Design Tip: Give Furniture a Facelift

Do you have a quality piece of furniture that feels old and outdated? Refinishing it is a great option to give it a facelift! I love breathing new life into a well-made piece of furniture by refinishing it.

Here are some ideas about how to refinish furniture:

• Stripping it and re-staining it – this is a great way to take furniture that is in a stain color that isn’t “in style” at the moment. You can stain it lighter or darker to have it look more on-trend.
• Sanding it and painting it—sometimes painting a stained piece of furniture is the best option. I have taken a wood-stained vanity, sanded it down, and then painted it a high-gloss rich blue. It completely changed the feel of the vanity. I went from not liking it to loving it.
• Add a new top – for things such as dressers, sideboards, and tables – you can always take off the current top and have a new one made. For example, take the wood top off of a dresser and have a new one made in a different wood type with a different stain color for contrast, or try a finish like ceruse where the veining shows up.
• Change the hardware—take the pulls off and find something new and fun to achieve a very different look. I have done this many times. Finding something modern and artistic can make a bland piece of furniture fun and interesting.
• Upholstered Furniture: If the upholstered furniture is high-quality, you can re-upholster it to give it a new look. You can also have new parts made, such as new cushions and new legs. You can also easily change some of the finish styles, such as tufting or piping. Add a contrasting piece of material for the piping to make a unique, one-of-a-kind piece. See the example below of the chairs with green trim.

Take a look around your house and think about how you can breathe new life into some of your dated furniture without having to invest in a full replacement. It is a fun way to preserve quality furniture and often family heirlooms!

~JC xoxo