How to decorate an old polished chiffonier. How to restore an old wardrobe with your own hands

It would seem that when buying a new cabinet, the old one has two ways: to a landfill or to a summer house. But if you wish, you can give it a second life, thus saving on the purchase of other furniture.

Desktop

An old cabinet can be dismantled into building material for a desk. The body of the cabinet will serve as walls-legs, you can make drawers from the shelves. At the end, the structure should be varnished for wood.

Bedside table

From the old cabinet, it will turn out to make one or more cabinets. Both the body and the shelves are suitable for this. Moreover, they can be both hollow inside and with shelves or drawers, depending on your needs.

Shop

An old wardrobe can also serve as material for creating a shop. It is useful, for example, in the hallway, so that several people can simultaneously accommodate on it and put on shoes comfortably. You can make a shelf in its lower part where shoes would be stored.

Stools and chairs

Of course, homemade stools and chairs from an old piece of furniture can not be compared with the beauty and elegance of those offered by stores. Nevertheless, they may not be inferior to them in convenience, but will only cost the time and effort spent.

Wardrobe

If you leave only three walls of the closet and remove all the shelves from the inside, you get an excellent wardrobe where you can hang outerwear at the front door. If you still leave the top shelf, then this will be a niche for hats.

Box

An ordinary simple box is easy to make from any boards of the appropriate size. It is suitable for storing potatoes, old books or magazines, out-of-season clothes and shoes, and much more.

Shelves

It is not necessary to create a new piece of furniture, you can simply disassemble the old cabinet into spare shelves for other items. You can simply hang shelves for books, lamps and decorative items.

Even if the interior of the apartment is carefully designed by professional designers, and there is no place for home-made furniture, then these same ideas can be taken into account for giving, where most people already bring old furniture. In this case, the cabinet will not just stand in the corner and accumulate various rubbish in itself, but will live a second life as a useful piece of furniture.

Decorating an old wardrobe

If the purchase of a new cabinet is not planned, and the old one eventually began to look obscenely shabby, then you can refresh its appearance. There are several ways.

Painting or wrapping

This is the most obvious option. The old layer of paint is removed and the surface is repainted (it is not necessary to use the same color). If there are any scuffs on the cabinet, then you can cover them with special decorative stickers (they come in different shapes: butterflies, flowers, stars, raindrops, and even more complex images).

REFERENCE! If you need to refresh the appearance of the cabinet as a whole, then you can paste over the entire surface with wallpaper. If this seems boring, then on a plain background you can make a collage of memorable photos or motivating quotes.

Fabric use

If pasting with wallpaper and other paper for some reason is not suitable, then you can upholster the surface with a cloth. It is allowed to do this closely, or you can add some kind of filler so that the furniture is soft to the touch.

patterns

On sale there are special stencils of different shapes and sizes, with which you can paint the surface so that the piece of furniture will look like the original work of a talented designer, and not an ordinary old cabinet.

Slate surface

It is created using a special slate paint or film. It looks especially good in a loft-style room. But in any other case, it will be at least functional: write down daily plans for the day, leave yourself important reminders, draw and much more.

Aging

Provence style implies artificially aged furniture. The old wardrobe is ideal for this requirement. All that remains is to make his time-worn look neat and cute, and not be separate peeled spots.

Decoupage

This is the creation of a drawing on the surface using paper or other elements, and not paint. Patterned napkins, old newspapers and magazines, clippings from postcards and other paper products are suitable - anything that suits the style.

REFERENCE! With the proper approach and careful execution, the result of the work will be an outwardly completely new piece of furniture that can be mistaken for a project implemented by a talented designer.

Thus, any old wardrobe can live for many more years in its original state or a lifetime as a new piece of furniture. This will help save on the purchase of new things and add originality to the interior.

Soviet-era furniture - walls, cabinets, chests of drawers - does not differ in beauty, but is reliable and strong. Well, it's just that the hand does not rise to take it to the landfill. And rightly so. It is very easy to update it, giving it a completely new sound and a modern look. Alteration of cabinet-type furniture may not be very difficult: there are materials that allow you to significantly change the appearance with little effort. The easiest way is to change the color and accessories. With fittings, everything is clear - choose what is more suitable for the style, and the color changes in two ways - paint and glue the film (or wallpaper).

Alteration of the old wall: changing the design

Pasting old furniture with self-adhesive film is the easiest way to change the decor. The film is today both monophonic and color, different colors, textures and shades. It does not make sense to glue a film with a wood pattern: otherwise it is in trend today. But plain or with a pattern - this is what can turn an old wall into new furniture. The actions are simple, but the work requires accuracy. But the result is excellent. See two photos. On the first one there is an old Soviet wall from before the renovation, on the second - after.

Updating an old furniture wall - before and after

Now about how it was updated. A compacted self-adhesive furniture film was used, cream color, matte surface. The open part of the old wall was closed with glass doors, a translucent matte film was taken for the glass. Edging - furniture layout (also self-adhesive) color chrome. The order of work is as follows:

  • Everything that can be removed, removed, disassembled. Remove old hardware.
  • Surfaces must be clean and free of grease. This is easier to achieve with a soft cloth dipped in dish detergent. Then everything is washed off with warm water with a little vinegar. Wipe clean with a dry cloth.
  • Cut out the details. It is better to cut the film 8-10 mm more. The rest is then cut off with a paper cutter.
  • Spray the part to be glued with water from a spray bottle. On a wet surface, the film can be moved if something goes wrong. You can even peel it off without damaging it.
  • After removing the protective layer from the film, carefully lay it out. Having aligned, begin to smooth with a soft cloth from the middle to the edges. Try not to have bubbles. To do this, you need to move gradually, without jumping from place to place.
  • If there is still a bubble, it can be pierced with a thin needle approximately in the middle. Then expel air from the edges of the bubble to the hole and wipe the puncture site.
  • After gluing the film, we take a clean thin cotton fabric, spread it on top and iron it with a warm iron (medium heat).
  • We glue the trim, install new handles.

Such a sequence of work with every detail. With glass, everything is the same, only you need to glue it on the inner surface. After assembly, you have an updated wall. This technique can be used for any item: chest of drawers, bedside tables, wardrobe, etc.

For example, after a successful experiment with the wall, they redid the old cabinet in the same way and added it to the right. Now the whole wall is occupied. In the same way, you can update the kitchen set: stick a self-adhesive film and replace the handles.

There is a second way. It is a modification of the proposed method, but simpler and less laborious. Only the doors are pasted over and not with a film, but with non-woven wallpaper. Wallpaper is glued to PVA glue. To prevent the edges from bulging, the parts are cut 5 mm less on all sides. It turns out a kind of edging. Everything looks good (example in the photo below).

What is good about this method: it is easy to change the decor. Tired of the old appearance, cut off the wallpaper, pasted new ones. Despite the fact that the method seems frivolous, the appearance persists for several years. Its author even tried it on a kitchen set. Only the wallpaper on top is covered twice with PVA glue. In this case, the lockers can be washed. It is important to apply a layer of varnish evenly, without sagging, there are no other difficulties.

Sometimes the wallpaper is varnished. But before you do it, try it on an unnecessary piece: see how they react to it.

When choosing a varnish, you need to remember that acrylic and cellulose varnishes remain transparent after drying, polyurethane turns yellow after a while. Also, polyurethane is almost not softened by solvents: it can only be removed mechanically (from wood it is cleaned with sandpaper).

Dresser update

The old chest of drawers stood for who knows how many years in the attic, but it is very strong and reliable, not a single gram of cracked, only the polishing cracked. In terms of strength, it far exceeds modern products. This is the feature that is inherent in the old, still Soviet times, furniture. It is not very detailed (to put it mildly), but after standing for several decades in poor conditions, it remains strong. The makeover of the chest of drawers is more complicated: two techniques were used: painting, and then decorating with polyurethane moldings and wallpaper.

Step 1. We remove the accessories, remove the old coating. In some places the polishing was scraped off, in some places it was polished with sandpaper. Chips were covered with putty on wood, waited until it dries. At the final stage, everything was cleaned with a sandpaper with a fine grain. At the same time, the chest of drawers became the same as in the photo below.

This is after it has been puttied and smoothed with sandpaper.

Step 2. Installation of polyurethane moldings. When choosing moldings, make sure that they are not voluminous: too thick on a small chest of drawers will look very rough. They should be no wider than 5 cm and as narrow as possible when viewed from a profile.

Purchased polyurethane moldings are neatly cut, the corners are sawn down at 45 °. (). The pattern match must be perfect. We glue them on PVA. For reliability, you can additionally fix it on self-tapping screws with wide caps. A small recess is made under them, after the screw is screwed in, the hole is covered with putty. Try to ensure that the putty immediately lays down perfectly (you can touch it up with a wet finger), since it is problematic to clean off the dried one.

Moldings are glued and put on self-tapping screws

Step 3 Everything is treated with a primer. You can use PVA glue diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2. After the primer dries, paint (two layers). For this case, water-based acrylic paint was chosen. The color is coffee with milk, although it looks very different in the photo. Color rendering is inaccurate.

This is after the second application of paint. pretty

Step 4 For decoration, wallpaper was chosen, in which the coating is made using the silk-screen printing technique. Pieces are cut according to the size of the inside of the frames from the moldings, glued to the PVA. After the glue dries, the entire chest of drawers is coated twice with a water-based varnish.

Step 5 And the last to install new legs (furniture wheels) and handles.

We install handles and legs)) The updated chest of drawers is not at all like the one you saw in the first photo.

As you can see, there are no difficult jobs. Everything is really elementary. But all processes require accuracy - the appearance depends on it. In the same way, you can update the old wardrobe. Get a set for the room. Stylish and original.

When updating furniture, the worst thing is if the surface is varnished. The polish takes a long time to peel off. If the surface is smooth and polishing is not damaged, you can apply a primer for difficult surfaces on it, and paint after drying. This greatly speeds up the process of painting lacquered furniture.

If you have kids and a dacha or yard, you might be interested in reading with lots of photos. And about

How to update an old nightstand

In the photo gallery below you can see the restoration process of an old polished nightstand. First, the old polishing was removed from it, puttied, sanded, and after processing it was painted twice with acrylic paint. Then paper with an interesting pattern was glued to the doors (it was a gift paper bag). After drying, everything together was covered with two layers of semi-gloss acrylic varnish.

The sequence of work is simple if you know how to do it. All processes will repeat the sequence of actions that you saw in the example of updating the chest of drawers. The result is also impressive.

Remaking furniture with your own hands is a painstaking task, but the result is worth it. Below is a photo of a bedside table restored using a simple technique: it is pasted over with embossed wallpaper, and varnish is applied twice on top.

Table makeover

Using the same technology, a banal coffee table can be turned into a modern piece of furniture. In this case, it was pasted over with wrapping paper. It is dense, sticks well and does not sag when applying varnish.

Before starting work on decorating the tabletop, the legs of the old table and the edges of the tabletop were painted in a light color: this way it suits the new design style more. Then began the process of its transformation.

When pasting, the panel is cut out much larger than the dimensions of the tabletop. So it is necessary. Paper is glued on PVA, rolled with a roller so that there are no lumps and swellings. The surface must be absolutely smooth.

After pasting, take sandpaper with fine grain (it is more convenient to work if it is attached to a bar). Passing it along the edge, they bend and at the same time separate the excess paper.

Even cutting on a guillotine you will not get a fairly even edge. And with this method, it turns out to be designed professionally. Do-it-yourself and does not smell.

After the glue has dried, the surface is covered twice with a thin layer of varnish. It should be applied with a soft brush in a small amount. Layers are applied in different directions: first along the long side, then across.

Alteration of furniture: photo ideas

Remaking furniture with your own hands is a creative business. Even a boring one can be made into a great thing. And it is not necessary to repeat exactly what you see. Many useful ideas come during the execution of a "project". The only pity is that some of the plans are not as attractive as it seemed. Try, experiment. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to do this at minimal cost.

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.

  1. 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.

  1. Decoupage

This style is used mainly only on wooden surfaces. It is a sticking 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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:

  1. cabinet hardware replacement;
  2. cleaning an old closet
  3. necessary repairs;
  4. 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


Furniture decor is considered to be creativity, which should be done slowly. Many household products look unattractive after a long service. Many may be damaged. How to update an old closet? To do this, you can use one of the proven ideas, in which improvised means are used.

Is every closet eligible for an upgrade?

In many houses there are various lockers. Over time, they lose their relevance and aesthetic appearance. Please note that the update is not suitable for every product. For example, when working with MDF and chipboard, positive results cannot be achieved, and a lot of money will be spent on updating.

If the furniture is solid, for example, made of natural wood, then improving its appearance will cost less than buying a new one. The decor of the old cabinet can be done independently, without using the services of specialists. You just need to choose the most suitable method.

Decor types

How to update an old closet? For this, original ideas and various techniques are used. Some types of work can be performed without special skills. But there are options for restoring the appearance of furniture, for the execution of which you need to learn a little.

A wardrobe or utensils cabinet can be upgraded using the following methods:

  • Photo printing or wallpaper.
  • Color stained glass film and vinyl stickers.
  • Frosted glass or mirrors.
  • Vinyl or regular wallpaper.
  • Decorative plaster.
  • Fabric update.
  • Restoration and painting.

Each of these methods has its pros and cons. But if you do the job correctly, the cabinet will take on an original look, and then you won’t need to buy a new one.

Photo printing or wallpaper?

This method is used to decorate wardrobes. Large format printing has long been used in interior design. Specialists use a printer to draw a picture on paper or another surface. The disadvantage is that it is expensive. Decorative panels with photo printing on glass are called "skinali".

How to update an old wardrobe in a more affordable way? To do this, you can choose wallpaper. They should be purchased at hardware stores. The price is approximately 300 rubles. The theme of photo wallpapers can be different - landscapes, flowers, animals. Glue with starch is used for gluing, since, using it, it will later be possible to eliminate the old pattern, replacing it with a new one.

Application of stained glass film or vinyl sticker

How to update an old closet with these tools? They are simply glued to the surface to make the product presentable. are now considered fashionable. They can be purchased in specialized stores.

In addition to the beautiful decor, the film protects the cabinet from damage. Removing stickers is very easy. The cost of such decoration is relatively small. The self-adhesive backing can be changed frequently as it is easy to attach and remove.

Frosted glass and mirrors

Do-it-yourself renovation of an old cabinet will be possible with the help of matting. The method is suitable for glass and mirror structures. In industrial matting, the top layer of a mirror or glass is removed. It may turn out a multi-level volumetric product.

It will be possible to independently perform matting of glasses or mirrors using a special paste. To work, you need a stencil or a rubber spatula. The stencil must be put on the surface, apply the paste on it with a spatula. Then everything must be left for the period set in the instructions. If an abrasive paste is used, then you need to rub along the lines for about an hour. The rest of the paste is removed with water.

The use of vinyl and conventional wallpaper

A closet for clothes or dishes can be made new if you paste over it with wallpaper. This decor option is suitable for old wooden or "Soviet" furniture. These products will last a very long time. Classic paper wallpapers are great because they are easy to glue and stick. And they are cheaper than vinyl ones. But simple wallpapers have disadvantages: they are of poor quality, and the pattern on them is too simple.

Vinyl wallpaper can have a paper or non-woven base. They are considered heavier than simple ones. By the way, vinyl with a paper base is easier to stick if you use glue with starch. Before wallpapering, the surface must be degreased. This is done with alcohol, gasoline, acetone. The wallpaper must be straightened with a rag so that the paper does not go in waves. Then it will be a neat job.

Decorative plaster

This decoration method is called stencilling. The use of decorative plaster and stencil allows you to achieve voluminous original details. They are repainted in any color, gilded.

At work they use:

  • Stencil.
  • Decorative plaster.
  • Flat spatula.
  • Masking tape.
  • Acrylic paint.
  • Varnish.
  • Sandpaper.

If there is old paint on the surface, then it is processed with sandpaper so that the wooden base becomes visible. If the furniture is not painted, then it is necessary to remove the top layer, clean it of dirt. Cracks must be covered with putty. You should take a stencil created from cardboard that is attached to the door

Then you need to take a flat spatula, apply a solution of decorative plaster to the stencil, filling in the recesses. Before the plaster dries, it is necessary to remove the stencil, and eliminate the defects with a knife. After drying, the cabinet is treated with acrylic paint, which has a protective effect. Then varnish is required.

Fabric update

The use of fabric to update the cabinet looks beautiful. How to remake an old wardrobe with it? The material is covered with furniture. In this way, you can decorate cabinet doors by placing foam or synthetic winterizer under the material. The fabric on the back is fixed with a furniture stapler or liquid nails.

It is advisable to choose the upholstery material in the color of the wallpaper or other interior elements. It is advisable to purchase dense fabrics so that they stretch easily and do not deform over time. This decoration can be changed at any time using another option.

Features of restoration and painting

Often, restoration of an old cabinet is required to improve its appearance. In order for the furniture to serve for a long time, the following tips should be used in this work:

  • In some places, a decayed tree is treated with a metal brush. This removes dead tissue. Fine dust should be washed off with a jet of water.
  • Before painting, the cabinet is dried, which takes 1-2 days.
  • If there are holes from nails, scratches and other imperfections, the surface is treated with a spatula. All layers must dry thoroughly.
  • If the furniture contains parts with rust, they are treated with a special solution.
  • For painting it is better to choose acrylic. If you use enamel, then it is better to purchase alkyd, since it is of the highest quality. The work is more convenient to do with a roller and a sponge, because the paint penetrates deeper.
  • Lacquer is matte, glossy and silky. It is better to spray furniture.

These tips will help you get the job done right. Restoring an old wardrobe helps to update its appearance. It is necessary to choose a suitable idea, and you can begin to implement it. After that, the furniture will delight the original look. In addition, a successful self-updating of furniture definitely raises not only your mood, but also self-esteem. The main thing is to understand that there is nothing complicated in the options proposed above!