Do you have furniture that you wish looked less outdated? Are your furnishings not so attractive to the eye? Try these five ways to modernize outdated furniture in your home and give those old pieces a fresh update.
1. Paint It
Sometimes the best way to modernize a piece of furniture is to give it a new look. Painting is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to change the appearance of your furniture. Paint can be used to conceal minor flaws in older furniture from chips, dents, or scratches, as well as even out color variations that occur with age.
When you’re shopping for paint, ask a store associate to help you find the right product for your needs. Some paints are designed, so they don’t require sanding. And other types of paint are made specifically for plastic or metal surfaces.
If you want to use a traditional brush to apply your paint, make sure you choose one with a fine tip that has soft bristles and if you need some extra help, use painter’s tape around any areas where you don’t want paint applied. For a clean finish and an easy cleanup, try using a foam roller instead of a traditional brush. The foam rollers make it easy to apply an even coat of paint without leaving behind streaks or brush strokes.
To save time and effort, consider using spray paint for your next project. Spray painting provides fast, even coverage and dries quickly, allowing you to finish the job quickly.
2. Add New Hardware
One of the easiest ways to modernize a piece of furniture is to add new hardware from a furniture store in edmonton. Most antique and vintage furniture items have hardware that is outdated and oversized, but adding a few new pieces here and there can really update the look.
The first step in updating your home with new hardware is to decide what type, shape, size, and finish you want. Once you know what you want, start shopping around for knobs, pulls, or hinges in those styles. If you already own a piece of furniture and want to modernize it by adding hardware, be sure to measure the space you have and make sure the new pieces will fit before buying them. You don’t want to spend money on pieces that won’t work for your project.
Adding new hardware is a great way to modernize a piece of furniture because it’s an inexpensive option that doesn’t require a lot of time or skill. If you’re not confident in your ability to paint or stain wood furniture, this may be the perfect option for you. It’s also a good option when working with upholstered pieces since painting or staining wouldn’t be appropriate.
3. Try Upholstery Surgery
If you’ve got an old sofa or chair that’s faded, torn, or simply outdated, don’t toss it. With modern reupholstering techniques, you can bring your old furniture back to life. Start by removing the current upholstery and taking measurements: You’ll want to replicate the pattern or design on the new fabric. From there, cut out your new fabric pieces and use your sewing machine to assemble them on top of the frame.
If you’re trying upholstery surgery for the first time, start with small pieces like dining room chairs or throw pillows before moving on to more complicated projects like sofas and headboards. That way, you won’t have too much fabric if you make a mistake.
4. Give It a Facelift by Re-finishing the Wood
If you have a piece of furniture that has been in your family for years and you don’t want to part with it, give it a facelift by re-finishing the wood. That old trunk that was at the foot of your Grandparent’s bed, the armoire that your great-grandparents brought with them on the boat from Ireland, that little shelf that you used to keep all your books on when you were little – they can all be made into beautiful conversation pieces.
First, take out all the drawers and shelves. Then, using medium-grade sandpaper, sand off all the old varnish or lacquer or whatever finish was on it originally. When you have it bare wood, then sand it again with fine grade sandpaper until it is smooth as silk. Toss out those old drawer pulls and knobs and get some new ones from a hardware store or an antique store. You can decide if you want to paint or stain the wood – either way will work fine.
5. Add Legs to a Piece of Furniture That Sits on the Floor
Adding legs to a piece of furniture that sits on the floor is an easy way to modernize it. You can use legs made from wood or metal; just be sure they’re strong enough to support the weight of what they’re holding. And it’s best if they match in color — or contrast nicely — with the rest of your decor.
Not only can you save money by repurposing and reinventing old furniture for new purposes, but you can also help reduce the amount of usable furniture going to waste. What’s more, keeping and fixing older pieces of furniture gives them a new life, which is something that most people don’t think about when they throw away old furniture. If you have outdated furniture at home, consider ways to modernize it so that you can keep it around.
