Most homeowners have a piece or two of old furniture in their basements. Pieces that have been past down but neglected. Old furniture was built to last but some of these pieces look beat up.
Instead of tossing a good piece of furniture to the curb, why not give it a makeover? A few hours and a little DIY magic can completely transform that old furniture. There are plenty of people who make a lot of money giving new life to old furniture.
A quick paint job can make that piece of furniture a lot more valuable. We’ve taken some examples from DIYers to give you a little inspiration. Lots of these before and afters are just really stunning.
Here are 55 furniture makeovers turning drab, dated furniture into a modern piece:
You can still upgrade your furniture without giving it an entirely new paint job. Just give it some gold, silver or bronze accents instead. Learn how to create this look here.
This office chair was all black with no cushioning. But now its got cushioning and a cute pattern thanks to a few staples. Learn how to makeover your office chairs here.
This old sette was dusty and dull looking. It was originally green and brown. Now it’s fabulous and modern looking. Get the tutorial on this project here.
This old wooden coffee table used to have glass panels. But then it got a while paint job and the glass inserts were traded for DIY upholstered cushions. Find out how it was done here.
The brown wooden finish on this piece made it look old and outdated. Giving it a black paint job while keeping the gold drawer pulls make it look a lot more modern. Get the details on this project here.
If you’re looking to buy a kilim-style bedside bench it would likely run you between $500 and $2,000. But this one was made by a DIYer for $195. Learn how here.
11) Campaign Desk Revival
This desk was really nothing special before. But now it looks absolutely adorable in pink. Get info on this project here.
This project uses lace as a stencil to create the designs on these doors. These drawer fronts were covered in lace, then spray painted. The beautiful lace design was left when the lace was lifted.
This chair was originally brown and broken. But some wood glue, paint, and a piece of fabric turned it into a piece that will brighten up your whole room. Get the instructions for this project here.
You don’t need to be a carpenter for this project. These are peel and stick wooden tiles on a plain white headboard. Learn how this project was done here.
You’ll often see homes with standard wooden bar stools. But why not make them colorful and bright. These stools now have a gold-dipped look. You can find the tutorial here.
This cool side table started out as a plain wooden cube. But a little bit of Contact paper turned it into a modern masterpiece. Learn how to do this project here.
Some new knobs can completely transform your furniture. These drawers also got a coat of paint to make them stand out. Get details on this project here.
This was a plain wooden stool before its makeover. It was covered in a mini drop cloth and had rosettes made from the drop cloth too. Learn how to make it here.
19) Rainbow Colors
You can also revamp furniture by painting it in rainbow hues. It will bring a lot of life to your home. Get the details on this project here.
You won’t have to get art for your walls if your furniture is already playing the part. This beautiful scenery was painted on an armoire. This gorgeous landscape is so elaborate that you almost forget it’s a piece of furniture.
Another interesting way to transform your drawers is to turn it into a cute building or townhouse. This piece is so adorable it doesn’t even look like drawers. the drawer pulls make perfect window awnings. This piece is selling for $365 on Etsy.
A quick way to make something more expensive is to add pops of gold and rich looking colors. Jewel tones work perfectly for that. This dresser was painted as sapphire color and the pulls were painted gold to give it a regal looking finish.
If you want something that’s a bit wild looking try constrasting colors. Just paint your furniture two different colors. You can learn how this dresser was painted here.
Another way to modernize your furniture is to make it look like a subway sign. You can probably pull something like this off with stencils or decals. This transformation gives these drawers an entirely new feel.
Here we have a high contrast piece. The vintage looking drawers were kept in tact while the base was modernized with some color. Get the details on this project here.
Geometric patterns are an easy way to modernize your old furniture. You can buy or make your own stencil. This project also makes great use of different kinds of colors.
A mandala stencil gives your old furniture a serene feel. You can stencil on the entire mandala or cut your design in half. Learn how this table was made here.
Nature designs like trees, butterflies, and birds are always a great way to beautify furniture. And you don’t have to be a great artist. You can use paint the dresser and use decals or stickers over it and seal them in witha top coat.
This used to be a basic looking school chair. Now its looks colorful and bright because of these cool paint splotches. Check out the details on this project here.
Bring a little whimsy into your home with comic books. If your not into comic books you can use photos or magazine pieces. Learn how to create this project here.
Make a boring looking bookshelf into a more interesting one. Just add some wrapping paper to the back of the shelves. Get the details on this project here.
Bring a pop of color to your old chairs with some yarn. This cross stitching completely changes the look of this chair. Learn how this chair was re-vamped here.
Make your favorite book visible by pasting its pages to your favorite piece of furniture. This designs also incorporates some washi paper. You’ll need some Mod Podge and a clear sealant for the top.
This chair look like it underwent an expensive reupholstering. It was actually painted. The designs were made with tape and spray painted over. The tape was then removed.
Bottle caps are a fun way to makeover a table or other piece of old furniture. Especially if you have a bar in your home. You can find the tutorial on this project here.
Making over the parts of your furniture that you can’t always see makes it special. Place your paper on the sides or insides of the drawers. Find the details on this project here.
Sometimes a good furniture makeover involves making old furniture look even older. You can create this beautiful weathered look with paint. Get the details here.
Another way to make a bookshelf or cubby holes stand out is to paint them a pop of color. It really makes the piece stand out. Legs were added to this old bookshelf to turn it into a raised console.
You can give your furniture an ultra feminine and luxe looks with some bling. A paint job and some rhinestones will turn that old beat up dresser into an expensive fashionable one. Get the details on this project here.
This old armoire was turned into a gorgeous coffee station. It was painted a mint green color and decorated on the inside. A few lights were added to the inside of the cabinet to illuminate the space. The colors give it a shabby chic seaside feel.
Now that this armoire has been made over you get a nice surprise when you open the door. The contrasting colors really make this piece pop. What a fun piece of furniture!
This water color paint design is a great way to bring some color into your kitchen. It’s paint over a reclaimed wood table. You can buy them on Etsy here.
This distressed look on furniture accents is the result of using glaze. It will give your furniture more depth and richness. You learn learn how to do this here and here.
55 furniture makeovers turning drab furniture modern again
D.G. Sciortino
08.23.19
Most homeowners have a piece or two of old furniture in their basements. Pieces that have been past down but neglected. Old furniture was built to last but some of these pieces look beat up.
Instead of tossing a good piece of furniture to the curb, why not give it a makeover? A few hours and a little DIY magic can completely transform that old furniture. There are plenty of people who make a lot of money giving new life to old furniture.
A quick paint job can make that piece of furniture a lot more valuable. We’ve taken some examples from DIYers to give you a little inspiration. Lots of these before and afters are just really stunning.
Here are 55 furniture makeovers turning drab, dated furniture into a modern piece:
