Tips on Sprucing Up Old Furniture

Do you have furniture that's an eyesore, but you can't stand the thought of getting rid of it? Or, perhaps it's a chair or toy chest you'd like to personalize for a parent or child? Most people have at least one piece of furniture they'd like to give a facelift. Below are some ideas to turn boring into beautiful:

Decorate it - Use stencils and sponges to create fun designs on surfaces. Stencil flowers and butterflies on a drab storage chest for garden tools or create depth and texture on an old hutch with some paint and a sponge. Hand-painted designs add a personal touch to any object, while also adding style and elegance to the decor.

Distress it - Give items like dressers and bookcases a hint of sophistication and age by distressing the surface. Paint a base coat on the object and then age it with a second color. Using a rag, wipe a bit of the second color on the corners and edges. Then, using a paintbrush, fling tiny speckles of paint everywhere. This will give your furniture a stylish, yet aged look.

Personalize it - Add a unique touch to any room with personalized furnishings. Paint an old rocking chair for the nursery-add baby's name or birth date to create a special place to rock the bundle-of-joy to sleep. Or, paint a child's desk with letters of the alphabet or numbers to create a cozy place to study or color-not only will this make the child's workspace fun, but it will also encourage learning.

Restore it - If you are not ready to make a drastic change to a piece of furniture, but it is starting to look dull, restore it. Re-paint or re-stain the piece to bring it back to its original state and beauty. This will bring a fresh, new look to the piece, while carrying on the tradition of the object.

Tile it - Add beauty and color to boring tables and chairs with mosaic-tiled artwork. Using broken pieces of tile and stained glass, create a design of your choice, adhering each piece with super glue. Next, use a grout to fill in the space between tiles.

Whether you want to give old furniture a new look or give a special person a unique gift, sprucing up and decorating pieces adds style and elegance to any decor. One way to turn boring into beautiful is to decorate your old furniture with mosaic-tiled artwork.

Courtesy of NAPSnet.