DIY: Upcycle your furniture without breaking the bank

Everyone has them: those bits of furniture you don’t really use any more because they’re too old, too damaged or just don’t look right any more. Spruce up your place by turning these forgotten items into masterpieces of DIY interior design.

Why upcycle?

Whether it’s to sell your apartment or bring some life back into a room, upcycling your furniture is a key way to bring a new elegance to your home without shelling out. Instead of going the whole hog and buying new bits and pieces for your interior design, why not update the ones you already have? Bring a contemporary touch to your chairs, repaint your walls and cupboards, add your own style to the bog-standard bedside table – all for a fraction of the cost of buying new.

How can I give my stuff a makeover?

No matter what piece of furniture you’re saving from the skip – a chair, table or desk – the first step is to clean it and strip it of any accessories, cushions, stickers etc. For anything waxed or polished, you can completely strip it using steel wool pads, always going with the grain of the wood. This can take some time to complete. If the wood is unoiled, you can use sandpaper to smoothen the surface and get rid of any bumps or scratches. Again, rub the sandpaper in the direction of the fibres in the wood. When your piece of furniture is clean and dry, apply a coat of water based paint. Once more, paint in the direction of the wood fibres. To finish off your upcycling, apply a coat of clear varnish the next day.

The procedure is the same for drawers, but make sure to unscrew any nails or screws first. A simple procedure to save money and save your furniture.

 

Author: Roomlala