Are you thinking of refurbishing your well-loved furniture at home? That is great! Refurbishing is truly a rewarding venture especially to those handymen who love to give a new life and flavor to our well-loved furniture. It is important to take note that our furniture does not need to be necessarily broken to be refurbished. Oftentimes, hobbyists and specialists alike, are just looking for various ways to improve old but still have value and durable furniture.
Refurbishing, as earlier defined, is clearly different from other words that have almost similar meaning and are occasionally used interchangeably when referring to something that must be done to any of your furniture. Terms like repair and renovation have distinct meanings that are truly different from refurbishing. A refurbished furniture means revamping the old ones to make it more sustainable and looks brand new and buying used but refurbished furniture for your condominium unit or house and lot is truly beneficial as it is considered to be cost effective and sustainable. Here, Bria Homes will walk you through the benefits of refurbished furniture, give tips to safely refurbish any furniture you want, and provide few furniture that could be refurbished.
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Why Should You Consider Refurbished Furniture?
- They’re truly more durable.
Most of the refurbished furniture are considered vintage and are proven to have a durable material to be able to surpass the test of time because they are made from the best materials like hardwood. Many of this refurbished furniture like tables and chairs are made of hardwood like the narra and mahogany and with proper care, these furniture will definitely last for years and decades.
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- More cost effective
Due to its known durability, refurbished furniture will indeed last for years, and these vintage pieces will come out cheaper than those mass-produced and low quality furniture. There are few circumstances wherein revamping your furniture will cost you more than by just purchasing a new one in the nearest department store. However, its lifespan and number of years where you will make use of these refurbished furniture will surely compensate for the cost.
Nonetheless, there are also various opportunities in which revamped and vintage furniture are more cheap compared to others. One of the reasons is that previous owners just want to instantly dispose of the furniture and thus, will sell their pre-loved pieces cheaper for it to be sold immediately. Plus, you’ll have negotiating power.
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- More sustainable and ethical consumption
According to a research authored by Andac Guzel in 2020 titled Consumer attitudes toward preference and use of wood, woodenware, and furniture: A sample from Kayseri, Turkey, 82.5% of the respondents prefer wood as the raw material for their furniture. This high demand for wooden furniture absolutely contributes to the speedy deforestation. In fact, according to the National Geographic, only 6% of the world’s landmass is covered by rainforests from once 14%.
Hence, turning your interests to refurbished furniture do contribute to slowing down this fast pace of deforestation as there will be a decrease in the demand for new wood as raw material to create new furniture.
Tips for Refurbishing Your Furniture the RIght Way
- Know the material Used
Is your chair made out of teak or pine? Or other hardwood like narra? How about your kitchen chair you bought from a thrift shop or vintage store? First and foremost before doing any refurbishing is to know the material used in your furniture. There are materials that require meticulous and unique processes to maintain its quality despite the alterations that you will be doing. Because if you forego this fundamental yet pivotal matter before refurbishing, this will undeniably cause you more damage than any benefits. For example, oak soaks up stains more evenly than some other types of wood, so you don’t need to use a sealer or conditioner when finishing oak furniture. Ash, on the other hand, is very porous, meaning you should use pore filler if you want to get that shiny finish.
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- Know your financial limit
As mentioned above, there are situations at which point doing refurbishing is getting more expensive relative to purchasing a new mass-produced furniture. Improving your dream house and lot does not have to be expensive and extravagant. There are refurbishing projects that only need simple alterations. While others may need to cost you more than you planned to spend.Therefore, it is part and parcel in refurbishing any furniture, may it be your drawers, cabinets, or mere tables and chairs, to do the necessary searching and planning to that your means would not exceed the intended end in terms of cost.
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- Tools of the Trade
Knowing and utilizing the rightful tools in your refurbishing projects will surely make a huge difference both along the process and your output. Successful refurbished furniture truly improves the quality of an antique and vintage with the help of the appropriate tools. For instance, not all sandpapers are manufactured equal thus, specific grit has its own particular use. For example, #24- or #40-grit sandpaper is a very coarse, rough sandpaper and these low numbers cut through old paint and rough edges with ease. It can also take off enough wood to shape and round edges.
- Pick the process that suites how you’ll use your refurbished furniture
You can potentially do anything you want to your pre-loved furniture once you decide to refurbish it. What really matters is ensuring that the method you are refurbishing is the appropriate method so you will end up with your intended output. For example, if you’re refurbishing a kitchen chair, you might not want to reupholster it with a soft seat that’ll be hard to clean. Likewise, a lounge chair probably shouldn’t be fitted with a hardwood seat. If you’re refinishing old deck chairs that’ll be used outside, finish them with an oil-based coating rather than lacquer or shellac to make sure your hard work (and the furniture itself) can survive the elements.
Furniture you can refurbish
As highly emphasized above, there are numerous considerations one must prioritize if he or she intends to do some refurbishing projects; from defining your end objective, identifying the materials used in your furniture, utilizing the proper tool to ease up the process, knowing your budget limit, to knowing the proper method for your means to meet its end.
Almost all of the refurbished furniture is made out of hardwood thus, potentially all furniture at your home could undergo some revamping through a refurbishing project. Below are a few suggestions for your next refurbishing project.
Turn a dresser into a useful storage space. Change paint color and hardware for a dramatic transformation.
Materials Needed:
- Paint
- Sander
- Roller Brush and Paint Brush
- New Hardware
Makeover a Boring Wooden Stool
Upgrading your boring wooden stools with fabric. You may also add extra padding with foam if needed.
Materials Needed:
- Paint
- Painter’s Tape
- Spray Paint
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Staple Gun
Use something unusual to add character to a table top. You may use an epoxy to add a pretty shiny penny top to your metal folding table.
Materials Needed:
- Epoxy Kit
- Coins
Renew an Outdated Folding Chair
Improve a thrifted folding chair to match your ever changing interior designs or to an avenue for your artistic expression.
Materials Needed:
- Paint
- Spray Paint
- Painter’s Tape
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Staple gun
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