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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to give old wrought iron furniture a makeover

How to give old wrought iron furniture a makeover

Reader project: From old coffee table to Hamptons-style ottoman

Reader project: From old coffee table to Hamptons-style ottoman

A country-style cabinet gets an amazing Hamptons makeover

A country-style cabinet gets an amazing Hamptons makeover

How to restore antique furniture

How to restore antique furniture

{headline}

{headline}

How to refinish old furniture

How to refinish old furniture

Melissa makes colourful colander hanging baskets

Melissa makes colourful colander hanging baskets

How to find a stud in the wall

How to find a stud in the wall

{headline}

{headline}

How to dye wooden beads

How to dye wooden beads

How to fix a binding door

How to fix a binding door

How to put your garage door back on track

How to put your garage door back on track

Adam meets Andrew Belic and makes timber and resin pieces

Adam meets Andrew Belic and makes timber and resin pieces

How to make a timber panel feature wall

How to make a timber panel feature wall

How to make a mosaic coffee table

How to make a mosaic coffee table

Adam makes a house number planter

Adam makes a house number planter

  1. Home
  2. DIY

Trash to treasure

Give your old furniture a new lease on life! - by Better Homes and Gardens
  • 09 Oct 2017
Trash to treasure
Chris Jones

Dated and daggy furniture doesn’t have to end up at the tip, with a bit of imagination and a tin or two of paint, you can create a unique piece for your home.

Antique vanity

Add old world charm to your bathroom by turning an old hall table into a vanity. Start by painting the legs and frame in white. To create the antique look, use a black crackle effects spray paint over that. In just a few minutes the look will appear before your eyes! Paint the top of the table black then give the whole unit a couple of coats of clear varnish to protect it from moisture. Get your plumber to connect up a countertop basin and you’re done!

bathroom
Chris Jones

Stencil heaven

Spice up an old chest of drawers with a Moroccan-inspired pattern. Search the Internet for an easy pattern and enlarge it to suit the size of your unit. Transfer the design to stencil plastic and cut it out with a craft knife. After sanding the old drawers, tape the stencil to it and use a stipple brush to paint the pattern on. Move the stencil around as you complete each section. Finish off with a coating of Carnauba wax to protect the surface.

chest
Chris Jones

Update with a stain

You don’t have to completely cover old timber furniture to make a change. Why not work with the material and use stains to create colourful highlights? To freshen up the unit and make the stain stand out, start by sanding back the unit. Undercoat then paint with white semi-gloss enamel. Also paint around the edges of the drawers. Now the fun part – the staining! Apply different colours and washes to the front panel of the drawers. Try out the stains on the inside of the unit to see how they’ll look. Finish off your makeover with modern, shiny knobs.

chest of drawers
Phil Aynsley

Go with the flow

If your furniture piece has a particular feature or decoration, don’t try and hide it, use it as inspiration. The decorative timber fretwork on this unit is a great example. Complement them by cutting similar designs into panels of thin plywood to go on the doors. To make them stand out, use a metallic gold spray paint on both the fretwork your new designs. Glue them back onto the unit, which has been painted in light blue. Another great trick is to paint the legs in black so the body of the unit appears to float.

side

BEFORE

John Halfhide
side table

AFTER

Chris Jones

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Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to give old wrought iron furniture a makeover

How to give old wrought iron furniture a makeover

Reader project: From old coffee table to Hamptons-style ottoman

Reader project: From old coffee table to Hamptons-style ottoman

A country-style cabinet gets an amazing Hamptons makeover

A country-style cabinet gets an amazing Hamptons makeover

How to restore antique furniture

How to restore antique furniture

{headline}

{headline}

How to refinish old furniture

How to refinish old furniture

Melissa makes colourful colander hanging baskets

Melissa makes colourful colander hanging baskets

How to find a stud in the wall

How to find a stud in the wall

{headline}

{headline}

How to dye wooden beads

How to dye wooden beads

How to fix a binding door

How to fix a binding door

How to put your garage door back on track

How to put your garage door back on track

Adam meets Andrew Belic and makes timber and resin pieces

Adam meets Andrew Belic and makes timber and resin pieces

How to make a timber panel feature wall

How to make a timber panel feature wall

How to make a mosaic coffee table

How to make a mosaic coffee table

Adam makes a house number planter

Adam makes a house number planter

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