This guest post is written by Grace
Keister, Content Marketing Specialist for First
Team Real Estate. First Team Real Estate is the #1 Real Estate
Company in Southern California with over 1,800 local agents
throughout Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and San Diego.
Tired of your furniture and longing for
a new look and style? No need to go shopping, your home décor with
just a few simple DIY tips and tricks! Working with what you already
have is a great way to get creative, find your personal style and
save a bit of cash in the process.
Not sure where to start? Here are 5 DIY
ways to revamp your furniture, breathe life back into your boring old
pieces and change up the same old same old in your home.
Repurpose
Repurposing furniture is a great way to
revamp old pieces. Re-imagining and reusing something you love in a
new way is not only exciting – it’s cost effective and cuts down
on waste.
 |
| Taken from http://www.diy-enthusiasts.com/diy-home/diy-ladder-shelf-ideas-home |
Make an old door a table top. Gut out a
dresser you love and make it a book shelf. Hang a small step ladder
and it becomes a statement piece and shelf.
Not only can you transform one piece of
furniture into another, you can also simply update a piece that is
out of style. Repainting a child’s dresser and adding sophisticated
hardware can make it appropriate for an adult’s room or living area
and a old picture frame can work with your new style with a bit of
paint and the right technique.
Refinish
Refinishing furniture is a great way to
revamp old furniture especially if you have very simple pieces but
want a new look or color pallet. The best ways to refinish furniture
is to stain, white wash, or paint.
Staining wood furniture is the perfect
way to save an old piece that’s gone out of style. Sometimes it’s
not the shape or style of a piece that makes it look old and dingy,
it’s the old and faded condition of the wood. For example a new
dark stain could transform your old and beat up table into a new
sleek focal point for the dining room.
White washing is an easy option and
popular because it gives furniture a rustic farm look. Think Tom
Sawyer and his adorable white picket fence in the country.
Simply painting an old piece of
furniture is the simplest and easiest way to breathe life back into
it. The most fun and effective paint choices are usually bold ones.
If your décor is subdued then a pop of lime green or royal blue can
make a great funky yet sophisticated edition.
Distress It
Distressing ads character to your
furniture and is a great way to transform something old into
something vintage and cool. If you’d like to do a bit of
distressing just pick a wood furniture piece and start sanding! Once
you’ve finished sanding down the entire piece, add your choice of
stain, white wash or paint color.
Tips when distressing:
- Round out sharp edges to make them look soft and worn
- Add (small) cracks with a chisel and hammer along the grain
- Replace new hardware with vintage hardware
- Once your stain or color is on, end with a bit more sanding to finish off the worn and imperfect look
Accessorize
If you’re thinking all of this
painting and distressing is too difficult then take it easy and
revamp your look by simply accessorizing what you already have. Tired
of your boring old chairs? Add some flair and fun with seat cushions
or recover ones you already have. Simply accessorizing what you
already have is cheaper than replacing it and easier than
transforming the entire piece.
Accessorizing in fact is the best way
to revamp your home’s look in general because style is all in the
details. Breathe life back into a tired old cabinet by filling it
with decorative pieces that represent you and your style. Liven up
your kitchen by adding new curtains or a funky cookie jar. Adding
small pieces around your home that show off your personal taste can
transform your house and everything in it.
Take Advantage of Hand-me-downs
Do you know what another word for
hand-me-down is? Vintage! Using hand-me-down pieces of furniture can
give your current décor a cool eclectic feel and the best part is –
it’s free! Even if a particular piece is not your style give it a
chance because with a little bit of work, it could be. Turning
somebody else’s trash into your own treasure is affordable and
could be the perfect addition to your living room.
Using hand-me-downs is a great way to
save money and the best part is, the stakes aren’t high. Free
furniture is the best canvas to practice your DIY revamping ideas on.
If you pick a color that ends of clashing with your current style or
hate the way your Mod Podge dries, you can rest easy knowing it was
just your neighbor’s old desk.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more bespoke storage solutions visit Barbara Genda fitted furniture solutions.
