Home Furnishings Refinishing Ideas or Redoing Antiques and diy Old Furniture Repair
The Earth is more important than money, and if we want our children to have a clean place to live, we need to do our part now. We can't buy our children a new planet.
-Catherine Norton
Decor Update
"I'm tired of this old furniture!"
It's something you hear so often when folks are tired of their furniture arrangement. There's nothing like a bit of change to brighten your day and give you a fresh outlook, especially when short on cash do-re-mi.
Some people even rearrange as a way to fight depression while others change paint. Just look at Soviet era buildings. Sameness is not necessary. So, let's investigate a way to rid the body of those furniture blues.
I have discovered a wonderful place to snatch up furniture at a great buy. My favorite place is the street curb. Believe it or not, folks seem to be so busy these days that they will throw out perfectly good furniture and appliances because something small is broken. So many times, I have picked up a chair with one leg missing. And the best find of all is a solid wood chair with a leg missing. Wood can be refinished, and it can be done so easily.
Fashioning Parts
Cutting a replacement leg or repairing a leg in pieces is frequently not that hard. Use a carpenter's glue and clamp that leg. Then, if you are unsure of its stability, buy a small straight bracket with two holes and screw it on the back where it cannot be easily seen. This kind of steel bracket can be had from a hardware store at less than fifty cents. You can make your own filler to cover up the seam of the crack by mixing a few drops of carpenter's clue mixed with sawdust (mucky puck). If you don't have sawdust, get a piece of sandpaper and a piece of wood and make some! This is the poor man's way of making wood filler, as it is inexpensive. "Why do it?" you say. Because this inexpensive filler will also take up stain. If you're painting, the paint will stick to it as well. If you just use the glue without the sawdust stain, stain will not be absorbed. And lastly, I have even scraped and peeled a thin piece of wood with a sharp whittling knife to fill large holes. Then you don't need to use so much of your homemade filler.
Have you ever repurposed a piece of furniture by painting, repairing, or changing use.
- 0% Never
- 33% A few times
- 44% Often
- 22% All of my furniture has come from salvage
Paint Covers Sins
Of course, this provides you with a good new piece. What if you don't like the finish? Sand it down - I know it can be a lot of work, but you will feel great when it is done - and think about darkening the wood. I have discovered a way to make a dark finish out of a household product most of us have. To darken wood, use store bought ammonia, coating your furniture with a paint brush. This is also called fuming and dates back to the Middle Ages. Do not mix ammonia with bleach, and for heaven's sake, do it in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside.
Here's A TIP
Use a 1/2" pipe strap or smaller and screw it to the back of a wooden chair. Put colorful artificial flowers in them. Match flowers with all the chairs for a theme if you wish. Good-looking artificial flowers are inexpensive at dollar stores.
Here's An Old Trick
Using bleach in the same way lightens dark rings and scratches that have collected dirt. So, it is used mainly to clean, but it also can be used at times for a distressed look. Wash the furniture with a sponge after it is absorbed and let the piece dry.
A Stain Can Be Good
Paint stain is another way to refinish and reinvent an, let's say, uncovered wood rocking chair. Basically, just pour out enough paint to cover the chair. Make sure you estimate high because after adding water to thin the paint for rubbing you will find it hard to create the same mix if you run out. Use a clean old rag to dip into the stain and rub it on a blank piece of wood. Continue testing until you get the right color. Applying a second coat on your rocker (or whatever) after drying it will darken.
Stencil It
Paint covers a myriad of sins. If you have a spot that isn't so easy to refinish, think about a stencil. I make my own. Find a picture that you particularly like and trace it. Cut it out (I usually use tag board or rustle up a manila folder). Put the stencil at the appropriate spot and paint the color you want. Acrylic paint is pretty cheap and most of us have paint leftovers in the garage.
Open Up
If you want to bring new life to a room and you have four solid wood chairs to work with, paint them all a light color, preferably white (this also gives the space a more open look) and think about the look you want. If it's a Dutch theme, make a tulip stencil. If Norwegian, maybe paint a "simple" rosemaling patterned stencil. Not only will the results look rich, but it will brighten your day and everyone else's.
Intention to Bring Life
All of us have the best of intentions but sometimes the projects we stow away do not come to life. In the old days, a piece of furniture that had deteriorated or that had become loose was disassembled and placed on a shelf for later refinishing. People back then didn't have as much money as we do today and were extremely reticent to waste. Another good spot to find such things is in your grandparents' or parents' attic. For example, I found a small shelf with spindle legs made of solid wood piled under a large trailer. My wife's grandfather intended to bring it back to life but passed away before he had a chance. Her grandmother was not aware of its existence and was glad to let me have it. It was found while doing maintenance on the trailer. Gotcha! This was solid wood and had been lathed.
Color Is Loud Speech
Some people enjoy using contrasting colors. In my case, I have enjoyed bright colors in my kids' room. So have they! Play tables are often found by the side of the road with a minor injury. In some cases, you can take a small table and cut down the legs. After cleaning up the piece, all you need to do is paint. What a difference! Got old children's wooden furniture? Why not repaint it? This also works well in a family room.
Want a quirky look? I have found that when I have repaired and/or refinished a piece of wood furniture, it may wind up not going with decor in other rooms. That's when it seems to wind up in my work room. But don't think it is a reject! The contrasting pieces are just right for an imagination lab. Not only does it excite, but it provides an atmosphere for creativity and exploration.
Great Leftovers
Why not save your old piece or resurrect a poor wooden nightstand leaning against a garbage can like a stray dog wanting a home? Another favorite place to discover untold treasures is a college dormitory at break time. There is all manner of furniture that coeds leave behind. The area near a dumpster at apartment complexes is also great territory providing for serendipitous adventures. If you are in the market for a free office swivel chair, check out the dumpsters near doctors' offices. You may have to ask permission.
Fastening Tip
A right-angle strap can often cure a disconnected leg. When painted copper and brown, or stained (oil stain) and placed on the inside, it is almost invisible.
TIP
Broken crockery can come in handy too. Make slight changes in the pieces once broken with a Dremel tool or electric drill with a grinding wheel.
A Conclusion
For many, the thought of new furniture is out of the question. You're as tight for money as a new college graduate working part time on minimum wage! Not to worry. You can get a new look for free, or almost free.
Some people rearrange their furniture. Others bring new vitality to furniture or fix a discarded piece and fight the fog of boredom. Rejuvenating can give you a new lease on life. When human beings are stuck in dull surroundings, they tend to have a brain condition similar to low-lying thunderclouds heavy with rain. Use the suggestions in this article to bring about a spring fresh look.
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