Furniture decor is considered to be a creative activity that needs to be dealt with slowly. Many household products look inconspicuous after a long service. Many may be damaged. How to update an old cabinet? To do this, you can use one of the proven ideas in which improvised tools are used.
Is each cabinet suitable for updating?
In many houses there are various lockers. Over time, they lose relevance and aesthetic appearance. Please note that the update is not suitable for every product. For example, when working with MDF and particleboard, positive results will not work, and updating will take a lot of money.
If the furniture is solid, for example, made of natural wood, then improving its appearance will cost less than buying a new one. The decor of the old cabinet can be done independently, without using the services of specialists. It is only necessary to choose the most suitable method.
Types of Decor
How to update an old cabinet? Original ideas and various techniques are used for this. Some types of work can be performed without special skills. But there are options for restoring the appearance of furniture, for the implementation of which you need to learn a little.
A closet for clothes or utensils can be updated using the following methods:
- Photo printing or photo wallpaper.
- Color stained glass film and vinyl stickers.
- Frosted glass or mirrors.
- Vinyl or regular wallpaper.
- Decorative plaster.
- Cloth update.
- Restoration and painting.
Each of these methods has its pros and cons. But if the work is done correctly, the cabinet will take on its original appearance, and then there will be no need to buy a new one.
Photo printing or photo wallpaper?
This method is used to decorate wardrobes. Large format printing has long been used in interior design. Specialists use a printer to print on paper or another surface. The disadvantage is that it is expensive. Decorative panels with photo printing on glass are called skinali.
How to update an old cabinet with a more affordable method? You can choose a wallpaper for this. They should be purchased at hardware stores. The price is approximately 300 rubles. The theme of photo wallpaper is different - landscapes, flowers, animals. For gluing, glue with starch is used, since, using it, later it will be possible to eliminate the old pattern, replacing it with a new one.
Apply stained glass or vinyl stickers
How to update the old cabinet with these tools? They simply stick to the surface to make the product presentable. Stained glass films are now considered fashionable. They can be purchased at specialized stores.
In addition to the beautiful decor, the film protects the cabinet from damage. Removing stickers is very simple. The cost of such decoration is relatively small. The self-adhesive base can often be changed, as it is easily fixed and removed.
Frosted glass and mirrors
It’s possible to update the old cabinet with your own hands using matting. The method is suitable for glass and mirror structures. Industrial matting eliminates the top layer of a mirror or glass. A multilevel volumetric product can be obtained.
To independently perform matting of glasses or mirrors will turn out using a special paste. For work, you need a stencil or spatula made of rubber. The stencil should be put on the surface, put paste on it with a spatula. Then everything must be left for the period laid down in the instructions. If you use paste with an abrasive, then you need to rub along the lines for about an hour. The rest of the paste is removed with water.
The use of vinyl and ordinary wallpaper
A cabinet for clothes or utensils can be made new if you paste over it with wallpaper. This decor option is suitable for old wooden or "Soviet" furniture. Such products will last a very long time. Classic paper wallpapers are great, as they are easily oiled and glued. And at a cost they are cheaper than vinyl. But simple wallpapers have disadvantages: they are of poor quality, and the drawing on them is too simple.
Vinyl wallpapers can have a paper or non-woven backing. They are considered heavier than simple ones. By the way, vinyl with a paper base stick easier if you use glue with starch. Before gluing the wallpaper, the surface must be degreased. This is done with alcohol, gasoline, acetone. Wallpaper should be spread with a rag so that the paper does not go in waves. Then the accurate work will turn out.
Decorative plaster
This decoration method is called clipping. The use of decorative plaster and stencil allows you to achieve volumetric original details. They are repainted in any color, gilded.
In use:
- Stencil.
- Decorative plaster.
- Flat trowel.
- Masking tape.
- Acrylic paint.
- Lacquer.
- Sandpaper.
If there is old paint on the surface, then it is treated with sandpaper so that the wooden base becomes visible. If the furniture is not painted, then you need to remove the top layer, clean it from dirt. Cracks must be covered with putty. You should take a stencil created from cardboard, which is attached to the door with masking tape.
Then you need to take a flat spatula, apply a solution of decorative plaster on the stencil, filling in the recesses. Before the plaster dries, the stencil must be removed and the defects removed with a knife. After drying, the cabinet is treated with acrylic paint, which has a protective effect. Then varnish is required.
Cloth update
The use of fabric to upgrade the cabinet looks beautiful. How to remake an old cabinet with it? The material is covered with furniture. In this way, you can decorate the cabinet doors by placing foam or synthetic winterizer under the material. The fabric on the back is fixed with a furniture stapler or liquid nails.
It is advisable to choose upholstery material in the color of wallpaper or other interior elements. It is advisable to acquire dense fabrics so that they are easily stretched and not deformed over time. This decoration can be changed at any time using another option.
Features of restoration and painting
Often, restoration of an old cabinet is required to improve its appearance. In order for the furniture to last for a long time, with this work you need to use the following tips:
- Locally decayed wood is treated with a wire brush. This eliminates dead tissue. Fine dust must be washed off with a jet of water.
- Before painting, the cabinet is dried, which takes 1-2 days.
- If there are holes from nails, scratches and other imperfections, the surface is treated with a spatula. All layers must dry thoroughly.
- If the furniture contains parts with rust, they are treated with a special solution.
- For painting, it is better to choose acrylic. If you use enamel, it is better to purchase alkyd, since it is of the highest quality. It is more convenient to carry out the work with a roller and a sponge, since the paint penetrates so much deeper.
- Varnish is matte, glossy and silky. It is better to handle furniture with a spray.
These tips allow you to do quality work. Restoring an old cabinet helps to renew its appearance. You need to choose the right idea, and you can begin to implement it. After that, the furniture will delight the original look. In addition, a successful independent update of furniture definitely raises you not only mood, but also self-esteem. The main thing is to understand that in the options proposed above there is nothing complicated!