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Fabulous Furniture Makeovers

February 26, 2016
Uncover the hidden charm of a cast-off piece with a bit of creative thinking and elbow grease. Check out our furniture makeover project ideas for inspiration.
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Dresser Do-Over

The brown-on-brown color scheme of this dresser gives away its age. The misaligned handles don't do it much favors, too. To bring this dresser to the modern century, all you need is a fresh coat of paint and a little reworking of the hardware. This vintage furniture makeover will be ready for use in no time.

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Dresser Do-Over

First, we raised this dresser to the next level by adding feet. The space below is great for extra storage and gives it an elegant look. A fresh coat of milk paint completely rehabs the surface as something you'll actually want to display. Finally, flipped and reattached horizontally, the hardware's bronze edges on this furniture makeover are right on trend.

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Sleeping Beauty

If you're thinking about kicking an unused crib to the curb, think again. Disassembled, baby cribs are great for DIY furniture makeovers. See how creative thinking made a brand new headboard from a crib! This way to make over furniture is great to keep in mind as the kids get older.

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Sleeping Beauty

Make a thrifty grownup headboard from the ends of a disassembled crib. Secure the ends together at the back  with a French cleat to make a queen-size focal point.  Add nailhead trim for extra ornamentation if desired, then brush on a new coat of paint for a chic and easy bedroom furniture makeover.

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Show True Colors

The good news is that wicker furniture is back in style. The bad news is that you'll look outdated if you don't spruce up your wicker products in some way. This chair fit our space beautifully, but if was looking a bit too brown. See how we brought it up to meet our style needs with a little TLC and some creative thinking around patio furniture makeovers.

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Show True Colors

Help a chair with good bones but a less-than impressive color scheme find its groove again. Use the old cushion cover as a pattern to sew a new seat cover from eye-catching fabric—or simply wrap and staple a chic blanket around the seat cushion for a no-sew option. Then update the frame with a paint color that coordinates with the new fabric. Top off the patio furniture makeover with a statement pillow and you'll be glad you kept that old wicker chair in storage for so many years.

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Shining Armor

Just about everyone with a patio knows those old outdoor coffee tables with an iron frame and glass top. They served their purpose at one point, but have recently fallen out of style and are in need of a patio furniture makeover. Before you stash it away for the next garage sale, see what we did to upgrade ours into a stunning, modern piece.

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Shining Armor

We gave an outdoor table indoor status with a new medium-density fiberboard (MDF) top covered with marble-pattern adhesive paper. When applying this, be careful to align the edges carefully and smooth out all air bubbles. Lend the legs shimmer power with a coat of metallic spray paint. Top with a clear coat to protect the metallic finish from fingerprints.

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Pooch-Size Perch

Think of lots of broken parts as opportunities. That's what we did with an antique dresser that had a broken drawer. Normally, this piece would go in the trash, but we thought of a DIY furniture makeover that would be beneficial for our four-legged friend.

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Pooch-Size Perch

A missing drawer opened the door for this dresser to house Fido. Gutted of drawer rails on its lower half, wallpapered, painted, and then outfitted with a doggie bed, the dresser is now a welcoming perch—with storage for treats and toys in the penthouse. For extra pampering, use one of the discarded drawer fronts to hold dog bowls.

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Subtle Reveal

This old side table looks too formal for a modern living room due to its antique color and gold accents. The glass top is also outdated and shows smudges and fingerprints easily. Before getting to work, assess the condition of the table—if it'sturdy and the wood is still in good condition, it's time to flip this ornate table.

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Subtle Reveal

For this furniture makeover idea, we used a soft-hue paint to tone down the formality of the detailed flourishes on the table. By painting the whole piece one color, the accented features dip into a background for a much cleaner look. To revive the glass top, we applied a floral stencil to the bottom of the glass and coated it in a frosted-glass finish spray.

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Salvage a Media Cart

An unattractive TV cart like this one is a cheap thrift shop regular. With outdated materials, likely scuffs, and unsightly hardware, it's not a highly sought-after item. But, this piece is the perfect purchase for a flea market furniture makeover.

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Salvage a Media Cart

To turn an old castoff into a charming bedside table, start by removing the casters and replacing them with new wooden furniture feet. Prime and paint the cart. Remove the doors, and decoupage the door fronts with decorative paper. Cut a new back for the cart from 1-inch plywood, and decoupage it with coordinating paper. Add new knobs to the doors and reinstall.

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Remake Your Bed

This cast-off bed has a decorative silhouette, but the finish is dreary and damaged. New headboards can put a large dent in your budget, so instead of throwing this hidden gem away, upcycle it into clever seating for a master bedroom.

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Remake Your Bed

The bed becomes a charming settee when its parts are reassembled. Cut the footboard in half vertically to form arms for the settee. Cut a piece of MDF for the seat and a piece for a front rail. Assemble all pieces with wood screws and glue. Sand, prime, and paint the settee. When dry, add nailhead trim. For a cushion, wrap a foam pad cut to size with batting and a throw. Or sew the throw into a cover for a more structured look.

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Versatile Armoire

Stunning Furniture Makeover Ideas

Oversized armoires like this were designed to house bulky tube TVs. Even though flat-screens are now the norm, these roomy pieces can still be useful. Here's a bedroom furniture makeover that turns an armoire into a storage unit perfect for holding linens and supplies in a guest bedroom.

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Versatile Armoire

Shelves installed in the upper section added loads of storage. Fresh paint and a few style updates, including new hardware, provided a fresh face. Always remember to sand furniture before painting to ensure a smooth surface.

Go to the next slide for the full how-to.

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Armoire Step-by-Step

Get the inside scoop on how we transformed this old armoire. Use this train of thinking to inspire other furniture makeovers: update shape, paint, shelves, and hardware to give a piece a new lease on life.

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Tired to Revived Hutch

The shabby condition of this hutch is no match for a savvy furniture makeover that gives molding a starring role. Something of this size could be reimagined as a wardrobe, linen storage, and more.

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Tired to Revived Hutch

Layers of molding along the top and bottom add presence to the simple cabinet, as does bold sky blue paint. We used a steel brush to remove the flaky paint, then sanded and primed the piece before installing moldings and completing the final paint job. Rope molding outlines the doors, and the panels are accented with pretty medallions. The embellishments were rubbed with a decorating glaze to give the color depth.

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Paint Upholstery

Looking for DIY furniture makeover projects for pieces with fabric? You can transform dull upholstery fabric with the right kind of paint. Watch and learn the trick.

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Rescue a Beat-Up Dresser

Nondescript, used, and abused, this dresser was languishing in a thrift store at a rock-bottom price. For this flea market furniture makeover, we snagged it and turned it into the perfect accent piece for a girl's bedroom.

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Rescue a Beat-Up Dresser

Use paint to give the furniture a dose of character and contemporary styling. Coat the top in a fun color that contrasts with the rest of the piece, and add some painted furniture feet. Embellish the drawer fronts with pretty stencils. Remove any damaged drawers in favor of small lined and labeled baskets. Create shadow boxes from the small drawers: Line them with patterned paper, and hang on the wall.

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Freshen Up a Bookcase

Basic and bland, this boring bookcase was functional but not reaching its potential. With added storage and a fresh paint job, we turned this trash-worthy piece into something brilliant with a furniture makeover project.

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Freshen Up a Bookcase

Make your bookcase more useful with a drop-down desk and out-of-sight storage. Cut doors to size from Medium Density Fiberboard, then prime and paint the bookcase and doors. When dry, install the bottom door panel with French hinges and add the drop-down panel using hinges and chains. Finish the doors with a new knob and pull.

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Convert an Old Vanity

Deep drawers and charming ornamentation distinguish this vanity, but the finish and form are too dark and dated. See how a vintage furniture makeover converted this antique into a functional work space perfect for a bedroom or office.

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Convert an Old Vanity

Color and pattern transform the old vanity into a petite desk perfect for a small room. Remove the mirror, then sand, prime, and paint the vanity. Be sure to fill any scratches or holes left from the mirror with wood putty. When dry, cover the drawer fronts and knobs with pretty papers using decoupage glue.

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Reupholster a Chair

How often do you see these chairs at flea markets, thrift stores, and secondhand shops? They have a great shape and sturdy construction but unsightly or worn-out upholstery. Fortunately, chairs like this one can be redeemed with a reupholstery job.

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Reupholster a Chair

Fun, fresh fabric gives this chair a renewed appearance. Reupholstering a chair involves some work, but the results are rewarding. For antique chairs that need a boost in comfort, remove the old batting and use a staple gun to add fresh batting to the chair before you cover with new fabric.

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