushko

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