Sometimes owners of outdated furniture wonder how to restore old wardrobe at home. There really is such a possibility. Moreover, the final version is beautiful and stylish. Sometimes you can’t even find something like this in furniture stores.

Main stages of work

To restore an old cabinet made of chipboard or solid wood, it is important to carry out the work in stages. The master will have to take the following steps:

• Preliminary determination of the final furniture style. Here you need to look around, evaluate color scheme rooms. Understand her general style. After all, as a result, the furniture should fit into the overall interior.

• Dismantling an old cabinet. It is necessary if the doors do not fit tightly or sag. In addition, you will have to disassemble the furniture in order to change it. retractable mechanisms near the drawer, check the fastenings of the shelves. If necessary, change them too. In general, disassembly means removing all moving parts.

• Minor repairs. At this stage, all elements of the cabinet need to be washed and cleaned of dirt, soot, and dust. It is important to take the old fittings and go with it to the store to purchase new ones. Be sure to stick to the style you choose for your new cabinet.

Tip: to ensure that the sliding mechanisms are purchased correctly, measure the depth of the drawers in advance.

As soon as the most difficult stages of repair are completed, you can begin decorating.

Convenient restoration techniques

You can transform an old wardrobe and make it fashionable using one of the popular techniques. Each of them is distinguished by its attractiveness and principles of execution.

Decoupage

This technique is ideal if you have an old wooden cabinet. And it doesn’t matter whether its surface is varnished or matte. To complete the work you will need the following tools:

• Fine-grained sandpaper;
• Solvent or acetone;
• Cotton pads;
• Scissors;
• PVA glue;
• Primer;
• Dye;
• Brushes;
• Multi-layer napkins with a pattern you like (you can use old letters, newspaper clippings). But the paper must be thin;
• Wood varnish.

I do the work step by step like this:

• First, the cabinet doors need to be lightly processed sandpaper. This is done in order to once again remove the dirt and dirt accumulated on its surface.

• Then the wood is degreased with solvent or acetone. To do this, moisten the sponge with the product and wipe the surface well.

• The next stage is primer. The product is applied in several layers, after drying the previous one.

• If the patterns are intended to be placed in spots, then the doors can be pre-painted in a different color. The same needs to be done with the side walls of the cabinet.

• Now the image you like is cut out from multi-layer napkins. As soon as the fragment is ready, remove its topmost layer. This is what we will glue on the outside of the door. The work here is painstaking and requires great care.

• PVA glue is applied to the required area of ​​the door, roughly guessing the contours of the future image. Then the cut fragment is placed on it. It is important to try to ensure that the thin paper lies flat, without folds or tears.

Advice: if a composition of drawings is intended, then all its elements are applied first.

• You need to let the glue and the drawing dry well.

• The final stage of work is coating the cabinet with varnish. You should work very carefully with the brush so as not to damage the pasted images. You can coat the doors in two layers, first letting the first one dry.

All that remains is to assemble the updated cabinet and attach new fittings to it.

Self-adhesive film

The easiest way to make an old cabinet modern. Self-adhesive film can be purchased at a wallpaper store. Moreover, the choice of topics here is huge. It is only important to purchase the required footage or quantity of films. The work is done in this way:

• Remove the doors from the old hinges.
• If there are small cracks in the wood or chipboard, they are repaired with furniture wax or putty.
• After the surfaces have dried, degrease them well. To do this, use acetone or a solvent.

All that remains is to stick the film on the smooth cabinet doors. This should be done from bottom to top or top to bottom, carefully expelling the air from under it. Then the material will lie without unsightly bubbles.

Tapestry

If you want to restore an old wardrobe at home with your own hands and make it in Victorian style, then the “tapestry” technique will come in handy. It involves placing fragments of thick textiles or wallpaper in decorative frames on the doors. These were often done on furniture of the times Soviet Union. It is these frames that, as a rule, move away from the surface. They break off and fall off.

To complete the work we will need:

• A piece of thick tapestry fabric or vinyl wallpaper desired color and pattern;
• Sharp scissors;
• PVA glue;
• Brushes;
• Roller;
• Frame paint;
• Glue gun;
• Degreaser.

The work is carried out in this way:

• First, remove all decorative frames from the doors.
• The surface is carefully degreased with acetone or solvent.
• Now make the necessary markings on the fabric or wallpaper. Cut out pieces of the desired size.
• Using PVA glue, tapestries are applied to the surface of wood or chipboard. The air is expelled from under them with a roller.
• Pre-painted in a different color that matches the tapestries, the frames are placed along the contour with hot glue. You need to act carefully so that its dried fibers do not stick out.

Let the doors dry thoroughly for 24 hours and reassemble the cabinet in the reverse order.

Craquelure

This is the so-called aging effect. Visually it looks like a layer of cracked paint. Craquelure is ideal for decoration country house or a log house made of timber, rounded logs.

To complete the work you will need:

• Degreaser;
• Acrylic paint of the desired color;
• Craquelure varnish;
• Paint in a contrasting color.

The technique for performing the work is as follows:

• First, a layer of solvent is applied over the cleaned and washed doors. This is especially necessary for varnished surfaces. The solvent will slightly remove the varnish and enhance adhesion between future layers of paint.
• After 5-10 minutes, the solvent is washed off with a regular household sponge. The surfaces of the doors are well dried.
• Now apply the layer of paint that should appear in the cracks. You can decide for yourself whether it will be a light foundation or a dark one. The paint is allowed to dry for about 8-10 hours.
• Then craquelure varnish is spread over the applied layer. It is also allowed to dry.
• All that remains is to coat the door with finishing contrasting paint. Moreover, this must be done quickly and with a minimum amount of wrist movement. The more you move the brush over the surface, the less cracking you will get.

Right now, literally before your eyes, the varnish will contribute to upper layer painting will crack beautifully decoratively. This is craquelure.

And one more piece of advice: before you restore an old cabinet at home, prepare the work area taking into account the smells of paint and varnish.

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Antique wardrobe - ideas for restoration and decoration with your own hands

Are you planning to replace your old, unsightly wardrobe with a modern wardrobe? Don't rush to do this, as most old furniture The quality of workmanship and durability is not inferior to new cabinets. As for the unsightly appearance, this is not difficult to fix, because almost any furniture can be updated.

Is every cabinet suitable for updating?

Furniture restoration is a labor-intensive, painstaking and at the same time exciting creative process. When deciding to restore one or another element of the surroundings, you are guaranteed to gain a new useful experience that will come in handy later. But before you start updating your furniture, you need to make sure that the planned work is appropriate.

To accept correct solution, pay attention to the materials from which the furniture is made and to general state closet

Materials from which furniture is made. It makes no sense to restore a cabinet made of chipboard, MDF and others particle boards, since these materials are inherently short-lived. However, if you need to restore a wardrobe from the 80s, why not, but be prepared for the fact that you will have to update not only the artificial veneer covering, but also restore the geometry of the case, plus update the fittings.

The easiest way to restore products from solid wood and veneered plywood. Chips, cracks and other defects on the surface of the wood can be puttied. After this, the entire facade is painted, varnished and looks like new.

General condition of the furniture. Significant damage load-bearing frame, housings and fittings will require replacement of defective parts. This is not at all a reason to refuse restoration, however, you need to understand that such an undertaking will require experience and will result in a significant waste of time and money.

Ideas for restoring an old cabinet with your own hands

Decor options

Let's consider interesting options decor that are used in cabinet restoration.

Illustrations	Original ideas and their description
	Application of three-dimensional drawings. To make the cabinet façade unusual and at the same time attractive, apply textured images. For this you can use various materials, which will be at hand, starting with putty and ending with fabric or braided rope, as shown in the photo.
	Stained glass film and vinyl stickers . Pasting surfaces with vinyl film or vinyl applications is a common solution that allows you to quickly hide cosmetic surface defects. Attention, the thinner the film, the more relief will come through it. Therefore, for heavily scratched facades we use a thicker film
	Pasting with paper applications (decoupage). Decoupage is the most common technique for decorating old furniture. The instructions are simple, special napkins are divided into layers. The layer with the image is glued directly to the surface to be finished and fixed on top with a protective layer of varnish. If there are no napkins, you can use wallpaper or photo wallpaper.
	Matting glass or mirror. If the cabinet doors are assembled with transparent glass inserts, glass can be made frosted. As a result, the dishes and other contents of the buffet will be less noticeable. Glass can be frosted sandblaster. If you don’t have a special apparatus, you can apply an aqueous solution of starch to the inside of the glass or, as an option, stick a translucent vinyl self-adhesive.
	Painting polished furniture. An equally common decorative option is to remove the old paintwork down to the wood and then paint it. This is a labor-intensive way to restore furniture externally, but the updated wardrobe will look like new.
	Stencil painting. This method of decoration involves using a paper stencil applied to the surface of the furniture, on top of which certain patterns are drawn. As an alternative to a stencil, you can use leaves and flowers. But in this case, you will have to paint the facade not with a brush, but with a spray gun.

Budget restoration of products

How to restore furniture inexpensively, but with high quality? The simplest and at the same time affordable option- This is a complete painting or repainting of furniture.

This method allows you to completely hide wood defects. That is, the relief on the wood is leveled with a layer of putty, on top of which a primer and a layer of paint are applied. With the right approach, restored furniture will look no worse than new.

Another point that needs to be taken into account when restoring a wardrobe on a budget is the repair of fittings. Modern high-quality fittings are not cheap, and therefore their purchase may not fit into the planned budget. To save money, try restoring old fittings, provided, of course, that they are not broken.

How to Update Kitchen Cabinets

To update kitchen furniture There are two requirements - firstly, the decor must be aesthetically attractive, and secondly, it must be practical. There shouldn’t be any problems with aesthetic appeal, since it’s enough to choose handsome guy finishing. How to make the decor practical?

The solution is making the right choice decorative materials- they must be resistant to humidity and temperature changes. In the kitchen, even with a working hood, the furniture is exposed to damp warm air, and therefore not every material is suitable for decorating cabinets.

The best material for lining kitchen cabinets is vinyl. As an option, you can try painting the cabinets with a continuous layer of glossy enamel. Gloss is necessary so that as it gets dirty furniture facade it was easier to clean the soot.

Decorative plaster master class

What to do if the closet in the room is made of plasterboard? The best option is to use decorative plastering.

There are many varieties decorative plaster, but if finishing is being done for the first time, I recommend bark beetle plaster. The advantage of bark beetle is ease of application combined with a guaranteed successful result.

The mixture is applied to the previously prepared surface in a layer specified in the instructions. Next, the applied mixture is spread over the entire surface with a foam grater. This is done with vertical, horizontal or circular movements.

As an option, instead of ordinary decorative plaster, you can use liquid wallpaper. Liquid obori is a fibrous mixture with an adhesive binder. The mixture can be applied to various surfaces.

Decoupage cabinet decor master class

Decoupage is a design trend whose popularity is explained by its ease of execution. It is enough to prepare the furniture, cover it with napkins and the inimitable cabinet is ready for use!

On preparatory stage The surface of the furniture is leveled, primed and painted. After the paint coating has completely dried, paper decor glued using special transparent glue. To prevent the glued paper from coming off over time, the surface is covered with a continuous layer of acrylic varnish.

Restoration and painting

Painting is the easiest and at the same time the most effective way to update furniture.

The painting result largely depends on how thoroughly the surface is prepared. Preparing furniture for painting involves leveling it using sanding and putty, and applying a primer. You can start painting only after the soil has completely dried.

The easiest way to apply paint evenly to a properly prepared surface is with an aerosol spray. The paint is applied a little worse with a foam roller, and the most difficult thing is to paint with a regular brush.

Stencils for decoration

A decorative stencil can be easily made by hand using thick paper and nail scissors. A more durable stencil is cut from polyethylene film. When using, the stencil is applied to the surface and paint is sprayed on top, as shown in the photo.

Let's sum it up

Now you know how to update your wardrobe or Kitchen Cabinet. If you still have questions about the proposed instructions, ask them in the comments to the article.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

In our article we will tell you how to perform restoration of an old cabinet with your own hands, we will present photos and drawings. During the renovation, you will gain an irreplaceable experience, and you will have an exclusive designer element of decor in your home.

Almost everyone in the household has a polished cabinet that has lost its former appearance, but retained its functionality. You can easily give it absolutely new image, and fit it perfectly into the interior. You will need a few tools, finishing materials from any building materials store, imagination and a few hours for creativity.

You need to start by determining the style of the future cabinet and making sketches on paper. The creative plan will greatly depend on the scope of the restoration, either change the cabinet radically, or simply update the facade (correct the punctuation).

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Classmates

We update the cabinet in the most common way: painting

You can easily and quickly update your cabinet by simply replacing the covering - even a beginner can do this. You will need to completely clean the cabinet from the coating, and then cover it with a new one and change the fittings. If there are deep damages on the surface, they can be covered with a mixture of glue (PVA) and sawdust (the consistency is selected “by eye”).

Tools that may be useful in your work:

• skin;
• Sander;
• paint brush and rollers;
• screws and bolts;
• accessories;
• screwdriver.

Materials required for work:

• solvent;
• Galosha gasoline (petroleum-based solvent);
• primer;
• putty;
• paint (nitroenamel NTs-132, NTs-25);

Basic steps:

Having collected necessary tools and materials, restoration can begin. It takes place in several stages:

1. Analysis. Use a screwdriver to unscrew all handles, shelves and doors. Consider whether old elements and fasteners will be used, or only new ones.

2. Cleaning. It is necessary to clean the furniture from dirt and dust, and then from unnecessary coating. The paint layer from the surface and fittings is wiped off with a solvent, and then degreased with Galosh gasoline and left to dry completely.

3. Using grinder, in other words, give the surface of the cabinet a smooth shape. If there is damage, you need to use putty to disguise it. Then thoroughly coat the entire surface with primer and let dry. When choosing a primer, pay attention to its compatibility with the future paint color. After complete drying, sand all surfaces with fine sandpaper.

4. Painting.

Good to know: best choice The cabinet surfaces will be painted with wear-resistant grades. You should start painting from the most distant areas ( back wall, bases, shelves), in a thin layer. Depending on the author’s idea, the cabinet can be covered in one general tone, and then details, patterns can be glued on, or it can be made multi-colored (each element of the cabinet can be painted in its own color and shade).

5. Assembly. The final step is assembling the “new” cabinet and attaching the fittings. We carefully attach all the elements of the cabinet back to their places: handles, locks, hinges. The best option For the cabinet there will be handles that were decorated by hand according to the author's idea.

The fastest and cheapest method: self-adhesive film

Another inexpensive and quick way cabinet updates are self-adhesive film. The first step is to find a quality self-adhesive film on a vinyl basis. It is easy to find at construction markets or construction supermarkets.

The design can be anything you choose, the main thing is that the end result has a decent appearance. Vinyl films are well tolerated high temperatures, do not allow water to pass through. To work, you will need a minimum of tools, film and a little patience.

We will need the following tools for our work:

• roulette;
• stationery knife;
• scissors;
• ruler;
• scraper;
• film.<

Take note: Treat large and smooth cabinet surfaces with a roller, and corners and irregularities with thin brushes. After the paint has completely dried, apply a clear varnish.

Basic steps:

The entire process of updating the cabinet with film is carried out in several operations:

1. We take measurements from all surfaces of the cabinet: facades, sides and drawers. For convenience, you need to unfasten the facades and place them on a horizontal plane, unscrew the handles and fasteners.

2. We completely wash all dirt from all parts, paying close attention to greasy stains. The surfaces should be perfectly flat, clean and smooth. If these conditions are not met, then in the near future the film will peel off and swell.

3. The film has a protective layer on which centimeter markings are printed. It makes cutting it much easier. It is better to transfer the dimensions onto film with a margin of one or two centimeters (the excess can be easily removed with a knife). Please note if your pattern on the film is repeated so that it matches the adjacent surfaces. We cut the film onto flat surfaces with a knife and a ruler, and into shaped areas and corners with sharp scissors according to a pre-prepared template.

4. Peel off two centimeters of the film and apply it to the part. Do not glue the film with glue all at once, but gradually section by section, leveling it with a scraper and removing air. If small bubbles form, do not panic; you can simply prick it with a sewing needle and expel the air.

5. After gluing all surfaces, the cabinet is assembled. For a deeper remodel, you can replace the old fittings with new ones.

In this way, you can partially restore cabinets by adding a couple of bright inserts only to the facades, or completely cover all visible surfaces. Vinyl films can easily withstand wet cleaning with detergents.

Creative ideas

You should not stop only at the above methods. Creative people have long come up with inexpensive options for alterations and willingly or share.

• you can change the color of the cabinet surface not only with paint and a special film, but also with the help of fabrics, leather, ceramic tiles;
• plastic, glass, and patterns of contrasting colors can be used for decoration, as a bright accent on the cabinet;
• for a more artistic image of the cabinet, you can use photo printing, hand painting or.

As you probably already understood, the process of updating a cabinet is applicable to both kitchen and sliding wardrobes. The process is simple and fun, and the result is a unique piece of furniture to suit your taste and color. Any updated item made on your own will add comfort and positivity to your home.

We invite you to watch an interesting video about how to give an old cabinet a new life:

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There comes a time when the furniture no longer harmonizes with the design of the room. The closet becomes a tasteless box and gets in your way. Bored furniture can be replaced or given a new style.

There are several simple techniques that allow you to update an old cabinet with your own hands. We will tell you how to repair vintage furniture or create an original piece of furniture from it.

Pasting with film or stickers

To make an outdated wardrobe fit into the updated design of the room, add ornate patterns of flowers. An unusual geometric pattern created using self-adhesive film will breathe new life into old-fashioned furniture.

They are:

• standard: matte or glossy surface with a variety of patterns and colors;
• furniture for the facade, with a touch of wood or metal.

Step-by-step instructions for working with self-adhesive film:

1. Prepare the facade: clean from dust and stains with water and chemicals.
2. Level the surface with plaster and primer.
3. Mark the self-adhesive film from the inside out in advance, remembering to take allowances into account.
4. Remove the protective layer from the inside by 2-4 centimeters.
5. Stick with sticky surface to cabinet
6. Using a rag and putty knife, smooth out the sticker.
7. Carefully remove the protective paper.

Beautiful pictures will create a positive atmosphere in the room

Watch for bubbles to appear. To avoid their occurrence, attach the sticker carefully, straightening the film.

On a note. If the bubbles that appear do not smooth out, pierce them with a needle.

Photo printing and photo wallpaper

The equipment is suitable for restoring a kitchen cabinet or buffet. Photo wallpaper can be purchased at the construction department or contact a printing house.

Printing centers will help:

• enlarge the image without losing the quality of the picture;
• make a collage of several photos or pictures;
• apply an image to a film for gluing to a specific type of surface.

Toning

Changing the color of the facades can decorate boring furniture. Instructions for tinting a wardrobe:

1. Clean the surface from dust with a dry cloth.
2. Also treat the inner walls with an antiseptic (vinegar will do). It will get rid of the musty smell.
3. Use wood putty to remove defects. The color must match the details.
4. After the composition has dried, sand the treated areas with sandpaper.
5. Coat the cabinet with a texturizing wood stain. It should be darker than the color of the furniture.

The tinting technique is suitable for decorating a cabinet in the bathroom, kitchen or hallway.

Remember that this method is only suitable for natural wood surfaces.

Slate surface of doors

This type of decoration is becoming increasingly popular. Doors made of slate boards on which you can write or draw are becoming fashionable.

Before and After - transforming an ancient chest of drawers

There are 3 ways:

• Gluing slate film to a door or facade.
• Buying a finished board.
• Coating the door or inner wall with special paint.

Painting technique:

1. Sand out any rough edges and scratches.
2. Apply two coats of primer.
3. Use a roller to apply chalkboard or chalk paint to the surface.
4. After drying, apply a second coat.

Your cupboard or buffet will shine in a new way.

Mosaic decoration

Decorating with various small details will help create an art deco atmosphere. Finishing base:

• pieces of multi-colored glass;
• ceramics;
• shells;
• beads;
• sea ​​pebbles;
• artificial flowers.

You can attach the elements to the cabinet with colorless rubber-based glue.

Expert opinion

Victoria Chernikova

Decorator

Before starting work, draw a sketch of the future composition. Place elements on a flat surface for visual representation. This way the drawing will turn out neat.

Mosaic decor will add brightness and elegance to the interior. This design is suitable for any cabinet if the style of the furniture matches the design of the room.

Aging

Cabinets painted with a dry brush will look elegant, which leaves behind only part of the paint, creating the effect of time (only for wooden furniture).

Artificial aging method:

• Paint the surface a color that is several shades darker than the original color. Choose a shade that matches the color scheme of the room.
• Wax some areas. You can use a regular candle.
• Paint your cabinets a light shade, such as cream or beige.
• Wipe the surface with sandpaper, so abrasions will appear.

A simple way to give a cabinet an antique look is to use craquelure. The varnish of the same name is applied to the surface. After drying, small cracks appear on the facade paint.

Kitchen drawers aged with craquelure

Decoupage

The peculiarity of this design is a smooth transition from the design to the color of the cabinet.
Use patterned napkins as materials for decoupage, this way you will create the feeling of painting on furniture. The composition can turn out clear, with watercolor gaps.

To decorate the closet:

1. cut out the image or use the entire napkin;
2. divide it into layers;
3. glue the picture;
4. coat the dried surface with varnish.

Decorative rivets

To add brutality to old furniture, you can attach metal parts to the cabinet. For lovers of loft design or stir-punk, it is recommended to decorate the cabinet doors and facade with rivets or nails with decorative heads. With such accents, even standard IKEA furniture will look like a pirate's treasure chest or a cabin on a ship.

Glue the metal parts to the facades. If the surface is covered with leather or thick fabric, you will need nails to carefully attach everything. Combine metal hardware with other decorative techniques (paint or fabric) for a personal touch.

Inlay

This is not finishing with precious stones, but decorating furniture with overhead elements:

• vinyl napkins;
• embroidery;
• lace

From time to time we have to decide the fate of old furniture - cabinets, wardrobes that do not fit into the new interior. If you don’t dare throw it away, then the right solution would be to restore the cabinet yourself. Of course, it will cost more to revive Chinese sets made of plastic and pressed sawdust. But if the furniture is of good Soviet quality, made by real craftsmen, then we simply have to give it a second life. Let's look at three ways to update old cabinets.

Let's look at three ways to update old cabinets

Updating old furniture is a creative endeavor. First of all, you need to think about how to tie the future cabinet design to the existing interior: choose the right shade of paint and fittings that suit the occasion.

Restoration of a hallway cabinet in the Art Deco style

What tools will we need?

• Sanding machine or sandpaper of varying degrees of grit.
• Screwdriver, screwdrivers.
• Putty knife.
• Paint roller (or wide flange).
• Small brush.
• Self-tapping screws and wood glue if joints become loose.

List of materials for work

1. Primer composition.
2. Wood putty.
3. Automotive enamel in cans, black and metallic.
4. Masking tape (or mounting tape).
5. Mirror glass to size.

Restoring an old wardrobe

When considering the question of how to restore a cabinet, we subject it to a detailed inspection. If necessary, we strengthen loose hinges, replacing ancient nails with self-tapping screws. When installing new fasteners, we further strengthen the connection with good glue. We remove rust with a special solution.

We clean off the old varnish coating using sandpaper or a sanding machine. Traces of woodworm may be found in the tree. In this case, the walls must be wiped with a special antiseptic.

We clean off the old varnish coating with sandpaper

Now we inspect the cabinet for damage. Defects can be of varying degrees of complexity.

Cabinet painting process

Having dealt with the damage, we prepare the surface for painting. How to update your closet beyond recognition? First, we clean the putty areas with sandpaper and apply several layers of primer, then the aerosol will lie evenly.

We first paint the cabinet in the main color (metallic). Then we use masking tape to delimit the parts to be painted black so as not to touch the finished surface. Apply a black tone. The contrast is very impressive.

Painting the cabinet

We insert tinted mirror glass into the cabinet doors. This method of restoration will help to visually expand the room and give old furniture a completely different look.

Inserting tinted mirror glass

We screw in new fittings, selected taking into account the shade of the surface. A wardrobe in the Art Deco style will decorate the most presentable hallway.

We attach new fittings

Updating old kitchen cabinets

Kitchen furniture undergoes enormous loads. Changes in temperature and humidity, steam, splashes of grease, soot from gas burners - all this does not have the best effect on its surface. But if the cabinets are made of high-quality wood, they can not only be updated, but given an expensive and stylish look.
How to decorate a closet with your own hands without significant financial investments? For this, there is an interesting technique for decorating furniture with craquelure varnish. The restoration method does not require large expenses, but it absolutely transforms the furniture. The point here is that when drying, the varnish forms peculiar cracks, creating the full antique effect.

Example of using craquelure

Tools and materials for decorating with single-phase varnish

• Primer or PVA glue.
• Acrylic paint in two different shades.
• One-component craquelure varnish.
• Matt acrylic varnish.
• Wide brush.

• A high-quality craquelure varnish should be liquid. The viscous composition is difficult to apply, and the coating looks uneven after drying.
• Do not shake the varnish before applying - bubbles will ruin the whole thing.
• First test the technique on another surface to understand the essence of the decor.
• The room should be warm and dry. It is also necessary to do a wet cleaning so that dust and small debris do not settle on the drying varnish.

Stages of work on single-phase craquelure

We level and seal possible wood defects in the same way as in the first case. Prime the surface 2-3 times and dry.

We apply paint of the main color (usually darker), which will later appear through the cracks. The layer must dry completely.

Quickly and evenly coat the surface with craquelure varnish. The thicker the layer, the larger the cracks will be. Dry the varnish to such an extent that it sticks to your fingers, but does not stain them.

To complete the process, apply acrylic varnish on top.

We paint metal fittings bronze or gold. Now everyone admits that we managed to update the cabinet with our own hands to a level corresponding to the royal kitchen.

If there is an elegant pattern on the furniture that you don’t want to paint over, we use two-phase craquelure.

Application of two-phase craquelure

To work we will need:

• Two-component craquelure varnish. The first composition is used for the effect of aging the surface, the second - for the formation of cracks. For maximum results, use a varnish with a patina effect (clouding, darkening). Clear varnish will not affect the color of the design.
• Bitumen, pastel or gold powder, oil paint for grouting.
• Acrylic lacquer.
• Several small brushes.
• Sponge.

We cover the prepared surface with the first, patinated layer of varnish. If there is no picture, you can create it using decoupage. Dry the composition, as in the first case, until it sticks.

Quickly apply the second phase of varnish. Dry until the same condition.

Treat any cracks that appear with prepared grout using a sponge. Gold powder will enhance the patterns of cracks and give the cabinet a presentable look.

We fix the result with a layer of acrylic varnish. The cabinet turned from an old and time-worn box into a real work of craquelure art.

Decoupage of an old wardrobe

The popularity of this decoration technique is off the charts. In fact, with the help of ordinary pictures, the design of furniture changes completely. The most primitive cabinet becomes the center of the entire interior. What is needed for this?

Decoupage of an old wardrobe

Set of tools and materials

• Primer composition for wood.
• Acrylic paint of the desired color.
• Colorless acrylic varnish.
• PVA glue.
• Sandpaper.
• Paint brushes, for large areas - a roller.
• Pictures: napkins with a beautiful pattern, pictures cut out from magazines, photos printed on a printer and any other images that suit your taste.

Step-by-step instructions for decoupaging an old cabinet

We prime the sanded surface of the cabinet twice and paint it in the color we need, in harmony with the main shade of the drawings, and at the same time with the interior of the room. Let the paint dry completely.

We cut out the images, selecting them by theme, or color, or size.

Examples of images for decoupage

We apply them to the surface of the cabinet, choosing the best option, and mark the location with a pencil.

To achieve the effect of painting, rather than pasted wallpaper, we take emery cloth in our hands. We turn each drawing over and carefully thin the back side 5-7 mm from the edges, abrading the paper to the thickness of tissue paper.

Soak the pictures in water. Let them soak completely.

Place them on a towel and cover with another towel on top.

Apply glue to the marked areas of the cabinet. We put the wet pictures in place, press and push the paper towards the edges, achieving a perfect fit.

Glue wet pictures

After waiting for the pictures to dry completely, we coat them with varnish twice.

Now you will never part with the cabinet you were preparing to take to the landfill. A new, let’s not be afraid of this word, piece of furniture will become the center of attention of both household members and house guests for a long time.