Bulky waste, flea markets or eBay classifieds – pieces of furniture that have fallen out of favor with their owners end up there. But do you have to go straight to IKEA and buy everything new because of some signs of wear?
You will see: it doesn’t take a lot of time or elbow wax to freshen up your old furniture, and in the end you not only save money, but also set fresh accents in your apartment at the same time.
1.) Repair cracked leather
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Leather, regardless of whether it is synthetic or real leather, is very sensitive and requires a lot of care. The noble material acknowledges neglect with unsightly cracks. But brittle leather is by no means a hopeless case. Liquid leather can also be used to repair larger cracks, so that even the broken leather couch inherited from grandmother shines in new splendor.
2.) Remove the rust
rust
Regardless of the alloy and composition: Almost everything made of metal can also rust. This applies in particular to garden furniture, which is exposed to wind and weather for a large part of the year. Depending on the weather conditions, a stubborn rust coating quickly forms on metal elements. Fortunately, superficial rust stains can be removed relatively easily: Treat the affected areas with a mild acid, such as lemon juice. It is best to rub slightly rusted areas with a halved lemon and scrub with a scraping sponge after leaving it on for a short time. More rusty parts should be placed in a bath of lemon juice and then scrubbed off with a wire brush.
In order to prevent rust formation and to care for metal, the penetrating oil “WD-40” is the agent of choice.
3.) Remove oil and grease stains from upholstery
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Old fabric sofas are probably one of the least popular pieces of furniture. Most of them don’t even want a sofa with dirty cushions for free. Even oil and grease stains can be removed without a lot of chemicals. To do this, take a piece of chalk, rub it into the fabric and let it sit for a while. Then rub the chalk off with a damp cloth and let the fabric dry.
4.) Cover up damage with blackboard paint
blackboard paint
A hopelessly scratched stool or table does not have to be worked on with the orbital sander and repainted. A layer of blackboard paint covers the quirks and turns the piece of furniture into a canvas. The youngsters can let off steam with chalk instead of decorating the wallpaper with felt-tip pens.
5.) Treat wood damage
wood damage
“Everything used to be better and made of wood,” enthuses Grandpa nostalgically. The popular material is timelessly beautiful, but unfortunately also susceptible to quirks and scratches. The latter can be easily treated with a tried and tested home remedy. To do this, mix 1/4 l oil and 3/4 l vinegar together. Polish the wood with this self-made care product and it will shine like new again.
6.) Remove wood scratches with a walnut
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Because of their tart note and hard shell, walnuts are not popular with everyone. At least because of its effect on scratched wooden surfaces, the nut should still be given a chance. Take a peeled, halved walnut and rub the nut over the scratch. After a short exposure, polish with a cloth. The scratches are quasi “sealed” by the nut particles and the walnut oil cares for the damaged wood.
7.) Spice up old furniture
Imgur / isubeatle
The “used look” is back in trend not only with jeans: a certain worn look is also very popular with furniture. If you don’t feel like visiting flea markets for unique items, you can easily get the targeted wear yourself. Repaint an old piece of furniture in a color of your choice. When the paint has dried, sand the wood with some sandpaper. It goes faster, of course, with a sander.
8.) Change small details
Imgur / pneuman
It often doesn’t take much to upgrade a rather unexciting piece of furniture: a new knob, a splash of paint or even just an ornamental ceiling can work wonders. There are no limits to your imagination: For example, you can use scraps of old wallpaper as decoration. Or you can assemble your own furniture collection from scraps of all kinds.
9.) Tile old tables
Imgur / Stumptown Senpai
Nowadays, tiled tables can often only be seen in ancient corner pubs. But if the classic combination of gray tiles with dark oak is too boring for you, you can simply put together an individual tile table yourself. It doesn’t take more than a discarded table, glue and matching tiles.
As you can see, it is worthwhile not to drive the old facility straight to the recycling center or to sell it at the flea market. By the way, you can find even more tips on furniture repair in this article.
