Around the House: Creating the Right Landscaping

Posted on: 15 April 2015

There are many pieces of furniture that are designed to be durable and long-lasting that may need to be updated every now and then. If you have a piece of furniture that could use a bit of a facelift, don't be afraid to do it yourself. Updating classic pieces of furniture does not require you to be a master craftsman.

Use the following guide to learn a few simple ways you can give traditional pieces of furniture a more modern vibe.

Use Wallpaper in Creative Ways

Wallpaper is available in many amazing colors and with great designs. While wallpaper is traditionally designed for use on walls, it can be used on just about any hard surface. Attach wallpaper to the sides of a dresser, top of a table, or even fronts of drawers to give just about any piece of furniture a quick and easy facelift. All you need to do is sand down the area you want to cover with wallpaper with 80-grit sandpaper to make the wallpaper stick to the wood better. Attach the wallpaper with wallpaper glue, smooth it out with a credit card, and then allow the wallpaper to dry for a few hours. Cover the wallpaper with polyurethane gel and you will have given your traditional piece of furniture a more modern look.

Swapping Knobs Can Make a Huge Impact

Many people think that all of the knobs on a dresser or desk need to match. That is not the case at all. Go to a home improvement store and buy a bunch of different knobs from the knob section. Attach the knobs to the drawers of any piece you are hoping to give a fresh new look to. The sporadic look of the knobs will instantly make the piece look more modern.

Don't be Afraid to Stain

Staining wood is much easier than most people think. If you have an older piece of furniture that has seen better days, staining it can bring it back to life and give it the updated look you want. Don't be traditional with your stain though. Beets can make a great organic wood stain. Puree a can of beets in a blender. Strain out the pulp and use the juice that is left behind as your stain. Sand down the surface of the wood lightly and then dip a rag in the beet juice. Rub the wood with the juice to start to stain the piece. You can put as much or little of the juice on the surface as you want. When you are finished, there will be purple and brown hues in the wood. Paint a layer of polyurethane gel on the wood to create a protective barrier from water and grime.

These simple updates are easy enough that anyone can do them. They take very little time to do and are very inexpensive. If you are willing to think outside of the box, updating any piece of classic furniture will be a breeze.

For more information, check out companies such as Tristate Furniture.