Some pieces of furniture have a life of their own. There is no doubt about that. We are talking about pieces that have witnessed the best moments in our lives for so many years that they acquired a tremendous sentimental value. They are part of the family! But with time, even these pieces of furniture can lose some of their charms and seem outdated or old-fashioned.
At Hannun, we are sure of at least one thing: we know that good-quality furniture should never be thrown away. As long as these pieces are made of solid wood, a minor facelift will be enough for them to recover all their personality and enjoy a second life. They deserve it. And our planet deserves it, too.
Why it is essential to reuse antique furniture
Reusing antique furniture is, fundamentally, an act of environmental responsibility. But unfortunately, the "fast-furniture" industry is one of the most polluting since it generates about 10 million tons of waste in Europe only every year. Additionally, it produces much more furniture than needed, causing an excess of stock that finds no outlet in the market and ends up in ashes.
Reusing furniture is one of the actions we can concretely take to stop uncontrolled deforestation, as trees are our planet's lungs. In addition, your pocket will appreciate it since you will only need to buy some products, such as non-toxic varnish, protective wax, or eco-friendly paint if you want to give a touch of color.
There are more advantages: you will develop your creativity and create a unique piece of high craft value with your own hands. You can always contact a local carpenter if you want a more professional finish. They will love to help you revive your old furniture!
Modernize your antique wooden furniture
Before restoring your old furniture, you must ensure that the wood is still in good health, without worms, termites, or signs of rotting. The latter is relatively common in furniture that has been exposed to moisture for an extended time. If everything looks alright, you can get to work!
Before starting, we recommend you disassemble the furniture to work individually on each part. The process is straightforward.
Step by step:
- Clean the wood thoroughly with neutral soap.
- Sand each part.
- Remove the dust caused by sanding.
- Fill the holes with wood putty or wax.
- Add a protective layer to nourish the wood.
- Apply a coat of paint or varnish in the shade you like.
- Protect the wood with a layer of colorless wax.
- Reassemble the unit.
In addition to restoring the wood, you can replace the screws (if they look rusty) or the textiles, in the case of chairs.
DIY ideas: Change handles, add wheels...
because they are worn out or because you are tired of their aesthetics, renewing them is a very economical option. You will find hundreds of handles of different styles in any decoration store.
More DIY ideas: you can also add wheels to your coffee tables or a raffia mesh, burlap, or natural jute to the front of the drawers. Again, this is one of the most eco-friendly trends. And what do you think about applying wallpaper to the back of the shelves?
Transform old doors or windows
A very decorative solution to reuse your childhood house's old doors or windows is to transform them into something else. There are many options: you can create a mirror, a bed headboard, a table, a decorative object... If you want to turn a window into a mirror, just fill the holes of the handle with special putty and replace the transparent glass with a mirror. But, if the window is divided into quarters, the result will turn heads since it is one of the moment's trends.
If you have an old door sturdy enough, you can also create a dining table by adding some Hairpin style metal legs. Paint it the color you like, and enjoy a dream dinner on your DIY table!
Reuse wooden boxes
¿Do you have old wooden boxes forgotten in your storage room? You can create beautiful things with them. For example, you can place them next to the couch to store magazines or blankets, use them as containers for your pots on the terrace, or stack them and create practical modular shelves.
Mentally design the composition and give shape to your new DIY shelf. A tip: stack the boxes before screwing them or gluing them together to check what they will look like before running the job..
Modernize your wooden headboard
If the wood of your headboard has lost its original warmth, we recommend applying a hand of paint. The options are almost infinite. The most daring can paint each board in a different color. Vintage lovers can apply a coat of transparent paint and then sand to expose the wood grain. Minimalists can go for all-white. Finally, the most avant-gardist can create geometric shapes.