Restore an old wardrobe with your own hands. How to update an old closet: some creative ideas

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration. Let's talk about how to do this at home, without financial or physical costs.

Many people are in no hurry to part with old furniture and resort to do-it-yourself cabinet restoration.

Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself. Many houses have old furniture, creating a nice and comfortable nest for families. This is why people came up with the idea of ​​restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.

Restoring furniture with your own hands is not only exciting.

Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home. If for some reason you don’t have tools at home to work with old furniture, you can easily purchase them at the store.

The decor of the cabinet can be fixed with patterns or pasted over with various fragments from old albums and books.

Restoring an old cabinet is a painstaking task, but you can do it yourself.

The main advantage of restoration at home is that the bulky cabinet does not have to be taken outside its abode. The second plus is that you watch the whole process yourself and it’s easy to make any changes. About the third, as mentioned above, all tools are easily accessible.

Each master puts a piece of his soul into his products - this is not a metaphor.

This is why people came up with the idea of ​​restoring old things so that they could take on a new look and bring joy for several more years.

In general, only creative people can cope with such work, since they need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more. But if you approach your work more responsibly, then, perhaps, even without much talent, you can transform your old wardrobe, which has remained necessary for many years.

Basic cabinet makeover tools can be found in every home.

1. Art Deco

To decorate such decorations, interesting and very expensive materials are often used that will last for many years. A distinctive feature of this style are the various geometric patterns. They use bright colors for the interior, which at the end of the work are diluted with lighter and softer tones.

1. Decoupage

This style is mainly used only on wooden surfaces. It involves gluing cut-out figures and patterns, finishing them if necessary. A common and original way in this style is to use napkins with patterns and secure them with acrylic varnish ohm in several layers.

1. Covering with regular self-adhesive film

The name speaks for itself; various patterns are created using self-adhesive film. Stencils are often used. One of the easiest and most effective ways to restore old wooden surfaces.

1. Craquelure

This interesting way, on the contrary, emphasizes the antiquity of your furniture with the help of a special craquelure, which creates cracks on the surface. The main thing in this style is to create deeper and wider cracks; for this it is necessary to apply thicker layers.

When starting work, inspect the location of your furniture, what colors and tones should be chosen.

Let's talk in more detail about the last method.

Wooden cabinets dry out, causing cracks to form. Our job is not to hide, but, on the contrary, to give beauty and elegance to the cracks. There is a huge variety of varnishes now. It’s up to you to choose the color that suits your interior. Once you have chosen the desired color, you need to prepare for work.

The main advantage of restoration at home is that the bulky cabinet does not have to be taken outside its abode.

If you still doubt whether you made the right choice, move aside of this style, perhaps experiment on some small wooden things. Only the surface should be wooden and preferably antiqued, for a more convincing effect.

The second plus is that you watch the whole process yourself and it’s easy to make any changes.

Materials for decorating the surface of an old cabinet:

• acrylic paint;
• craquelure varnish ;
• matte acrylic .

When restoring a cabinet without the help of specialists, you estimate the cost of the work, which also has a positive effect on your budget.

The main thing is to approach all the work creatively and then your closet will acquire a newer and more bright life.

Tools for restoring the cabinet surface:

• brushes (different sizes);
• pieces of fabric without fine lint;
• container for diluting the product.

Only creative people can cope with such work, since they need to choose the right tones, shapes, and more.

To quickly dry the surface, you can use a hair dryer, but it also helps to increase cracks.

When purchasing materials, be sure to check their quality. The varnish should be quite liquid. When applying, do not shake the bottle under any circumstances, otherwise subsequent application will be of poor quality if there are bubbles.

They use bright colors, which at the end of the work are diluted with lighter and softer tones.

Do-it-yourself cabinet restoration consists of the following steps:

1. replacing cabinet fittings;
2. cleaning old cabinets;
3. necessary repairs;
4. decoration in craquelure style.

Wooden cabinets dry out, causing cracks to form.

You can check how dry the furniture is with your finger; if it sticks slightly but leaves no marks, the surface is ready.

Step-by-step restoration instructions

We clean the surface of the cabinet from the old coating with sandpaper. Then we cover it with acrylic paint, the color should be such that it matches your interior, it will be the main one. If you want to preserve the color of the cabinet, then apply a clear coat of paint.

There is a huge variety of varnishes now.

The thicker the layer you apply to the surface of the old cabinet, the wider and brighter the cracks will be.

After complete drying, the next layer of coating is craquelure varnish. The thicker the layer you apply to the surface of the old cabinet, the wider and brighter the cracks will be. After applying the second layer, the surface must dry thoroughly. You can check how dry the furniture is with your finger; if it sticks slightly but leaves no marks, the surface is ready.

Once you have chosen the desired color, you need to prepare for work.

When applying the second coat of paint, you need to act very quickly and move the brush in one direction. A Soviet cabinet is covered with one layer. If you decide to create a Venetian layer of plaster, then you should apply the paint with pieces of cloth or a sponge.

Only the surface should be wooden and preferably antiqued, for a more convincing effect.

After the paint has completely dried, a final layer of varnish is applied; it may already be matte. To quickly dry the surface, you can use a hair dryer, but it also helps to increase cracks.

When purchasing materials, be sure to check their quality.

The decor of the cabinet can be fixed with patterns or pasted over with various fragments from old albums and books. Only your imagination and interior will help here. The main thing is to approach all the work creatively and then your closet will take on a newer and brighter life. Don’t doubt your efforts, feel free to get to work and you will definitely be satisfied with the result!

The varnish should be quite liquid.

We clean the surface of the cabinet from the old coating with sandpaper.

VIDEO: Cabinet restoration

50 photo ideas for restoring an old cabinet

Design interior decoration thought out, but old wardrobe doesn't fit into the concept? Update your furniture using modern materials. In this article we will look at popular options for restoring an old cabinet; you will learn how to remake it in an interesting way.

The shelves of hobby and creative stores offer a variety of materials for restoration. old furniture, and photos for inspiration can be found on the Internet. This is stained glass film, decorative wallpaper, multi-colored enamels. When choosing the design of a new cabinet, be guided by the color scheme of the room. Professionally selected wall decorations, accessories and furniture complement each other. Before starting work, it is worth drawing up a project that will help you choose execution techniques and materials. Remodeling an old closet is sure to inspire you to new beginnings.

The most popular method is painting. Modern paint and varnish materials will help you restore your cabinet, giving it a new, unique look. They are able to radically transform furniture, adding elaborate originality to the interior.

Selecting paint and materials

Innovation in chemical industry offer many odorless paint options. They are ideal for indoor work without causing discomfort.

There are several types of paint for cabinet restoration:

• Acrylic - made on the basis of water, one of the safest for humans, has a rich color palette.
• Latex – resistant to sunlight, tends to dry quickly.
• Water-dispersed - produced on the basis of water, has only White color. By adding coloring pigments you can create a unique color.

ATTENTION! Surface painted water-dispersion paint, will have a muted, pastel shade. To achieve a bright color scheme, you should pay attention to latex or acrylic paints.

To create a rich color, apply two or three layers. Before the next application, the previous layer must be dried.

To apply paint evenly, use a spray gun. The surface of the cabinet will acquire interesting view, if you use regular brushes. Aerosol paint does not require additional equipment. It lays down in an even layer and creates an evenly painted smooth surface.

ADVICE! To ensure that the new cabinet reflects the glare of sunlight from the shiny surface, coat it with varnish. This will keep the furniture from fading and protect it from scratches.

Technology and painting options

Execution technology:

There are many painting options. This can be a gradient transition, dot painting, stylization for a certain era, or you can take a ready-made stencil, apply it to the facade and paint individual elements.

Updating an outdated closet with decorative wallpaper will not take much time and will not require large financial expenses. Construction stores offer a wide selection color palette and many texture options. Choose wallpaper that matches the interior of the room and begin restoration, following a few rules:

1. Before purchasing, measure the area of ​​the furniture to purchase the required amount of material.
2. Cut the wallpaper into the required pieces, apply a layer of glue to the cabinet, and smooth it well.

ADVICE! To make the updated closet happy for a long time, choose wallpaper that is easy to clean.

Exclusive design project will become a harmonious addition to the interior and will make you proud of your creation self-made.

One of the options for transforming old furniture is the use of modern large-format printing. Using the Internet, you can choose any illustration you like and order it printed at a printing house. There can be just one photograph, or you can create a whole collage of perfectly selected illustrations or thematic photographs.

ATTENTION! When choosing a photo, pay attention to its quality. A printed illustration at low resolution will have blurry outlines.

Photo restoration technology:

1. Clean the surface of old paint by sanding and prime the surface.
2. Apply wallpaper glue to the cabinet, glue the fabric and smooth it well.
3. Cover with a layer of clear varnish to add shine and protect against mechanical damage and dirt. This picture will last forever.

A new way to update furniture is to use fabric. It will give a feeling of comfort and soften the outline. The material will help create perfect harmony between interior items in the house. The result will be ideal if you follow the restoration technology:

1. Prepare necessary tools: glue, furniture stapler, padding polyester or thin foam rubber, upholstery material.
2. Glue the padding polyester to the surface of the cabinet.
3. Distribute the fabric evenly and attach it using a furniture stapler. Make sure the fabric is evenly tensioned to avoid distortions.

This method is universal. You can change the fabric without additional preparation of the furniture surface.

Mirrors expand space by reflecting sunlight. Renovating the facade with their help will be great solution. When getting started, remember:

ATTENTION! A mirror is a heavy object. Only glue or liquid nails will not hold it, so you should carefully consider the fastening system, for example, by creating an additional frame to evenly distribute the load.

The method is suitable for decorating polished furniture. He doesn't require additional processing surfaces. Even a novice restorer can do the following:

1. Using a marker, draw a dotted outline of the image. You can come up with a layout yourself, or take any plot you like as a basis.
2. Do the work with acrylic paint and a thin brush.

Dot painting is suitable for creating story-based illustrations and will look great in the interior of a children’s room.

Restoring an old cabinet with your own hands - non-standard ideas

Recently, simple, but at the same time, popular non-standard methods Scenery.

Stained glass film – a good option for restoration. Its application is not difficult:

Original vinyl stickers will dilute a boring interior. Working with them is very simple: just degrease the surface and glue a new picture.

If you can’t find a suitable sticker, make it yourself. For this you will need film and stained glass paints. Use a black outline to mark the boundaries of the drawing and paint with multi-colored paints. Wait until completely dry and stick to the cabinet. Stained glass drawing will be semi-transparent.

Decorative plaster– quite expensive, but original way decor. The following equipment is required for operation:

Remove old paint from the cabinet body, fill the cracks. Attach the stencil with tape and apply decorative plaster using a spatula. After finishing the work, remove the stencil and correct the errant pattern, dry the surface. Paint the surface in a color that matches the design. You can coat it with varnish. The method allows you to create an original three-dimensional drawing.

Those who like to collect puzzles can use the assembled paintings to decorate their closet. You can glue them on the back side and secure them to the surface using double-sided tape.

Do children like to draw on furniture and wallpaper? Create a chalkboard-effect closet for them. To do this, you can use a special film for chalk painting, or paint the cabinet with dark paint.

Furniture in the interior of a living space has great importance. It fills the house with coziness and creates a feeling of comfort. An updated closet will not only serve as storage, but will also become a real work of art.

The opportunity to update old furniture is not only a practical activity, but also very creative. It's nice when your favorite decorating technique and creative impulses can be translated into something as useful as possible, for example, giving a second life to a closet. Reanimating it with your own hands is a fairly simple task despite its impressive scale. Photo examples resulting from innovative transformations will set you in the right mood. The advice will adjust the scope of work, and the video will dispel any remaining doubts and set you up for the success of the event.

New or very old?

The most important thing is to decide on the theme and style of the future transformation. There are initially two concepts in the update:

1. Give modern look a typical example of “Soviet” furniture or a younger specimen that has lost its decent appearance. Result: bright accent for modern, avant-garde interiors and other modern design projects.
2. From particularly interesting models, through not explicit updating, but competent, even greater aging, obtain a unique exclusive sample. Effect: a worthy representative of shabby chic, any vintage style.

There are renovation techniques that require at least some experience or minimal skill as an artist. But there are very simple ones that even an amateur can handle. For different types furniture they will also be different.

We glue

Wardrobe or other simple model It may not be very old in age, but it is the facades - the weak points of such products - that quickly lose all the charm of novelty. Pasting external surfaces with photo wallpaper or photo printing cannot be called creative process, but visual transformation is guaranteed. Even an old wardrobe, decorated with a well-chosen pattern, can take its rightful place, for example, in a nursery.

Wallpapering a closet

Stained glass film will add elegance and presentability to a cabinet located in the hallway or corridor. Another plus is that it will prevent damage, for example when Entrance door opens into the apartment, touching the surface of the wardrobe.

Advice. Self-adhesive films are not long-lasting creations, but this has its obvious advantage for people who love change.

Wallpapering can work if you choose a wall that matches the design of the wall where the updated version of the furniture will be located. Typical techniques:

• same color scheme, but different pattern;
• dismantle the doors and cover the back wall.

All methods of wallpapering look especially impressive in combination with an indispensable method of restoration - painting. Only the central part of the drawers and doors is covered with wallpaper; the edges and ends (the most vulnerable places) are painted with contrasting, suitable paint. By the way, such a combined method, especially with daily use, will allow you to maintain its original fresh appearance for as long as possible.

We paint

An alternative option with its own advantages:

• low cost and ease of execution;
• variety of colors and painting methods;
• lasting result.

Some experts give special preference to acrylic paint for the ability to independently choose the desired color scheme by simply mixing it. With the addition of white paint, you can get as many shades as you like and even use the ombre technique.

Cabinet Painting

An aerosol modification of the paint you like will be relevant for beginners. But in general, you need to take care of purchasing a high-quality roller, brushes of different formats, and other painting accessories, especially if you do not plan to stop renovating old things.

Advice. Pay attention to paint with existing special effects in the composition - metallic, mother-of-pearl.

Add varnish and volume

Varnishes are used to give furniture an “antique” feel. And the use of ready-made stencils will allow you to make a painting no worse than a professional artist. Even a simple masking tape used as a stencil for elementary patterns can turn a nondescript cabinet into a bright accent for a modern, high-tech interior.

It is worth noting that the style features are also emphasized by the fittings. Even a bulky, slightly awkward brown giant turns into an exquisite luxurious piece. This is achieved by simply painting the door handles in a light color (for example, ice blue) in the color of aged, darkened gold or brass. Handles with enamel inserts are not a cheap pleasure, but the result of the transformation will benefit significantly from such fittings.

When simple painting becomes an uninteresting process - we complicate the task. A technique such as stenciling with plaster can turn a cabinet that suits the style into a museum exhibit, especially if gilding is used at the end of the work. Decorative plaster allows you to create three-dimensional images, and subsequent painting fixes and emphasizes the result.

All kinds of decorative slats, corners, stuffed or glued with a slight indentation around the perimeter of the doors, in a special way transform a banal polished double-leaf wardrobe into a worthy representative of the Provence or country style. You just have to pick it up suitable paint. The added special effects - patina - look good.

Attention! Professionals advise testing the behavior of unfamiliar paint on a specific surface in an inconspicuous area.

Restoration and preparatory stage

Sometimes furniture is in such a state that it seems easier to throw it away than to try to revive it. It's not all that sad. A few secrets for specimens in poor condition and general tips before decorating:

Applying patina

• the decayed areas cannot be handled with sandpaper - you will need a metal brush;
• It wouldn’t hurt to dry the furniture before starting work;
• putty and rubber spatula are a working duo against surface defects;
• pre-treatment with a special antiseptic for wooden surfaces is a reasonable precaution.

There are quite a few ways to update your closet. It all depends on the time and money that you are willing to invest in this enterprise. There are more painstaking types of beauty, such as covering with fabric and then decorating with carnations. Nowadays there are a lot of stencils available that allow you to easily repaint a cabinet “like Gzhel”. It all depends on your imagination and desire to try new things, because there are still so many pieces of furniture...

Restoration of an old cabinet: video

Cabinet update: photo

What do we do when we decide to change our environment? Let's start scrolling fashion magazines looking for photos of ultra-modern furniture and asking friends, trying to find an interesting creative idea. And we completely forget that convenient, completely free and stylish furniture you already have it, you just need to put in a little imagination and your own efforts to restore it. Let's try to figure out how to update an old wardrobe with your own hands: photos of restored wardrobes, wardrobes and cupboards will serve as an excellent stimulus for creative impulse.

Modern furniture from leading manufacturers is certainly comfortable and attractive. You walk into your friend’s living room and she has a new set from a famous Italian company. A beautiful facade made of natural oak, gilded fittings, softly shining frosted glass with a sandblasted pattern. However, what can magnificent, expensive wardrobes say about a person, except that he lives in abundance? Perhaps we can also draw conclusions about its good taste.

An excellent alternative to a modern set for a hall or hallway

And an old but updated piece of furniture is on a completely different level. This is a whole story full of interesting events and secrets. This is a greeting from the past, and perhaps from the century before last, when our ancestors did not even know about the existence of convenient drawers on rollers, but they also appreciated the naturalness of the material and a creative approach to design. Items inherited were valued much more than new ones, and antique shops were always full of visitors.

Modern design with elements of ancient painting

To breathe into an old wardrobe or bookshelf new life, there are many ways to decorate furniture with your own hands: from simple sanding followed by varnishing to the use of complex patination techniques. The choice of method depends on the taste of the owner of rare furniture and the ability to apply the rules of decorative techniques in practice.

Pasting with bright wallpaper is an effective way to place accents

Several jars of acrylic paint, half a roll of inexpensive ones paper wallpaper, a tube of wood glue, a set of brushes - and instead of an inconspicuous double-door wardrobe, you get a unique masterpiece of your own making.

Old furniture as an element of a stylish interior

It is a mistake to think that an old cabinet will not “fit” into the framework of a certain style. By choosing the right color and decoration technique, you can create a model that fully meets the overall design concept. If desired, you can remove or replace some elements to give the piece of furniture a certain shape - more strict or laconic.

Truly feminine linen closet decor

Let's return to "grandmother's" closets. The modern generation of grandparents are witnesses to the heyday of the Soviet era, when there was not such diversity furniture sets, and walls from abroad were considered the highest reward for patience. The style of both domestic and imported (Polish and Czech) furniture is simple, uncomplicated and laconic.

But for master decorators, Soviet-era furniture is a real treasure. Just look at how the old cabinet looks in the photo after restoration with your own hands: you don’t even need a master class to sand and paint all the parts white.

Amazing transformation of a “Soviet” buffet

And who doesn’t remember the polished brown and reddish cherry facades from our childhood? They are very easy to update using the same sandpaper and paint. Pay attention to the decorative elements - light gilding or bronze on a white background looks simply excellent.

Photo comparison of the wardrobe before and after the update

Those who inherited the Soviet wall were incredibly lucky. It can be divided into separate modules and create a first-class modern set for a children's room or cottage. There is only one thing left to do - decide on the color and choose the appropriate decorating technique!

Why do I choose restoration?

It's easy to understand why many people choose new furniture– it’s prestigious, beautiful and fashionable. I chose a model, placed an order, and within a month, the bedroom is decorated with black glossy splendor. Or an airy snow-white set – whatever you like. Let's try to figure out what makes some people pick up brushes and paints. Moreover, sometimes take a walk through nearby landfills.

Stylish

What guides people who age slightly even new thing? With style! If your kitchen is dominated by Provence or 100% ecological country style, then even new furniture is usually stylized a little. And don’t just rub the protruding places with sandpaper, but elegantly and skillfully use a special technique, otherwise you won’t get the desired effect. The photo shows an example of how to paint an old cabinet with your own hands in an antique style.

The gentle beauty of Provence

Manufacturers of paints and varnishes compete in the production of special decorative products, which, after application, steal from your furniture for at least a hundred years.

Fashionable

It is interesting that it is becoming fashionable not only to own restored furniture, but also to be able to personally transform old things, to skillfully turn unwanted junk into works of art. If you are not yet familiar with creative activity designer and decorator Marat Ka, we recommend contacting her - you will learn a lot about restoration and modern decorating techniques.

Do-it-yourself painting as a way to update old headsets

Surprisingly, the fashion for restoring interior items that have fallen into disrepair has lasted for centuries. Moreover, along with new technologies for making furniture, super-fashionable techniques for decorating and aging are emerging.

Exclusive

If you purchase a cabinet in a store, it is immediately clear that the factory model has more than one hundred twin brothers. The modules ordered from furniture stores are also not original, since the same materials are used to make the facades. But a piece of furniture updated with your own hands is one hundred percent exclusive. Not only is the design “ancient”, but the design will also be special, because paint, wallpaper and fabric are used as decorative elements.

An original technique in which furniture and walls “merge”

It’s convenient that for styling you can choose a color that fully matches the interior palette: neutral, bright or selected based on the principle of contrast.

Practical

Possession of a new stylish thing completely free or almost free – highest level practical approach and economy. Calculate how much a roll of sandpaper, a can of paint and a set of accessories costs, and then compare with the prices of the most ordinary classic wardrobe. The difference in cost is colossal. An example of how to decorate an old cabinet with your own hands is in the next photo.

Unique interior, more like an expensive designer masterpiece than a budget project

Don’t forget that decorating is a pleasant process and, in fact, a form of relaxation, which means additional savings.

Master class: how to decorate an old wardrobe

As an example, we will tell you in detail how to update old polished furniture with your own hands, namely, an old wardrobe that has been in the country for a long time.

Three-leaf wardrobe with drawers and mirror

There is no point in throwing away a strong, conscientiously assembled piece of furniture, and besides, there are many techniques that can be used to easily restore its beauty and youth. The idea belongs to Maria Talmacheva.

Finding a suitable model

It’s easiest for craftsmen and craftswomen who are happy owners of old furniture - they already have the main object for the embodiment of creative ideas. What should those who live surrounded by new cabinets and cupboards that they don’t want to say goodbye to do? There are several options:

• ask if your friends and acquaintances have a “throwaway” wardrobe and, if the answer is positive, help them get rid of the junk;
• buy old unnecessary furniture on one of the many sites (for example, Avito) at a symbolic price;
• still take a risk and redo it current model, which is not very old, but has already served for 10-15 years.

And don’t forget to think about where the new “resident” of your apartment or house will be installed.

Choosing a decoration method

To make the design item look fresh and extraordinary, you should choose one of the popular techniques, in this case - decoupage to update the cabinet facade. You will need thin napkins with an original pattern or ornament. Perhaps it will be pink peonies or birds of paradise; in any case, the facade after finishing will become unrecognizable. We will show you how to restore an old cabinet with your own hands using paper napkins with a beautiful pattern, in which austerity prevails. Blue colour.

Napkins matched to match the handles

Advice for beginners: napkins can be purchased at a hardware store or a special department of a supermarket that sells hand-made products.

Let's remember the nuances of technology

To brush up on your skills, you can practice designing internal sides cabinet or drawers. The exercises are especially useful for those who are encountering the decoupage technique for the first time. The main thing is to follow all stages of work and their order.

For interior decoration, the choice fell on bright finishes

For training, you can choose other interior elements, for example, old stool or a chair. Decorative wall decorations made of wood or plastic are also suitable.

Preparing tools and materials

The advantage of decoupage is that it does not require expensive or hard-to-find materials. You will find some of the items at home, the rest you can buy in the supermarket at a low price. The most expensive purchase is the purchase of paint and varnish, but to decorate a small cabinet you can use the leftover paint from a previous renovation. A small photo gallery of necessary things:

Paper napkins with a beautiful pattern

Set of paint brushes – wide and narrow

Paint roller with a tray for squeezing out excess paint

PVA glue for paper or construction work

Acrylic paints in your favorite colors

In addition to the listed items and materials, you will need:

• transparent fixing varnish;
• paraffin (an ordinary white candle will do);
• sandpaper (minimal grit);
• primer for preparing the base for gluing and painting;
• spray bottle filled clean water;
• masking paper tape or tape.

If you want to decoupage furniture with your own hands using fabric or wallpaper, use appropriate materials instead of napkins.

Clean the surface and prime the base

Cleaning should be done with a sander or manually using fine-grained sandpaper. Carefully sand all outer surfaces. To remove polishing, it is better to use a power tool, otherwise the process will be delayed. When you achieve ideal smoothness and uniformity of the surface, you need to apply a layer of primer. If you follow the instructions and know exactly the moment of drying, you can distribute free time with benefit.

Try to remember all the stages of work, because the skills of decorating old furniture with your own hands can be useful in the future.

Apply 1 layer of paint and cover with paraffin

As soon as the primer is completely dry, we begin painting the facade and walls. First, select a background shade and apply it. In the future, it is possible to add stripes, shapes, borders of a different color. Cover areas not to be painted with masking tape. The photo shows a cabinet painted in 1 layer:

Main color – lilac of moderate intensity

Acrylic paint dries quickly, so after 20-25 minutes we begin rubbing the surfaces with paraffin. We touch only those surfaces that we plan to age.

A candle is an excellent tool for creating a layer of paraffin

Areas covered with paraffin can be easily stylized and made more colorful. The next coat of paint comes off perfectly, as a result of which the worn areas appear aged. In our case, a lilac background or wood texture will be visible in the treated areas.

Apply 2 layers of paint

Having paraffinized individual areas, we proceed to re-staining. Mandatory condition: the second layer of paint should be 1-2 tones lighter.

To maintain clear boundaries of the painted areas, do not forget to use masking tape

To paint small-width parts, use a narrow brush.

The transverse elements and the middle of the doors can be painted in a different color - blue, gray or turquoise.

A little bright touches wouldn't hurt

Having made the last stroke, wait for it to dry completely.

We decorate using decoupage technique

We use decoupage to decorate the end parts and front sides of the drawers. The process of fixing a napkin on a vertical surface is very simple. First, apply a piece of a napkin (or the whole thing) to the end of the cabinet, evenly moisten it with water from a spray bottle, then take a brush and carefully smooth the napkin, trying not to damage the edges.

Leveling the napkin is one of the important stages of decoupage

Wetting helps the paper piece to level out

Having achieved perfect smoothness, apply a layer of PVA glue on top of the napkin; it dries in about 20-30 minutes. We paint the areas covered with masking tape a different color.

We age and varnish

It remains to age the pre-selected places, in this case these are the corners and cross slats. Take fine sandpaper and lightly remove the top layer of paint. A lower layer, painted in a brighter color, should appear under it.

The aged areas are clearly visible in the photo.

Inner part paint the cabinet one color

The finishing touch is applying varnish. For durability, we recommend applying protection 2-3 times, each time waiting until it dries completely.

Installing new fittings

The wardrobe is ready, all that remains is to install the fittings - the design of the lock part and decorative handles. If the store does not find fittings that match the style or color, ordinary silver or gold parts will do.

The handle is designed in the finishing style

Don't forget about drawer handles

After spending just a few hours, instead of an old boring cabinet we got new item furniture, stylish and unique.

Elegant wardrobe for country interior

Video instructions for decorating old furniture

How to quickly paint an old cabinet:

How to remove old paint and carefully apply new paint:

Video: master class on restoring old furniture with your own hands:

You have seen just one episode of successful furniture renovation. As you can see, it’s not at all difficult to update an old wardrobe with your own hands: just buy some decorative material and arm yourself with a brush. There are more complex methods of decoration, but coloring and decoupage are simple and effective methods that are accessible even to amateur designers.

As a rule, every self-respecting owner eventually faces the question of restoring an old cabinet. But this will be even more relevant if you are the owner of Soviet interior items, which are made from high-quality wood of rare species, and not from sawdust, like most modern furniture.

It is the procedure for restoring an old cabinet, as well as ways to decorate it, that we will talk about in this article.

All work on the restoration of an old Soviet cabinet can be divided into two stages - repair and decoration. The first is common to cabinets of any type, while the process of giving furniture a unique design directly depends on the tastes and skills of its owner.

Tool

In order to implement renovation work, you will need the following types of tools and materials:

• emery cloth;
• hammer and furniture nails;
• primer and putty for wooden surfaces;
• brush and spatula;
• screwdriver and a set of fasteners;
• various types of fittings;
• glue and pencil.

After preparing everyone necessary materials and tools, you can proceed directly to the restoration procedure of the old cabinet.

The procedure for carrying out repair work

• First you need to free inner space closet from foreign objects and place it in the central part of the room, which will allow you to have access to the piece of furniture from all sides.
• The next stage of restoration work on a varnished cabinet is to check the strength of the connection of its elements. To do this, you should carefully inspect the furniture and, if necessary, replace old screws with new ones.

In this case, the fixing elements should be installed in other places, and the old holes should be covered with putty and allowed to dry before carrying out the next type of restoration work.

• After all structural elements are firmly connected to each other, you can begin to eliminate surface defects. The first step in this stage of cabinet remodeling is to remove the old paintwork using sandpaper of various grits.

After completing this procedure, you should thoroughly wipe the surface of the cabinet with a damp cloth. Then you need to treat it with a primer, and after drying you can begin to eliminate cracks and scratches.

Large indentations can be masked with putty, while small scratches can be easily removed by applying clear furniture wax.

Having carried out such procedures, you can apply a paint coating to the surface of the furniture (with further polishing) or decorate the cabinet using other available means, which we will discuss below.

Also in our photo catalog you can see some other options for decorating an old cabinet that do not require much effort on the part of the owner of such a piece of furniture.

Decoupage cabinet

The decoupling procedure will allow you to turn an old cabinet into original item interior that will look great in a bedroom or children's room.

In order to decoupage such furniture, you will need:

• a pair of paint brushes;
• varnish (colorless);
• napkins with a pre-selected pattern;
• warm water;
• glue;
• paints (acrylic).

After everything you need has been prepared, you can proceed directly to the decoupling procedure itself.

First, using masking tape, you should cover those elements that will not be subject to restoration.

Then you need to shake the pre-prepared paint and apply it to the primed surface of the piece of furniture.

After the paint coating has dried, cut out a design from napkins, apply it to the painted surface and trace it with a simple pencil.

This will allow you to accurately mark the location of the elements on the cabinet.

Having finished marking the surface, lower the design cut out of napkins into warm water and leave it there for thirty seconds, then remove it and place it on cellophane.

While the napkins are drying a little, apply PVA glue to the gluing area and place the designs one by one on the prepared surface.

The final stage of restoration and decoration of the old cabinet will be the application of colorless varnish, which will protect the decoupage areas from possible mechanical damage.

Craquelure

Another common way of decorating a renovated cabinet is single-phase craquelure, the essence of which is to give the furniture an artificially aged look by applying a special varnish.

First, the surface to be decorated is covered with a layer of acrylic, which will appear through the cracks of the craquelure, giving the furniture the desired effect.

After the base layer has dried, a craquelure varnish is applied, over which a transparent varnish is applied.

As you can see, restoring an old cabinet is not such a complicated procedure, which will give your furniture a unique design and significantly extend its life.