How to upgrade an old cabinet?

In modern life, nothing stands still. Tastes, preferences, home interior are changing. Therefore, often after the completion of the repair, the main question becomes what to do with old furniture, especially wardrobes.

You can, of course, purchase a new model of a chic wardrobe that would harmoniously fit into the new design of the room, but if the previous version of the design is made of high-quality material or natural wood, you should not rush to throw it away. It is quite possible to give such furniture a chance for a new life, for this you just have to be patient and learn how to update an old wardrobe with decorations.

Today, there are many ways to upgrade items. It can be painting, painting, decoupage or sticker of a film that imitates various materials. Each of the restoration methods does not require large material costs.

Thanks to such modern finishing technologies, the wardrobe will take on an original look, and decoration with an ornament or pattern will allow you to install the structure in any room. It should be noted that everyone can try themselves as an independent designer, choosing the type of design and color scheme to their liking.

New furniture is always fashionable, beautiful and prestigious. It can be purchased both ready-made and made to order. But lately, the majority of home owners prefer to pick up paints, brushes and start creating individual masterpieces from old furniture models. And this is not in vain, as there are many reasons not to throw out old cabinets in a landfill.

Self-restoration has many advantages, these are:

• Stylish. The main reason for replacing furniture is considered to be its inconsistency with the new style. So, for example, if the room is decorated in the direction of country or Provence, then even a new purchased wardrobe will have to be "adjusted" to the general appearance of the room. Therefore, thanks to the hand-crafted style, the cabinet in use will be in no way inferior to an expensive novelty from the store.

• Fashionable. Recently, it has become popular not only to be the owner of restored furniture, but also to be able to transform old objects with your own hands. Using your creative imagination, you can make a real work of art from unnecessary "junk".
• Exclusively. As a rule, all cabinet models are mass-produced, so hundreds of similar analogs are often found in stores. But if the structure is independently restored, then it will be in one copy. In addition, cabinets can be decorated with an original technique in the form of a merging palette. After styling the furniture in a suitable color, the interior of the room is either bright or neutral, it all depends on personal tastes.
• Economically. You won't be able to buy a new wardrobe for free. As for the updated design, it will be affordable and economical. For example, it takes a little money to purchase a can of paint, a roll of sandpaper, and hardware. In addition, restoration is considered a great way to relax.

Over time, all cabinets lose their original appearance and become irrelevant for home design. But don't throw them away right away. It is quite possible to give aesthetics and originality to such outdated models.In order to decorate furniture at home, it is enough to be patient and purchase the necessary materials.

In modern decoration, the following types of restoration are distinguished:

• Painting. This is the most effective and simplest solution. It is possible to update the cabinet by painting in various ways, using not only a gorgeous palette for this, but also many options for applying paint. For the cabinet to transform, it is enough to completely cover it with one color, or to update only certain parts: sides, doors, drawers, handles. Structures painted under an ombre look unusual, when dull shades of paints smoothly turn into a rich tone.

• Stickers and stencils. Thanks to a simple set of objects, you can create beautiful decor yourself without having the skills of an artist. Sophisticated flower arrangements and geometric shapes will quickly transfer to the surface of the furniture and help it fit into the modern design of the house. Decor elements are applied both to a simply prepared surface and to a pre-painted background. The lines on the cabinets are created with duct tape.

• Restoration by wallpaper. At the end of the renovation in the house, there is no need to rush to throw away the remnants of the wallpaper, as they will become an excellent material for restoring an old cabinet, hiding its many flaws. Paper cuttings are applied to the painted surface. They can be placed both on the outer parts of the structure and on the inside of the shelves.

• Decoupage. It is an unusual type of decoration, in which the drawing on the cabinet smoothly merges with its surface, decoupage of doors with napkins looks especially beautiful. The simplest patterned napkins are suitable for decoration. In this case, the composition can turn out to be contrasting, clear or with gaps. This method of decoration is often chosen for a wardrobe and a furniture wall, but if there is an outdated model wardrobe in the room, then it can also be updated.

• Textile. To give a second wind to the wardrobe, fabric is often used in the finishing process. For lovers of everything stylish and fashionable, designers are advised to choose lace decoration. It is worth noting that each type of fabric will correspond to a certain style of decoration. For example, silk is used for a more sophisticated interior, while linen is useful for Provence. The fabric is glued to the surface of the cabinet using PVA glue.

• Mosaic. This type of decor looks aesthetically pleasing and bright, suitable for the art deco style. Broken multi-colored glass, ceramics are used as the main material for restoration, sometimes the cabinet is decorated with a mirror. Particles for the future drawing are glued to the cabinet with ordinary glue.

• Gilding. The furniture is covered with "gold" foil and fixed with varnish.

• Aging. If the room looks in the Provence style, then the furniture should be quite "old". In design, this is considered a special direction of art, in which the wardrobe gets an antique vintage look. Wooden structures look special, painted with a facade, using a dry brush. If you want to create more noticeable reliefs on the surface of the cabinet, you can first cover it with acrylic, and then "walk" with a regular sponge moistened with glaze.

• Photo restoration. Application of a film with a photo print.

The unpresentable look of the old cabinet can be corrected by repainting. In this case, the furniture will not only become "fresh", but also original.It is this type of restoration that is considered the most popular, as it opens up many ideas that make a dream come true. In order for the update process to proceed correctly, you must complete the following steps:

• Preparation. The surface of the wooden cabinet should be well leveled and sanded. This also applies to chipboard structures. For this, a thin layer of putty and primer is applied. Thus, it will be possible to hide all visible defects in the form of chips and cracks on the tree. After that, the furniture is carefully sanded.

• Coloring. Selected color and brushes. Often, a special spray gun is also used to apply paint. It evenly distributes the color tone under pressure and makes the work neat. It is worth noting that the paint should be applied evenly in several layers, so the cabinet will receive a rich tone and the result of the restoration will last for a long time. After the paint is completely dry, you can additionally open it with a glossy or shiny varnish.

In many homes, you can find a wardrobe with glass doors. It is considered an excellent item for home design, as glass is a decorative element that can be easily processed.

Today, there are two popular ways to finish it:

• painting technique with liquid glass;
• decor without the use of paints.

In addition, craftsmen often use a combination of glass with metal, polymer clay, plasticine and other materials. In order to make the glass look unusual, you will need to prepare sea salt, grains of non-ground coffee, glue, acrylic paints. Coffee beans are usually glued either in a specific order or randomly. It is preferable to apply the composition to the bottom and top of the glass.

The cabinet doors will also look stylish if they are decorated with sea salt. For this, the outer part of the glass is covered with glue, and then salt is applied and wait until it dries completely.

Glass is decorated with plasticine no less original. Before starting the design, you will need to draw patterns for the picture, choose its color. Then a picture is formed from different shades of plasticine. Such a decoration will fit well into the interior of children's rooms, it will help to unusually complement the marine theme, where sea salt turns into drops of water, plasticine into fish and algae, and shells will serve as the seabed.

As for the finish with broken glass, it is considered a real masterpiece and will decorate the doors of any cabinet. Broken pieces of material are glued with a special glue.

Before applying patterns, you will need to prepare glue, broken glass and acrylic paints, while the procedure for applying decoration elements is thought out in advance. First of all, the work surface is covered with a thin layer of glue, the decor particles are fixed and wait until it dries completely. Then the resulting ornament can be painted with acrylics and opened with varnish.

Everyone can update the appearance of the old cabinet, for this it is enough to follow simple recommendations and prepare materials such as PVA glue, acrylic paint and varnish, new fittings, sandpaper and wallpaper.

Initially, you need to disassemble the old structure and pull out all the boxes. Then the surface of the furniture and its accompanying parts is sanded with sandpaper. Next, acrylic paint is applied, first the corners are painted with a sponge or brush, and then they begin to cover the entire surface.

The next step is to decorate the boxes. They can be decorated in white, the front side of the object is painted with acrylic, when it dries up, stick masking tape and decorate with "gold" paint. After painting, the tape is removed and the wallpaper is used. To create the simplest composition, it is enough to use paper wallpaper. They are cut into strips, greased with glue and glued.

Finally, only the large cabinet doors will need to be updated. Wallpaper will also be glued to them, while it is important to ensure that the canvases adhere well to the base of the surface. Therefore, it is best to apply the sticker crosswise or lengthwise. As for the restoration of the interior of the cabinet, it is also painted. That's all, the new furniture is ready for long-term use.

Recently, many designers recommend using antique style in decorations. In addition, there are many techniques and materials that can give the cabinet an antique look. Such vintage furniture fits perfectly into the interior of rooms, where retro and classic reigns. Before the start of the design, the cabinet is pre-cleaned of the old coating and paint, degreased with a special solvent. Then a layer of primer is applied.

All work must be done carefully so as not to harm the tree, otherwise cracks may appear and the furniture will be damaged. After the primer has dried, the surface is painted with craquelure varnish and re-primed.

In addition to the exterior finish, the fittings in the cabinet must also be replaced and the decoration elements matching the style must be selected. Smooth transitions of shades look beautiful in such models; tinting solutions are used for this.

See in the next video one of the many interesting ways to decorate the cabinet.