Whether you’re fan of
frugal living or you just don’t like wasting anything that can be reused,
recycled or redecorated, here’s a great idea for you: turn your old dining
table into a classic vintage piece of furniture.
Not only will you save money on a table that you’d otherwise replace with a new dining
table,
you’ll also have a very creative exercise in styling your dining room, and
you’ll get that antique-looking table that many people admire and want.
How to remodel without anyone’s help
“Distressing” your table or turning it into a vintage style piece is fairly easy to do. You can look at some videos on the Internet to get a better feel of the whole process, but even if you don’t, this tutorial should explain everything you need to know.
There are three ways to make your dining table look decades old in an elegant,
trendy way:
1) Using brush-on paint
2) Using spray paint
3) Using some old-fashioned ornamentation
The good thing about all of these methods is that they are budget friendly. The
tools you are going to be using (paint, brush, cloth, sand paper and sander,
etc.) are not too expensive; certainly much less than a new table.
Transform
your table using paint
Spray painting the table is
probably the easiest way to turn it vintage. Here’s how:
Step 1: If your old table had some paint and varnish on it previously, you'll need to remove it using a paint stripper gel or some other product you are familiar with. The gel needs a few hours to penetrate the layers you'll be stripping off using a stripping knife.
Step 2: Sand off all imperfections from the dining table surface, until it is
completely smooth.
Step 3: Clean the table with damp cloth.
Step 4: Spray paint your table using quick, short strokes.
Step 5: Use sand paper to sand off some paint, so that the wood shows through,
giving it that vintage look.
This is the simplest, most basic way to redecorate your table.
Another way to do it
is using water based acrylic paint. You will go through
steps 1, 2 and 3 just as in the case with spray paint, but instead of spray,
you’ll be using a brush-on paint that you will apply with light brush strokes.
A few good tricks for a better vintage look
There are ways to make your dining table look more artful and rustic using two
or more colours of paint. For example, your first coat of paint can be brown,
the next can be green and finally you can add some white spray paint, letting
all colours show through in a seemingly careless, random manner.
Another way to play with paint is to spray paint the table white, then just
sprinkle some brown or any other colour on top of it with a brush, as if the
paint is peeling off.
Which ever method you choose, make sure you always sand off the final coat of paint, so that the other layers show through.
Vintage embellishments for an authentic antique look
If you don’t want to paint your dining table, you can just use some antique
looking details to give an impression of a rustic piece. You can cover the
table with embroidered table cloth, put a romantic, heavily-ornamented
candleholder at the side of the table, some old photos and a nice glass bottle
filled with dried flowers in the center.
As you can see, redecorating doesn't have to be hard work, it can turn out to be fun, it saves you money and helps you get a vintage table right out of a popular home decoration magazine.
Thank you Eva for your wonderful information.
I hope this has inspired you to create something fun and unique!
I've read about "antiquing" furniture before, but this is the first time I've heard of using multiple colours of paint. That's a really good idea. It just makes sense. This how-to is great! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Emma, Thank you very much for your nice comment and liking my ideas. :)
ReplyDelete