Wood is a very aesthetic and natural material. It is very popular and fits perfectly into all types of interiors: modern, old, frankly rustic, cocoon decoration, or rather refined and zen. Even a few simple and beautiful pieces of furniture make a statement in a very austere interior.
So don't hesitate to go to flea markets and garage sales and collect old furniture made with beautiful species. If your finds look dull and are too weathered by time, you still have to roll up your sleeves and do some renovation work. How to renovate wooden furniture? We give you the key steps to transform an old wooden piece of furniture and give it a new lease of life.
Why and when to renovate wooden furniture?
Recycling is good for the environment
Completely in tune with the times, we are going to go to our parents and grandparents and collect old furniture from the attics, because it is certain that we will often find nuggets there!
If that's not possible, we visit the flea markets and garage sales in the summer and that's a good thing because it's the season and the time to get some great deals just before the start of the school year.
Rather than buying new furniture in a furniture store, we often prefer to recycle old furniture so as not to throw away what can still be used. There, we do a bit like with clothes, we think about making some improvements and we keep it. If you don't have what you need, you'll look at second-hand sales (for clothes as well as furniture). This avoids throwing away to buy new and more and more brands are making people aware of a new trend towards recovery to limit pollution and participate in the collective effort to protect the environment.
Objects have a story, and wooden furniture too
Objects can have several lives. Recovering wooden furniture, rather than buying a new one, also allows you to give the wood a certain charm. It retains the patina of time, we can see that it has been used, the colors are faded…
Such a piece of furniture belonged to your beloved aunt and you had always known it every time you spent your vacations at her house. Why throw it away today if it breaks your heart? You might as well get it back and use it after renovating it.
Renovating wooden furniture also means saving
Even if there is a little work, you will transform your wooden furniture according to your tastes and desires. You will also make a big saving by not having to buy a piece of furniture while it can still be used.
You need a piece of furniture to tidy up and reorganize your living room
The end of summer is a good time to tidy up a lot and autumn also allows you to organize certain work before the arrival of winter. The only thing is, where are you going to store all these things lying around everywhere if you need them every day or almost?
Salvaging a piece of furniture from the old shed and giving it a new look will then allow you to reorganize your house and put everything away more easily.
Renovating wooden furniture: a moment of pleasure and an opportunity to express your creativity
After a busy week of client files, the weekend will allow you to devote yourself to a manual activity and to let all your creative talents express themselves. Collect all the materials needed to renovate your wooden furniture. Sit in a quiet place, and why not, in your garden if the weather is nice. And let yourself be guided by our professional advice for renovating your wooden furniture.
Renovation of wooden furniture: recommended equipment
Obtain the necessary materials before getting to work. If you work at home, indoors, you will need to place your furniture on newspaper to protect your floor.
Stay as far away from your other furniture and walls as possible to avoid causing stains if you work indoors.
To protect yourself during the renovation operation, get a mask and gloves, possibly a large apron.
The essential equipment for renovating the wooden furniture will then consist of:
- One or two sponges,
- Paintbrushes,
- Stripper,
- Sandpaper,
- Glue,
- A spatula,
- A scraper,
- Wood pulp,
- A wax pencil
- Lightener,
- Wax,
- Some nail polish,
- Oil
The key steps to renovating wooden furniture
Strip your wooden furniture
You have your furniture! Before paying the second-hand dealer, you check its general condition, its stability on the ground, and the good condition of the doors and drawers. Drawers should not be seized to facilitate opening and closing. If this happens – this can happen with an old piece of furniture that has suffered from humidity – you can try running a piece of soap over the drawer rails (dry soap, such as old pieces recovered and dried). This is sometimes enough to help the drawer slide normally again.
If the wood is a little damaged, certain products can make the small imperfections disappear.
To begin, before you begin the stripping step, put on your mask and put on your gloves. Also, check that you have all your equipment within reach.
- For painted furniture: using a brush and universal stripper, brush your entire piece of furniture. Leave the product to act for the necessary time (see the instructions on the product), then remove the surface material in the direction of the wood fibers with a scraper. If necessary, repeat the operation.
- For waxed or varnished furniture: simply sand your furniture with sandpaper (coarse grain).
Note and recover small imperfections on the furniture
It is when the wooden furniture is stripped that defects that were not previously seen, such as small holes here or scratches there, can appear more clearly.
To make them disappear or at least reduce them, you will apply a little wood paste with your spatula.
Let it dry sufficiently before sanding the excess until the furniture surface is as smooth as possible.
Tip: for scratches on wood, a wax pencil will be perfect for hiding them well.
Stain removal operation
The marks, and the traces of water following the passage of a cold bottle placed on the wood, all can leave traces and you will also have to remove your wooden furniture.
Then use a brightener and brush your furniture with a flat brush and the product before rinsing it with a damp cloth. Let your furniture dry for 24 hours before continuing with the next step.
It is also recommended for very old furniture to treat it with a product designed for the prevention of parasites and fungi. This will prevent your furniture from suffering significant damage in the future.
Painting (or staining) your furniture
It's all a question of taste. You must ask yourself for which room your wooden furniture is intended and the decorative effect you want to give it.
Painting a piece of furniture to match the colors of your decoration is possible and the paint ranges offer many possibilities and diverse and varied effects (for example: cracked effect for an aged furniture look). Before moving on to painting your furniture with the appropriate material, strictly speaking, you must provide a special undercoat for wood. This will allow you to have better adhesion of your paint to the wood of the furniture.
Staining is another option and is perfect if you want to keep a “raw wood” look to your furniture. There are again many wood stains suitable for this type of use.
Finally, you will carefully apply a wood oil which will not only waterproof the material but also nourish it.
Tip: There are various types of wood and each requires a suitable oil and wax. It is therefore best to go to a specialist and seek the advice of a professional to choose the appropriate products depending on the nature of the wood.
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