Restoring Furniture - Share your work!
Emily H
10 years ago
Have you taken a beloved older piece of furniture or maybe something once grande, but long forgotten and made it new again?
Share your restoration projects here! (Photos highly encouraged)
Share your restoration projects here! (Photos highly encouraged)
West Hills Victorian · More Info
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PROSimply Tangerine
10 years agoI found this media cabinet on Craigslist for a steal of a price and took the look from Santa Fe to Cottage Chic.
~Dawn
Emily H thanked Simply Tangerine- Emily H10 years ago
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Sitting room Help
Comments (22)I second Carolyn's motion to check out IKEA for a media cabinet although I feel you will need something around 30-36" tall with this particular TV. It appears to me that you have two matching loveseats or small sofas. Is this correct? In any scenario, if you want cozy, several have already offered thoughts that will help. First, although ideal, I do not feel that your cocktail table has to center on both upholstered pieces. You could center it on the fireplace and work from there, whether parallel or perpendicular. I agree that the upholstery needs to come forward and that the two large pieces should create an L formation. the chair should go to the left of the fireplace, at an angle. I know: Now it is partially in front of the TV. If the TV is on an appropriately scaled media piece, this allows TV viewing over the chair back from all seats in the room except the chair. At risk of being presumptuous, I would suggest that the TV need not be visible from EVERY seat in the room. Greys are definitely hot right now and I love them, but choose wisely. Greys combined with this intense red and black can plunge you squarely back into the 80's. Consider very warm greys, mocha's or green-greys. When you land your color, paint the walls, out onto the underside of the tray and onto the front facing edge of the tray all the same color. This will enhance the architecture of the tray and unify it as an architectural UNIT, enhancing the volume and dimensionality of this feature. As for the pale blue, I must say, I don't understand that at all in this room. (No offense mforr) Now, add a texture to the highest central section of ceiling. Think, grass cloth, faux finish or just a deeper version of the wall color. I agree with Carolyn that the panels are covering too much of your window and that you should consider losing the tie-backs, which are a bit cutesy. In a perfect world, or if you are up for it, I would replace them with something visually lighter, something with a large open airy pattern. I would make the cocktail table metal and glass or wood and glass and modern, even sculptural. (maybe a Noguchi repro?...) Large scaled art on the long wall, as suggested earlier and some greenery. You have a great foundation on which to build. Good Luck!...See MoreAny ideas for final touches to this living/dinning room?
Comments (51)Just a quick note to thank you all for sharing your thought, ideas, experience and time. I especially want to thank Bluenan and decoenthusiaste for being with me through the all process for the last 6 months or so..., just wanted to post few photos of the results (https://www.houzz.com/discussions/any-ideas-for-final-touches-to-this-living-dinning-room-dsvw-vd~569586) as I feel it is not only me who created this space but it is your creations as much as mine. It may not be perfect or according to the the "Rules", but it is Me and my family. Each and every piece was chosen by me in different parts of the world and each one of them has a unique story behind. I am very pleased with my space. I love it! I am very blessed. .... and so I am off to my new project now... Back to school.... that's really going to be hard ;) Thank you all, once again....See MoreNew kitchen, but just not working.
Comments (448)fragle0 ... congratulations on the new addition to your family. Have been following your lovely changes. You probably won't have time to work on the decor for a while. Just wanted to suggest that you try pulling the nesting tables forward to be more in line with front of the chairs & placing your floor lamp to the back of them. This will give a bit more light at night for reading in that area.Also switching the plant by the fireplace & the one on the corner by the sofa....See MoreGarden help
Comments (25)Hi lots of different options and ideas going on. I had a similar wall and understand how mean it can be to little ones. I bought and put up the expanding wood trellis. This instantly covered the area at a very reasonable price. I then planted quick growing climbing plants. I'm not a great gardener so I cant remember what i had but ask at the garden centre they will advise you. But at least you have a barrier in place to minimize accidents....See More
Trisha Fuhs
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agothis is my most recent project...Love the results. THIS IS FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!
Emily H thanked Trisha Fuhs
tsudhonimh
10 years agoMerrigay ... "I'd like to strip the shellac or whatever it is from my mother's old dining table. The wood is in good shape. But the top has crackled. How do you know what has been used so that you know which product to use to take it off?"
You can test the finish with solvents. When you find one that works, apply it liberally and then scrub gently with steel wool and wipe away the sludge. Or use a good paint and finish remover.
http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/finishes/what-finish-is-that-anyway/
Here's my work in progress, unfortunately a couple hundred miles from here right now. This is what a good solvent clean up can do on a cruddy ancient finish:
Emily H thanked tsudhonimh
Sandy Bogan
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoI bought this cabinet from Salvation Army for $70 and spent about $10 on spray paint and I love the results. The brown cabinet is the original and the robin's egg blue is the finished cabinet.
I used Krylon spray paint in Peekaboo Blue and a satin nickle spray paint on the fixtures. I can't remember the brand of that, but I got it at WalMart.
Emily H thanked Sandy Bogan
armygirl1987
10 years ago- Emily H10 years ago
armygirl1987
10 years ago
PROJC Redesigns
10 years agolast modified: 10 years ago
Vonda Day
10 years agoI've never had my own bedroom set, so I decided I would just take what I had and make myself some. Starting with a dresser a good friend gave me, that had been her husbands when he was a child.
Emily H thanked Vonda Day
Trell
10 years ago
S Reams
10 years agoI recently refinished this old coffee table. I actually found it in a building of my dad's -- he has no recollection of where it came from!
Emily H thanked S Reams- Emily H thanked kellik59
Luv Romantic
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoHere are 2 of the four midcentury chairs that I found on CL for my apartment dining area about a week ago. Found a remnant piece of silk fabric that tied in perfectly with my living room and reupholster them the next night.
Emily H thanked Luv RomanticLuv Romantic
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoI found the chair on the left for ten dollars on craigslist about 6 years ago and I already had the ottoman.
The first picture was my second attempt at reinventing it.
When I found the material in the second picture I knew I wanted to use it for something and finally settled on reupholstering the chair and ottoman yet a third time.
You know what they say the third time the charm
I redecorated my whole room around it. :-)
[houzz=]
Apartment living room · More Info
Emily H thanked Luv Romantic
mousemaker
10 years ago
mefor
10 years agodebbieafi
10 years agoI found this sideboard at local thrift store for $80. My husband stripped it down to bare wood, it is now our new media cabinet.
heather_11
10 years agodallasgraduate
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoI paid about $50 for both chairs and fabric. I sold them to fund my design wants. The first one was practice so the fabric on the arm was not aligned well. The stripe wasn't the best choice.
User
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoThis is an old bed frame we found in a barn and turned into a hall bench.
Emily H thanked UserUser
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoI have had this bed frame for ages, it was relegated to a guest room years ago. I have seen this same bed frame in no less than 50 bedroom dilemmas. Decided to paint it with chalk paint and fellow Houzzzers suggested I paint a navy accent wall to make the white pop. Turned out to be about a 100 dollar investment to get a new look to the room.
Emily H thanked Usererasistible
10 years agoHere are a couple of mine from when I liked flowers painted on everything. I enjoyed doing them though.....
Emily H thanked erasistiblesjxhenry
10 years agoI wish I had "before" pics. This is the "after." It was my grandfather's (and possibly great grandfather's) telescope. He had bought it secondhand so it is an antique. I had it restored by a professional and really glad I did because it looks AMAZING. We have just moved so I still have to figure out where it is going to go, it is so eye catching it needs to be thought through a bit more.
Emily H thanked sjxhenrySandy Bogan
10 years agoUser
10 years agoThis is the desk in my office, 8 dollar door from habitat store and reclaimed table legs added a glass top and it is the perfect desk.
PROMaguire
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoAlways working on something. It's my "me" time. Last one was a footstool I rescued from neighbors trash. It only took a couple of hours, most of it waiting for paint to dry.
Now I'm working on a table that my kids brought me in pieces (it's hereditary). When I saw the old square nails I got excited, you can see the table in pieces on the floor in the back. I have it all back together, every piece was there, hinges are in great shape, legs look good. It's a great old drop leaf, I think from early 1800s. I was going to paint it but I think I'll go with stain.
- PRO
Simply Tangerine
10 years agoI took an old $25 garage sale find (not this exact one) Unfortunately, I didn't take before photos of any of the pieces) and painted it a Benjamin Moore black and added these pricey knobs to it. The other pieces were all a cherry wood color and they followed behind in the same way except for the tallboy dresser, from my childhood. I spray painted those handles silver to match the others.
Christine
Simply Tangerine
Emily H thanked Simply Tangerine marygbuckley
10 years agoI used Annie Sloan chalk paint on this piece to add color and a rustic feel.
Emily H thanked marygbuckleykathybroen
10 years agoI inherited an old RCA TV from my Grandma and used it until it died. I wanted a "piece of furniture", not just a modern looking tv, so my husband gutted it, lined the inside, and added the legs. I painted it red first, then added bees wax where I wanted the red to show. Then I painted it black and with a rag, rubbed off the black paint where the the wax was. We then filled the space with a flat- screen tv that fits perfectly.
Emily H thanked kathybroenUser
10 years agoTrell
10 years ago- PRO
JC Redesigns
10 years agolast modified: 10 years ago - PRO
Maguire
10 years ago 
Kathy Davis
10 years agoThis is a table that I built out of an old and no longer useable bedframe and 3 old post office drawers. I love old wood and making new and useable furniture out of it is such fun!
Emily H thanked Kathy Davisarmygirl1987
10 years agoUser
10 years agoKathy Davis
10 years ago
PROEmily H thanked Elite furniture service- PROEmily H thanked Elite furniture service
- PRO
Elite furniture service
10 years agoA client of mine was going to throw this vertical filing cabinet out. We took it to our shop. Stripped off the original paint, removed the dents, and polished the stainless steel.
Emily H thanked Elite furniture service kathybroen
10 years agoThanks for the comments on the TV. Here's a little table I did as well. It was a $5 garage sale find. I did a mosaic on the top and the same finish as the tv on the rest. I can slide it under the couch between 2 people if I want. Kinda cool!
Emily H thanked kathybroenkmgree
10 years agoI bought this table at a yard sale years ago and paid 5.00. I had someone offer me 100.00 for it and I wouldn't take it. lol I hand painted the design.
Emily H thanked kmgree
PROsharonna misha designs
9 years agowe turned an old yellow {lighted!} china cabinet into a wardrobe for the dressing room! was desperately seeking a piece with chicken wire and found it on craigslist! we removed the glass shelves and installed a rod instead, and painted the outside to match the other pieces in the room, including the built-ins on the opposite wall {not pictured}.
eventually, I will post the rest of the 2nd bedroom turned dressing room photos here!: http://www.houzz.com/pro/sharonnamisha/
Ann
9 years ago
Ellen K
9 years agoWhen my son graduated and moved to his own place, we found this old table and chairs and refinished them. A little elbow grease went a long way.
Trina GramsMaMa
8 years agoHi Emily. Can you recommend any reading, reference or other material that will teach me how to restore furniture made with metal, fabric, etc? I have several lamps, and 4 mid century (perhaps 1960's) dinette chairs with a copper looking finish or the metal body. I am also looking for a source for retro style vinyl to remake the cushions.
Philip Galloway
4 years ago
Used this really useful article to help me on my first restoration project https://www.gively.co/post/restoring-furniture-our-top-tips
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