Homeowners are often looking for ways to revamp the interior of their home at low costs, but we all know how unrealistic that goal is. Buying new furniture is usually a costly affair, and most of us just avoid purchasing a new sofa set or dining table unless our older one is beyond repair.
However, what if you could use small and cost-effective DIY furniture hacks to change its appearance and make it look like new again? Interested? Well, we are sharing 10 of the best ways to give new life to old furniture without spending a fortune on new pieces. Let’s get started with how you can perform this magic without burning a hole in your pocket.
1. Rub Out the Scratches
Whether you have pets in the house or the furniture has been moved around a lot, wooden furniture starts to look old and tired because of scratches developed over the years. If you’re thinking about replacing your dining chairs because of the unsightly scratches, think again. We have a hack that can make those scratches disappear. What’s more, it doesn’t cost a fortune either.
Just use ground coffee or walnuts to give new life to old furniture. If you’re using coffee, add a few drops of water to the coffee powder to moisten it. Now, dip a piece of cotton in the mix and apply it to the scratches on the furniture. Wait 10 minutes before wiping the surface clean with a dry cotton cloth. Lo and behold, scratch-free furniture! Remember, this trick is best for wooden furniture of darker shades.
Got lighter wood pieces that need a fix? Simply take a walnut out of its shell and rub it over the scratched area. Wipe the area with a dry cloth after a few minutes, and voila, your furniture now looks like new.
2. Style It with Paper
Wallpaper works wonders in covering up your walls, and it can do the same for your furniture pieces too. Just cut out pieces of wallpaper as per your furniture’s dimensions and use wood glue to stick the paper on the surfaces of your choice. Use a ruler to remove the air bubbles and let it set.
This trick is best for pieces with damaged surfaces that are beyond repair. You can choose to paper the whole piece or just portions of it. The choice of wallpaper can also be based on your preference, giving you a way to update the look of your furniture at low costs as per the colour scheme and design of your choosing.
3. Paint It Over
Don’t want to cover up your furniture with wallpaper? Well, how about painting it? Just pick out a colour of your choice and get going. This method can help you create a new set of chairs from mismatched ones, help you hide tears or scratches, and introduce a bright and colourful addition to your home.
4. Cover Parts of It in Paint
One alternative to painting the whole piece of furniture is to paint parts of it. For instance, painting cabinet doors and drawers while leaving the frame in its original colour is a good idea. This can give new life to old furniture with just a minor touch up of paint on the most prominent parts.
5. Replace the Fittings
From handles to locks, many things can be modified in terms of hardware and fittings to ensure that your furniture pieces look like new. Adding modern stainless steel knobs and glass handles or even changing your cabinet door to incorporate a glass centre within a wooden frame can help you modify the appearance of your furniture.
6. Change the Legs
Changing the height of furniture pieces can often give them a new look. If your sofa sits flat on the floor and does not have legs, add them to elevate it and enjoy its fresh appeal. Similarly, if the legs of your sofa are rusty, too short, too long or loose, replace them and add new legs to make it look like brand new.
7. Clean It Deeply
If your lovely leather couch is now more grey than lavender, you know its crying out for deep cleaning. While buying a new couch is a possibility, giving it a deep cleaning with a soapy rag, a vacuum cleaner or a leather cleaning solution is a more cost-effective alternative. After you’re done with the cleaning, wipe it dry, and there you have it. The couch that you were ready to throw away is as good as new again.
8. Use Stencil Art
If changing fabrics is not a viable option, consider using stencils to create beautiful patterns on your furniture and give it a new look. The patterns can be added using paint, and you can use as many colours and designs as you want to give a spin to your existing armchair or table.
9. Reupholster with a Fun Print
Your sofas and chairs can get a new life if you merely reupholster their fabric. Choose a vibrant print for your sofas and chair cushions and fill it with the existing stuffing. Once it’s done, set it up in your home again and enjoy the new look. You can also add new throw pillows into the mix for an added burst of colour.
10. Give a New Purpose to Your Furniture Pieces
Getting tired of your TV console? Add some wheels, change the wooden levels to glass slabs, and you’ll have a serving tray that is worthy of putting in front of your guests. Too many mismatched chairs? Remove their seats, place a single slab of wood between them and screw it in. Paint over the chairs and a customised bench awaits you.
Are your kids no longer using their wooden writing table that has seen so many homework and test preparations? Convert the space under the desk into a cabinet to store your shoes, books and other items of regular use. Open shelves collecting dust? Add glass doors that can be closed to keep the dust away while also showcasing your decorative items.
These are just 10 of the many ideas that you can brainstorm to give new life to old furniture by changing its purpose, use, colour and appearance for a revamped interior within a budget.
