If you have recently made a renovation or are just about to start it, then in addition to the renovation you are probably tormented by the question of choosing furniture. For example, a new bedroom could use a new wardrobe that would harmoniously fit into the new interior. What do most people do? He buys a new cabinet, and the old one is sent to a landfill or to a country house. However, why spend money if you can make a stylish cabinet that will look in any interior from an old one! Moreover, for this it is not at all necessary to be a designer or have great skill in restoring furniture. All it takes is a good idea and a little time and effort.
For example, with a little effort and an excellent photo application, you can create a stylish wardrobe that will easily become the “star” of almost any interior. To do this, just sand the doors of the old cabinet with sandpaper, paint them with white paint, and then glue the image you like onto the cabinet doors, which can be printed in large format in any large photo studio. Then coat the cabinet with colorless varnish.
But you don't have to use beautiful photographs to give an old cabinet a new style. You can decorate it using shaped strips, which can be found in every hardware store. And then paint it with paint with streaks. You can see how this is done in the figure. Thin slats were nailed to the cabinet and then painted blue. As a result, instead of a traditional factory cabinet from the 60s and 70s, we get a stylized Mediterranean cabinet from the late nineteenth century, which looks great in a soft blue interior.
If you have an old favorite wardrobe that has seen its fair share of wear, is a little shabby, but very comfortable, or you don’t have plans to buy a modern fashionable compartment right now, you can update your closet with self-adhesive film.
Self-adhesive film comes in various colors and patterns, which allows you to easily make original furniture from an old wardrobe, you can cover shelves with film, update a cabinet on the balcony or kitchen, as well as improve country furniture, and much more can be done with the help of film.
Here's an example of how I updated my closet:
There are two types of self-adhesive film - this is a standard film, which can be glossy or matte, various children's, marble patterns and the like.
And also a special film - furniture, door or metallic, for various countertops.
When working with self-adhesive film, you must follow certain rules:
1. Prepare the surface for pasting; remove dust and dirt from it using water and adding detergents. The surface must be smooth; if it is not, then it must be leveled using primer or plaster.
2. When marking out the necessary pieces for pasting on the wrong side of the film, be sure to remember about the allowances along the edges, where they are required.
3.In order to glue the film, you need to remove the protective paper from the reverse side by a couple of centimeters and attach it to the surface to be coated with the adhesive side.
During gluing, you must carefully ensure that no air bubbles appear, so you must glue very slowly and carefully, all the time smoothing the surface of the film.
4.If bubbles have formed that cannot be removed, you can pierce them with a needle and smooth them out.
We present to you 4 tempting ideas on how to update an old wardrobe and turn it into a stylish interior element. A few cans of glossy paint, wallpaper, glue and your limitless imagination will help you.
Let's update an old closet
Paint it retro - modern
How to do it:
Remove the drawers, then sand the cabinet and paint the cabinet with two coats of gloss paint. Make blanks for the front of each box, cut out shapes from adhesive plywood with a special knife, then glue them onto the box. Measure the width and height of each drawer and cut four moldings so that the edges meet at a 45-degree angle. Paint them with glossy white paint and when the paint is dry, glue them onto the drawers. Wrap white electrical tape around the cabinet handles, then drill holes in each drawer and insert the handles.
What you will need:
White glossy moldings;
Quick-drying glossy paint;
African mahogany colored plywood;
4 drawer handles;
White electrical tape.
“Play” with the color of the cabinet
How to do it:
Remove the handles from the cabinet and paint the entire cabinet and drawers a base color. You can even paint the cabinet in two layers. The cabinet will be painted in three colors, so after the paint has dried, use the second color to create a clear line where the transition will be. Then draw another line where the third color will be. Then wet the brush generously with the second paint and paint from top to bottom, slightly pressing the brush at the first line so that the paint flows smoothly down. Do the same with the third color. Paint the handles of each drawer the appropriate color.
What you will need:
Dresser;
Fast drying glossy paint.
The charm of mirrors
How to do it:
Remove the drawers. Cut strips of wallpaper for the front side and glue them to the cabinet, leaving 1 cm on each side to tape the edges of the cabinet. Apply wallpaper glue liberally to the wallpaper itself and, when you glue it, begin to smooth it along the edges. Cut out the wallpaper for
the remaining sides of the cabinet and repeat the same. After the paint has dried, coat the wallpaper with varnish. Measure the dimensions of each drawer and the top of the cabinet. Order mirror panels and accurately measure the dimensions of the hole along the handle. Attach the panels with special glue. Once the glue has dried, screw the handles on - but don't over-tighten them as this may crack the mirror.
What you will need:
Mirror;
Special glue for mirrors;
Cabinet handles.
Be bold - use the 3D effect
How to do it:
Make large letters in any font you like in accordance with the proportions of your front drawers, or format the text in Microsoft Word or Adobe Illustrator and go to a company that will help you cut out the letters from MDF. Take out the drawers and paint the front and sides with two coats of gloss paint, then do the same with the cabinet itself (except for the back wall). Glue each letter using wood glue. Add wheels to your closet to give it a trendy, modern look.
What you will need:
Text from MDF (order it from a construction company). The text must be painted white with a matte emulsion;
Fast Drying Gloss Cabinet Paint in Celtic Forest ;
Wood glue;
To restore an old cabinet, it is not at all necessary to contact specialists. You can update your furniture yourself at home. Before you restore an old cabinet, it must be thoroughly wiped down. There should be no dirt on the surface of the furniture. Then you need to get rid of the top coating. The next stage is sealing cracks and chips. Only after this do they move on to decorating. The restoration is completed by applying a protective composition. 
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What can you do with an old wardrobe?
An old cabinet can be repainted or decorated using fabric, decoupage or special plaster. First, you need to remove the fittings from it. Experts also recommend removing drawers. The frame of the furniture is not disassembled. If desired, only the doors can be removed.
After the preparatory stage, you need to move on to working with the surface of the furniture. Do-it-yourself restoration of an old cabinet is carried out taking into account the material from which it is made and the type of top covering.
To work with wood you will need an eccentric sander. With its help, the top layer is sanded. If you don’t have a sander, you can get rid of the coating using a remover. After applying this composition, the surface is covered with a film. This will enhance the effect of the wash. The peeled coating is removed from the tree using a spatula.
To seal defects in the form of chips and cracks, putty, furniture sealant or wax are used. A sanded solid wood cabinet is impregnated with oil or coated with wood protective compounds.
Soviet furniture made from chipboard is updated in a similar way. The main problem during its reconstruction is the thick layer of paint and varnish. It is recommended to get rid of it by sanding. There is also a technology for painting polished furniture over a paint layer.
The easiest way to remodel an old polished cabinet is to paint without sanding. For this you will need:
- Otex adhesive primer on an alkyd basis (or another similar composition for problematic and previously painted substrates);
- alkyd paint;
- White Spirit;
- brushes or foam roller;
- covering film;
- rag.
Work order:
- Cover the area around the furniture with covering film.
- Wipe down the cabinet, remove handles and remove drawers.
- Degrease the surface with white spirit.
- Apply primer evenly. Let the product dry. Apply a second coat of primer to the furniture.
- Apply paint. For uniform coverage, painting is done in 2 layers, allowing each layer to dry completely.
- Varnish the furniture.
Alkyd-based products have a strong, unpleasant odor. Therefore, during restoration work the room should be well ventilated.
New fittings
An important stage in the reconstruction of old furniture is the replacement of fittings. First of all, you should pay attention to the condition of the hinges. They need to be replaced if they are rusty or damaged. The location of the hinges is changed if pieces of material are torn out at the places where they are attached. The resulting holes are sealed using putty or sawdust mixed with PVA glue.
It is also necessary to check the condition of the guides in the cabinets. If necessary, they can be replaced with higher quality fittings. The extension system can be roller or ball. The second type of guides is considered more reliable. They ensure silent drawer opening.
The last stage is replacing the handles. They should be chosen taking into account the design of the furniture. Handles can be completely metal or combined - with ceramic or glass elements. For antique furniture, bronze fittings are suitable.
Updating chipboard cabinets
Acrylic paints are also used for restoration. Surface preparation in this case will be carried out a little differently. Sanding is the first stage of repair (they make a rough surface from chipboard with their own hands so that acrylic paint adheres better). For reconstruction you will need:
- coarse sandpaper;
- acrylic paints;
- brushes or roller;
- covering film;
- respirator;
- rag.
Work progress:
- Cover the floor around the cabinet with film.
- Sand the surface of the furniture with sandpaper. Work must be carried out wearing a respirator. The resulting dust is swept away with a rag.
- Apply several layers of paint.
- Varnish the furniture.
For restoration, you can use acrylic paint in cans. In this case, it is better to carry out work outdoors so as not to stain foreign objects.
Decor
Furniture is painted in one or more colors. Another decor option is patterns. They are applied using a stencil or masking tape. An interesting effect is created using lace. It is fixed on the surface of the furniture and then covered with spray paint.
Many different materials are used to decorate old furniture. You can decorate the closet using self-adhesive film, decoupage cards, fabric, and decorative plaster. Wallpaper is also used to update furniture.
Pasting with film takes the least time. Another advantage of this method of decoration is a large assortment of designs. The film can imitate the texture of wood or be produced in the form of panels. Experts recommend buying material with a protective layer, as it will last longer. The film is not only glued to the cabinet body - it is often used to decorate the interior space and drawers.
Master class on cabinet restoration using self-adhesive film:
- Remove all dirt and loose elements.
- Degrease the cabinet surface with white spirit.
- Cut the film with a margin of 2 cm.
- Carefully glue the sheets to the surface of the furniture, moving from top to bottom. The backing paper should be pulled slowly with tension to avoid wrinkles.
- The bubbles resulting from the gluing process must be pierced with a needle and then straightened out.
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 this at home, without financial or physical costs.
Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration.
Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself. Many houses have old furniture, creating a nice and comfortable nest for families. This is why people came up with the idea of restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.
Restoring furniture with your own hands is not only exciting.
Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home. If for some reason you don’t have tools at home to work with old furniture, you can easily purchase them at 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 cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself.
The main advantage of restoration at home is that the bulky cabinet does not have to be taken outside its abode. The second plus is that you watch the whole process yourself and it’s easy to make any changes. About the third, as mentioned above, all tools are easily accessible.
Each master puts a piece of his soul into his products - this is not a metaphor.
This is why people came up with the idea of restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.
In general, only creative people can cope with such work, since they need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more. But if you approach your work more responsibly, then, perhaps, even without much talent, you can transform your old wardrobe, which has remained necessary for many years.
Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home.
- Art Deco
To decorate 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 the interior, which at the end of the work are diluted with lighter and softer tones.
- Decoupage
This style is mainly used only on wooden surfaces. It involves gluing cut-out figures and patterns, finishing them if necessary. A common and original way in this style is to use napkins with patterns and secure them with acrylic varnish ohm in several layers.
- Covering with regular self-adhesive film
The name speaks for itself; various patterns are created using self-adhesive film. Stencils are often used. One of the easiest and most effective ways to restore old wooden surfaces.
- Craquelure
This interesting method, on the contrary, emphasizes the antiquity of your furniture with the help of a special craquelure that creates cracks on the surface. The main thing in this style is to create deeper and wider cracks; for this it is necessary to apply thicker layers.
When starting work, inspect the location of your furniture, what colors and tones should be chosen.
Let's talk in more detail about the last method.
Wooden cabinets dry out, causing cracks to form. Our job is not to hide, but, on the contrary, to give beauty and elegance to the cracks. There is a huge variety of varnishes now. It’s up to you to choose the color that suits your interior. Once you have chosen the desired color, you need to prepare for work.
The main advantage of restoration at home is that the bulky cabinet does not have to be taken outside its abode.
If you still doubt whether you made the right choice in the direction of this style, you can experiment on some small wooden things. Only the surface should be wooden and preferably antiqued, for a more convincing effect.
The second plus is that you watch the whole process yourself and it’s 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 the work, 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 brighter life.
Tools for restoring the cabinet surface:
- brushes (different sizes);
- pieces of fabric without fine lint;
- container for diluting the product.
Only creative people can cope with such work, since they need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more.
To quickly dry the surface, you can use a hair dryer, but it also helps to increase cracks.
When purchasing materials, be sure to check their quality. The varnish should be quite liquid. When applying, do not shake the bottle under any circumstances, otherwise subsequent application will be of poor quality if there are bubbles.
They 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:
- replacing cabinet fittings;
- cleaning old cabinets;
- necessary repairs;
- decoration in craquelure style.
Wooden cabinets dry out, causing cracks to form.
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 restoration instructions
We clean the surface of the cabinet from the old coating with sandpaper. Then we cover it with acrylic paint, the color should be such that it matches your interior, it will be the main one. If you want to preserve the color of the cabinet, then apply a clear coat of paint.
There is a huge variety of varnishes now.
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.
Once you have chosen the desired 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 Venetian layer of plaster, then you should apply the paint with pieces of cloth or a sponge.
Only the surface should be wooden and preferably antiqued, for a more convincing effect.
After the paint has completely dried, a final layer of varnish is applied; it may already be matte. To quickly dry the surface, you can use a hair dryer, but it also helps to increase cracks.
When purchasing 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 brighter life. Don’t 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 cabinet
It is so deeply rooted in our lives that there is practically no possibility of parting with it. This is exactly the situation that happened with an old wardrobe from the beginning of the last century. The world around him had changed, the apartment acquired a modern look, and the closet stubbornly stood in its place, not wanting to give up its place to its modern counterparts.
The old wardrobe did not correspond at all to the overall style of the room, did not fit in with the surrounding furniture and had a dull reddish color.
But still, a bold decision was made - to restore the old man and leave it in its original place.
A quick inspection revealed a lot of cracks, chips and gouges.
The first stage of restoration work is always the removal of all loose elements and old varnish, if any.
In order for the old varnish to completely come off, it is necessary to apply a special remover for varnishes and paints to the entire surface of the cabinet. The wash is applied with a brush or steel spatula. After 20-30 minutes, the remover will dissolve the old varnish. After this, you need to thoroughly clean the surface with a spatula and then hard sanding paper. The cabinet surface is now uniformly clean, dry and rough.
Now you need to painstakingly and carefully “heal” all the cracks and scratches on the surface of the wood. To do this we need a special wood putty and a soft rubber spatula. All defects are rubbed over with putty and, as they dry, sanded with fine sanding paper.
To achieve a uniform effect, you will need 3-4 layers with intermediate drying for 2 hours. After the final layer of stain, it is necessary to dry the wood for 20-30 hours at room temperature. Now you can begin the initial varnish coating. For this, it is best to use modern water-based acrylic varnish. Apply varnish evenly to all surfaces of the cabinet.
The varnish is applied to the surface using a special brush with hard natural bristles. The direction of movement of the brush should be from top to bottom, and never vice versa.
Once the varnish has dried, you can begin decorating the cabinet. To do this, we need a self-adhesive furniture edging with a “gold” effect. With this edging we decorate the side walls of the cabinet, the facade and especially the central door of the cabinet.
If necessary, you can replace the inner outerwear tire. In modern stores you can choose a metal or wooden tire and fasteners for it.
Now we begin the final varnishing. For this purpose, a special ultra-glossy varnish in an aerosol can is used. This varnish is applied very easily and evenly and gives the product newness and chic.
You shouldn’t rush to throw away old polished furniture or take it to the dacha; you should take a closer look at it. Maybe your closet does not match the design of the room only from the outside, in which case you can fix it yourself. You can watch tutorials on how to restore an old cabinet with your own hands with before and after photos, and then get to work. Undoubtedly, you will succeed in making it exclusive!
Updating a polished cabinet takes place according to the following scheme: restoration plan, disassembly into components and direct repair. Let's look at each stage.
- Layout
Before you start restoration, think about what place the new cabinet will take in your interior. It can maintain its size and shape, or become a creative furniture wall. Any closet can be redesigned. When you evaluate the role of the cabinet, consider its strength, the presence of defects and how to eliminate them. The work plan includes the selection of tools and the disassembly procedure. So, to restore the cabinet you need the following materials:
- Screwdrivers of different types.
- Hammer.
- Stapler and stationery knife.
To replace defective components you will need a drill and a thin drill bit. Other tools are selected depending on the type of finish chosen. You will definitely need blanks to remove old coatings. It is important not to forget about personal protection when restoring furniture with your own hands.
- Disassembly into components.
It is recommended to restore cabinet furniture from the inside, having previously divided it into components. Disassemble the furniture very carefully so that when removing old elements, you do not touch the frame of the cabinet. Experts advise disassembling the cabinet completely to avoid minor damage.
- Restoration of every detail.
Thoroughly clean each cabinet element of the old coating and treat it with a primer. This is necessary for better adhesion of parts of the product with paint or glue. Puttying will also help eliminate chips and minor defects in the surface of the components. For larger damages, a mixture of glue and primer is made. All this is cleaned with fine sanding paper so that the surface is smooth.
At each step you need to wait until the previous one is completed (glue, putty, paint has dried). At the same time, the fittings are prepared and polished.
- Cabinet assembly
After this work, you can assemble the cabinet restored with your own hands. The assembly should be done quite carefully so that the fruit of your labors does not go down the drain. You should not use a hammer often; it is better to fasten parts with a stapler or self-tapping screws, where possible. As a last resort, you can make an adhesive mixture.
Other ideas for DIY cabinet restoration
- Some take the easier route and simply paint the polished cabinet a matching color. Painting can be done using a roller, brush or spray.
- You can resort to gluing tape, which also comes in different colors and textures. There are many types of self-adhesives with imitation of different coatings.
- Covering the frame with fabric or wallpaper. Today this is the most popular type of furniture finishing.
It is worth noting that you should not choose very fragile materials for large-scale restoration of a cabinet with your own hands. Use reliable elements, then the polished cabinet will serve you for many years, only now it will be stylish, original and with a thoughtful design!
See also video: how to restore an old cabinet with your own hands