9 practical remedies to refresh old and damaged furniture and make them look like new
In our homes there are many things that we use daily, in an "automatic" way, sometimes without even thinking about it. Day after day, it is inevitable that this use will leave its marks, especially on the things with which we are most in contact and that we need more often.
Despite the our efforts, care and attention, it is not always possible to keep our furniture like new, with an appearance that is just like when we brought them home for the first time. Time ages everything: all those who sit on discolored sofas, use damaged wall units and tables and so on know it well. However, before rushing to buy a new piece of furniture, it may be useful to know a series of practical techniques and tricks to give furniture a second life. These are home remedies and rather inexpensive, perfect for trying to refresh old furniture with a touch of creativity and modernity.
1. Extra tiles become excellent new surfaces for old furniture
Many people happen to have extra tiles at home that have not been used after retiling or renovation. Instead of keeping them for years accumulating dust and taking up space, why not recycle them in order to beautify old furniture? An old table or shelves, for example, lend themselves perfectly for this purpose.
2. Remove stains from the upholstery of sofas and armchairs with chalk
Who says that an old sofa or an old armchair, when they have stains on the surface, should always be re-upholstered or replaced? Of course, sometimes the situation can be so bad that you can't clean it effectivly, but in other cases you can try to remove the greasy and oily dirt by rubbing chalk on it. By carefully rubbing chalk and then removing it with a damp cloth, the stains could become just a bad memory.
3. Old furniture? Let's change some details
It happens to everyone that they can no longer stand an old object or an old piece of furniture, which we may have had at home for some time and which we never really liked. Before throwing it away or giving it away, however, we could try and change some details. Handles, feet, colors: it is not difficult to modernize and change the appearance of even the things that seem most old fashioned. After all, it takes little to change a lot!
4. Change the color of an old piece of furniture
If we have time and want to "get our hands dirty", what could be better than renewing the objects that seem old to us with a good coat of paint? For furniture and furnishing accessories, you are really spoiled for choice. The new color will give a whole new look to things that we no longer like as we used to, and it is a great way to recycle and express our creativity.
5. Repair scratches on leather sofas and armchairs
It is not always the case that a leather sofa or armchair, when scratched, must always be replaced or thrown away. There are specific kits to repair them, which are very practical ways to make a refurbishment. If you are particularly fond of your used furniture, an attempt can be made to renovate it!
6. Against rust? Let's try lemon
By rubbing a little lemon, cut in half, on the rusty parts of the furniture and then going over it with a slightly abrasive sponge dampened with water, we have a natural and effective treatment against superficial rust formations. Obviously this method concerns cases in which the dreaded rust has recently formed, and is not at "unrecoverable" levels. A good way to rescue furniture that we don't want to get rid of!
7. A ruined coffee table or piece of furniture becomes a fun blackboard!
The perfect solution to recycle and entertain the little ones: if a piece of furniture or the surface of a coffee table is ruined and you cannot get it back to its original appearance, you can apply blackboard effect paint. By doing so, it will become the perfect place where children can draw and express themselves!
8. Oil and vinegar for damaged parquet
As you know, parquet is a very delicate floor that needs constant maintenance if you want to keep it in good condition. Loss of color and damage are always lurking dangers. To deal with these anti-aesthetic problems, it may be useful to try a mixture consisting of a quarter of oil and three quarters of vinegar, to be poured on a soft cloth and then rubbed onto the wooden floor.
9. Another DIY solution for light scratches on wood: walnuts!
It is a lesser known remedy, but still worth trying, especially on the more superficial scratches present on the wood. Open a walnut and, with its inside, rub the damaged part: at that point, pass over it with a soft damp cloth. The walnut, being rather oily, offers a completely natural restoration of scratches on the wood.
