Furniture revival
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While it’s tempting to just replace furniture when it starts to show its age, with Loctite’s guide to upcycling furniture you can save money and breathe new life into it instead.
Upcycling furniture: Sustainable and cost effective
While upcycling furniture seems to be a trend that has grown more and more prevalent in recent years, in reality it’s been around for much longer. And with good reason: if you have a beloved piece of furniture that only needs a moderate amount of work to revive it, it makes sense to put in that little bit of effort, rather than spending a lot more time and money finding a replacement.
The great thing about upcycling furniture ideas is that they can be as big or as small as your budget and your imagination extends. Whether it’s a simple picture frame or a dining table and chairs, you can unleash your creativity – and save cash – making something unique that adds character to your home.
Upcycling old furniture: Paint
When it comes to upcycling furniture projects, furniture or chalk paints are the perfect way to revive and add your own touch to a piece. To make the job even easier, you can buy furniture paints that don’t require a layer of primer being added beforehand.
- Smooth. Use sandpaper to smooth away any uneven or varnished surfaces, or to roughen old paint to achieve the perfect coating with your new paint. Brush the resultant dust away and wipe down afterwards.
Whether you’re upcycling pine furniture, upcycling garden furniture or upcycling kitchen chairs, if the wood or current paint is in good condition, use a fine grain of sandpaper. If it is aged and needs a good sanding down, a medium or abrasive grain will be required to smooth it over.
- Prepare. If your furniture paint requires it, apply a layer of primer. This will help make the new coat even and help prevent it flaking as it ages.
- Paint. You’re now ready to apply your new layer of paint. For a more vintage look, consider using chalk paint. You can even think about using a variety of different colours, but do plan this before beginning.
Upcycling furniture ideas: Decoupage
An alternative way of bringing new vibrancy to furniture, as well as giving it more texture, is the art of decoupage: applying coloured or patterned paper to an object. You can use anything from paper cutouts, wallpaper or even cuttings or pages from a newspaper or magazine.
- Measure. Measure the dimensions of the surface area you want to cover (e.g. a drawer front or a cabinet door) and cut your chosen paper to match.
- Roughen. Use sandpaper to roughen the surface of the area you are covering, as this will facilitate a better bond between the piece of furniture and the paper. Brush away the resultant dust and wipe clean.
- Apply. When it comes to applying the paper, ensure you are using an adhesive that is compatible with both paper and the material the furniture piece is made of. Cover the surface of the area you are covering, position the paper over/on top of it and press it in place. Use a clean credit card to smooth out any air bubbles.
- Varnish. Once the adhesive is fully dry, apply a layer of varnish to the paper for durability and a professional-looking finish.
