And The Winner Is?
Make A Rustic Sawhorse Table For Under $40
Chair Fabric: Hourglass by Robert Allen
Budget Furniture Makeovers
Use Southern Living's great ideas to turn "before" items like this into "after" pieces everyone will adore!
Before: This wing chair is covered in dated fabric, but has a uniquely striking shape.
This chair goes from floral to sophisticated with a smart upholstery update. Exposing the wooden legs and adding a nailhead trim make this chair conservative yet hip. The perfect combo for a new couple's first home.
Wing Chair Fabric: Ottoman Leaf in Chocolate by Robert Allen
Another likely hand-me-down from grandma, this barrel chair has been put to good use over the years. Because it is sturdy and has retained it's shape it's a perfect piece to try a little recovering magic.
It took only 5 yards of velvet and a new seat cushion to revive this great hand-me-down.
Barrel Chair Fabric: Showtime in Spearmint by Robert Allen
Don't give up on an old piece! This old dresser seems to have lost it's luster. The finish is dingy and the style seems outdated.
The old dresser got a fresh coat of white paint to help it blend in. An old map of Europe, found at a thrift store was the missing link. The weathered look adds a sense of history to the room.
Dresser Paint: Summer White (7557) from Sherwin-Williams
Hard working pieces like this are a must for entertaining. This console just needs a few changes to take it from bland to glam.
The console transforms into a swanky bar, thanks to a new coat of paint and a custom-cut limestone top. Any local kitchen or bath showroom can get a stone top cut to size. Scan the remnants section for odd-size leftovers that are bargains.
All this old (and may we say, drab?) chair needs is new fabric. Total gutting is not required.
For this chair we kissed the why-was-it-ever- popular avocado green velvet good-bye and refreshed it with a prettier sage fabric. A darker stain on the legs and sides lends an elegant touch.
Chair Fabric: Hourglass by Robert Allen
--20 Best Before and Afters
--Curtains 101
--Secrets for Great Fall Pots
--Small Space Makeover
Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
I just love before and after photos! It's amazing what a little paint or a different fabric can do.
ReplyParnwalter is the only one to comment that (s)he liked the painted make-overs. Does that tell anybody anything?
i think is ok
It amazes me how they are painting these beautiful antiques. I remember going to the flea markets and garage sales, buyng painted antiques, stipping the old paint and bringing it back to to it's natual state to increase it value many time over. I would never paint an beautiful Oak, Mahagony, Mission, etc. piece of furniture. I guess the trend now is 'paint it' and in 10 or 20 years everyone will be buying these painted heirlooms cheap so they can once again refinish them and make a fortune!
ReplyPainting that nice old dresser should be a crime, and punished by jail time. Clean it up and renew the old finish. It lost any value it might have had as an antique.
The last time I had chairs reupholstered, it cost more than if I'd bought the chairs new. Also, some of these paint jobs they did on wood furniture brought the look down from fabulous to cheap. No thanks.
ReplyI agree, nothing is more beautiful than real wood. To paint such pieces in blue, white, or whatever color is horrible.It's as tacky as the so called modern style of the late 50's, early 60's.
ReplyReminds me of 1971. We painted a third hand dinette set the "latest" trend: antiqued bottle green. We used the set for a couple of years, then relegated it first to the basement, then garage for a worktable (saws and gluing, yuk). In 1999, I had it stripped back to bare wood (blond!), clear coated it, and it's my dining table again. Paint should be used to disguise inferior wood or workmanship, not well made box goods.
ReplyOh, thank God I'm not the only one who thought painting those beautiful wood tables was a disgrace. The sideboard and cabinet only needed some TLC, maybe a lemon oil rubdown to bring out the finish since they didn't even need refinishing. Maybe replace the hardware to bring it a little more up-to-date. These people are crazy.
ReplyI cringe when I see advice on throwing paint on old furniture. Be careful with that - you can ruin a fine antique worth thousands of dollars by painting and removing original hardware. Be sure it's simply old - not valuable - before you tear into it.
ReplyIt amazes me that people can paint a nice Shaker reproduction and screw it up. I saw a HG show on TV where the "designer" was going to paint a beautiful antique breakfront some god-awful color for a dining room make-over and the owner told her in no uncertain terms what she'd do to her if she put one drop of paint on her treasured antique. Different isn't always better.
ReplyI could KILL to see that episode! I have shuddered through so many 'designer' shows, where it honestly takes all my control not to throw something at the TV. One of our posters today stated to make sure it was just old and not valuable before changing hardware and throwing on paint. I agree except for the fact that many things we thought once would never be worth anything are now considered valuable antiques. My advice would be if you have a piece and like it except for the hardware, please be sure to save the original and replace only with hardware that will fit the same holes drilled for the original hardware. If you must paint or refinish because you just can't stand it, be aware you could be costing yourself or heirs a great deal in the future.
Well, maybe I'm the odd one here but I say if it's yours do what you want with it. I personally like the cottage look as I remember going to grandma's cottage as a young girl and it was cozy and comfortable with a lot of white painted old furniture and floral slip covers and if that's the look youre going for that's fine and a lot of these old pieces today that you find in thrift stores and flea mkts. have seen their best days and would cost a small fortune to bring back to their original state also some of us can't do the work ourselves because of allergies etc so I say not all want the traditional look in our homes....I personally love the romantic cottage look that has been hand painted with soft pastel roses etc. Mix that with pretty chic pieces like chandeliers etc and wa-laaa you have a great look :)
ReplyI'm with you, Gina. You're not odd. It seems to me you might be open minded.
I agree! If you don't love it, what's the point of having something "valuable" in your home? To tell people you have expensive pieces? You have to think about the intrinsic value as well - that is, what do you think every time you walk past this piece? If you're keeping something up in the attic because it may or may not be worth money, then it is of NO value to you at all! Do what you love to your home and your stuff. If you love it, you won't care what it's worth because you won't be selling it.
WHOEVER THESE DESIGNERS ARE THAT SLOP PAINT ON QUALITY WOOD FURNITURE AND CAAL IT BEAUTIFUL, SHOULD BE SHOT OR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED. YOU DO NOT PAINT A QUALITY ANTIQUE. WHAT A CHEAP ROUTE TO TAKE. THE CHEAP WAY OUT.. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU HAVE NO PLACE GIVING OUT ADVISE.
ReplyYou've got to ge kidding. Taking such beautiful wood, including quarter sawn oak, and painting it is absurd. Who is the idiot that thought this was an improvement.
ReplyI like some of the items but really hate it when people take beautiful wood and paint over it. Guess I just like natural wood.
Replyi totally agree with you. i love the natural wood colours and textures. if the piece is crappy wood and workmanship, then sure; paint it. but good gravy, many of the wood pieces were prettier before and just needed a little elbow grease to bring back to life.
I agree, I wish they had not painted that beautiful old wood--epecially the pieces with detail, where it will be so hard to get the paint out when somebody comes to their senses.
Reply