How to Save Old Wooden Furniture

Every year it breaks our hearts to see so much furniture moulding away at the tip that could’ve been refurbished, refinished and reused. Think out of the box with your old furniture and give it a position in your future. This blog gives you a series of ‘How Tos’ to help you revamp that furniture and give it s new lease of life. Stain: Staining furniture is the most well-known and traditional route for restoring furniture. It is the best way to keep the wood colour but to give it that extra shine. There is a process to staining furniture; you have to prepare, condition, stain and seal the wood. There is a guide here. Chalk Paint: Chalk paint will make your life a little easier that average paint. You can make your own chalk paint or purchase it from BnQ. You don’t need to faff with sanding the wood as the paint can be applied directly to furniture. It also goes a long way, as it is very thick. You will be left with a pristine, white finish. Distressed Vintage: All you need for a distressed vintage look is some spray paint and sander. The wood does need sanding for this job before you get started. Paint all the wood with the spray paint and then use sandpaper to rustically shave away some of the paint. Try to focus on sanding away areas that would naturally look scuffed over time for the more natural look. You can also used spray paint to give your furniture block colour, if the distressed look isn’t your style. Wallpaper: Finding a wallpaper print that you like could be one way to spruce up a wooden piece of furniture. Simply leave the pieces of wood unpainted that you plan to cover with wallpaper and paint them with glue. Apply the wallpaper, being careful to line up any patterns and then add an additional layer of glue on top for protection. Decoupage: You can also decorate old furniture with cut outs, a process called decoupage. You can get really creative with the material you decide to use, such as an old map. Mix up some water and glue to apply the material of choice to your wooden furniture. You can also purchase a shop-bought alternative. Stencils: Stencils add a gorgeous extra detail to old furniture, and looks especially good on bedroom furniture for females. It is easy to apply with a foam roller and it is recommended to tape the stencil to the piece of furniture so it doesn’t slip.