I want to change the look of the furniture! What can I do without too much cost and with little effort?

I'm sure you've figured it out, here's an article from the cycle Readers ask:). I get a lot of questions on this topic, as ladies are usually the ones who want to change the look of the interior of the house without spending a lot of money. The changes help, they give the feeling of a fresh start, and if they involve some DIY, the satisfaction is even greater. In general, the furniture you want to change is older, perhaps outdated, but in good condition, so replacing it is not justified. Sometimes the pieces of furniture are made of solid wood which makes them more precious in the eyes of the owners, hence the clear intention to keep them. They are, however, too old and outdated, and the transformation is intended to bring them as close as possible to modern style and design. They are pieces that, with a little effort, can undergo the most interesting and spectacular transformations.

There are many ways to change the look of furniture, some with minimal effort and investment, others requiring more commitment, patience and talent. I'll take them one at a time.

Replacing knobs, handles and visible hardware

It sounds trivial, but it can certainly make a difference. In general, old furniture and pulls - handles - are the same colour making them lose their colour, part of the whole. Replacing them with ones in a contrasting colour or modern shape can give a new face to the whole furniture. They need to be chosen carefully because some simply don't match and spoil the final look. Changing is not difficult because these handles are generally screwed on.

Coloured wax skating

Coloured wax can bring a change without the need to sand or remove the old finish. Furniture only needs to be cleaned by washing with water and dishwashing detergent or soap (find more information about the procedure here). After wiping and wiping, wax can be applied with a soft cotton cloth, left for 1-2 hours, then polished with a felt or cotton cloth. The change will not be radical because the wax will not completely cover the old colour, but you will manage to give either a antique lookor a modern one, depending on the colour chosen for the wax.

You can find wax in different colours, even green or blue, in DIY stores or wood finishing distributors. If you have the patience, you can make your own colour using colourless wax and pigments. I worked with Kreidezeit pigments which mix well with both wax and oil. To incorporate the pigment better you can heat the wax a little. Not too much because wax is usually a mixture of wax and oil and can separate. Also remember that wax can be flammable. It's best to soak it a little on a closed heat source (a radiator).

Simple painting

We have talked about repainting furniture on several occasions. Find information here and here. There is also lots of information and tutorials on materials and ways to paint. The most popular are those with Annie Sloan creosote paints. Their advantage is that can be applied without sanding, even on glossy surfaces. Another advantage is that using the same paint, you can paint upholstery, decorative cushions or walls. It must, however, be protected because otherwise it is not waterproof. If the furniture is not intended to stand in wet environments, it is protected with wax. If it is bathroom or kitchen furniture, it should be protected with varnish to make it stand up in wet environments.

You can also use water-based (water-thinnable) paint, it is compatible with most types of varnishes and paints used, except for oil and alkyd paint. In this case, use all alkyd or oil-based paint for repainting. The advantage of using ordinary water-based paints is that you don't need another coat to protect them and they are resistant even in high humidity environments. The disadvantage is that in order to adhere to the old coat, it needs to be sanded a little (in addition to washing). Sanding does not involve removing the old coating but creating very fine scratches on it to ensure adhesion between layers. It is done with 280 or 320 grit sandpaper or fine abrasive sponge. After sanding, the surface is wiped before painting to remove dust.

Painting with two or more colours

This is where imagination comes in. You can get a very different, modern and cheerful furniture just by choosing the right colours. Cupboards, coffee tables, bedside tables can be divided into several areas using paper tape (available in DIY stores. I got it from Hornbach). This type of scotch tape peels off easily without leaving any marks. Paint each area a different color, and when you remove the scotch you will have a totally different piece of furniture. It will also be different if you paint each drawer a different colour or if you paint only the frame of the furniture a different colour, keeping the drawers in their original colour.

An interesting effect is achieved if you intertwine the colours. For example, divide your imaginary wardrobe, without using tape, into 3 areas. In the centre of each area, brush on a colour, say white, green and blue. Then, start to brush the colour from the centre of the colour stripe towards the neighbouring colour. Spread from both sides so that the two colours overlap, but don't make them uniform. You will get a transition area where the colours interlock.

It is very important to choose the colours so that their approach is harmonious and interesting. You can 'pair' two colours by adding a little of one to the other and vice versa, still in the box, before they are applied. When they are placed next to each other they will already have something in common and will harmonise with each other. The quantity does not have to be large to avoid getting another colour.

Painting and antiquing

This time dyeing can be associated with antiquing methods, of ageing furniture. There are many such methods, here are just a few of them:

• Sand the edges so that the old finish shows through. The method is called distressed and you can find more information on how to do it here.
• Coloured wax skating. Works well on furniture with profiles.
• Obtaining a marbled effect using a cotton swab and an acetone-based mouthwash. The acetone will evaporate very quickly before the colour coat evens out. The remaining traces will make the surface look like marble. But you will need to fix the effect with a colourless wax primer or varnish.
• Distressed + skating. It is the way to get furniture in the style shabby chic.

Painting + painting

Paintings on cupboard doors can bring a romantic or cheerful air to furniture. You can use your own talent or use templates you can find in DIY or paint shops or paint retailers. The paint should generally be protected with a coat of varnish or wax. For stencils there are different transfer and fixing methods, depending on the supplier.

If you have old furniture in good working order, it's a shame to give it up just because you no longer like the colour or want to make a change. You can make the change yourself, with minimal investment and little physical effort. Now that we stay indoors so much, we really need something to help us get over feeling isolated more easily. And painting furniture can be a very enjoyable task. If you've decided, but don't know where to start, here's how here some recommendations.

Don't forget! If you have changed the look of your furniture using other methods, share your experience with us. And if you have any questions or queries, leave them below in the dedicated space. I will certainly answer them.