Wednesday 1 June 2011

Refinishing Furniture Ideas

If your furniture looks as though it has seen better days, you may perhaps consider replacing it. However, buying new furniture may not be always a wiser option. For one thing, it is far too expensive, and secondly you may not always find a piece that can go well with the rest of your home décor. In such case, refinishing furniture could be a better alternative. It is cheaper and you may even consider doing it yourself. Besides, you are relieved of the hassles of matching the furniture pieces with your home décor. Here are some refinishing furniture ideas that will help you to give an exciting new look to your furniture.

Refinishing Furniture Ideas and Tips

Kitchen Cabinets and Cupboards
Kitchen cabinets are the first to show the signs of weathering. They are often subjected to a lot of wear and tear due to excessive usage and extreme temperature conditions in the kitchen. Replacing kitchen cabinets can be an expensive affair. Simply giving them a fresh coat of paint can render them an entirely new look. Refinishing kitchen cabinets is an easier DIY job than other refinishing home furniture tasks. Before painting the kitchen cabinets, it is important to sand the surface. Sanding helps the paint to hold better onto the surface. Take your kitchen cabinets or cupboard in an open space and start sanding them with a sandpaper. Clear the dust off the surface and apply a coat of furniture primer. Allow the primer to dry completely before you are ready for painting kitchen cabinets.

While choosing the paint color for your cabinets, it is better to consider the size of kitchen and wall color. If your kitchen is tiny, go for lighter shades as they create an illusion of space. Besides, these shades also render a cleaner look to your kitchen cabinets. One of the useful furniture refinishing tips for kitchen cabinets is using a stencil for creating attractive design patterns on the doors of the cabinets. You can also consider replacing kitchen cabinet door knobs and handles to give it a brand new look.

Tables and Chairs
Tables and chairs can also be given a new look by painting them. Wrought iron tables and chairs can be best painted using water based latex paint or acrylic spray-on paints. Replace the cushioning of the chairs or simply add more stuffing to the existing cushions for more comfort. You may ask a professional to reupholster the chairs, so that you don't mess with the measurements and such issues. Wooden tables and chairs can benefit from different refinishing furniture techniques such as staining and dyeing. A wood stain not only protects the wood from inclement weather and rough use, but also gives a more natural and appealing look to the furniture. A dye can be used to completely change the color of your wooden furniture.

Sofa and Bed
The refinishing work of sofa and bed is best left to professionals. However, you may paint or stain the frames of your furniture yourself. You can reupholster the sofa at any of the upholstery shops. Although, you will have to pay a substantial amount for it, the overall cost would be still less than what you would pay for a new sofa. Also invest in a new fabric for the sofa cushions. Bed can be refinished by staining the frame, bedpost and headboard. You may also invest in a new mattress.

One of the popular refinishing furniture tips is antiquing your furniture. It gives it a very antique or worn out look. However, this idea may not go down well with everyone. Besides, antique furniture may not look good if you have a very modern home. Hope the refinishing furniture ideas given in this article were resourceful.

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