Some of the most beautiful and most easily recycled pieces of furniture are those old, strong, substantial pieces with a character and personality that you want to accentuate. With these pieces, less is definitely more. The recycling process is simple and cheap, and the results are soft and understated — warm aging that makes the piece look like it’ll last forever.
Big, functional pieces with minimal detail work best for this technique because it merely takes the best of the piece and enhances it. What was once simply old and battered becomes warm and weathered.
You can view a bookcase here: http://www.mindspring.com/~billgoodman/b… that was about 25 years old, dull and lifeless. But it was still strong and functional — it just needed a facelife to give it more warmth and softness.
This kind of project shouldn’t cost you much money at all, because you only need a few materials, and you can use a variety of colors of paint and stain. You aren’t trying to *cover* the piece’s flaws — you’re trying to *uncover* its charm.
- Clean the piece with just a damp cloth, or use a weak mixture of bleach and water if you need to. Since the piece is probably very old, it most likely won’t have much of a finish left, but if it does, you can sand any especially glossy areas. Wipe it with a clean cloth and let it dry.
- Make any obvious repairs to the piece. Don’t leave any drawers or cabinets without knobs or pulls, even if you have to buy or make all new ones. Replace any broken glass or mirror. Repair any structural problems in the piece because its beauty lies in its function. These kinds of pieces are meant to be used.
- Apply any color of stain that you have. It won’t matter if it’s light or dark, since it will only be showing through the paint later anyway. Apply the stain moderately and wipe the excess with an absorbent cloth. One coat should be plenty. Allow to dry at least 24 hours.
- Choose a color that will mimic old painting styles. Soft colors are best. A warm cornflower blue, a sage green, or a flat gray would be a good choice. Mix some white with paint you have if you need to tone down a full-strength hue. Flat latex paint works best here because the look is supposed to be soft and weathered — high gloss paint will ruin it.
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