by Shelly Mcrae

Created on: January 23, 2012   Last Updated: May 08, 2012

Your older furnishings may be showing signs of age or the style may be dated, and you're reluctant to purchase new furniture due to budgetary restraints. Update your old furniture using basic refurbishing techniques, such as stripping and staining, painting and upholstering.

Paint or stain

Furniture made from pressboard or particle board is covered in a thin wood veneer or laminated. The veneer is too thin to strip, so new stain is not an option. The veneer is also treated, so paint does not adhere easily to the surface.

To paint particle board furniture, sand the surface lightly. Cover with an all-purpose spray paint. Allow the first coat to dry and apply a second coat as needed.

For quality pieces made from solid wood, you have the options of adding new stain or painting the surface of the piece. If it's already stained, strip the old stain and add new stain following manufacturer's instructions.

To add a coat of paint to a stained or painted piece, sand the surface lightly, cover with a coat of primer, then paint with the color of your choice.

Alterations

Particle board is made from wood chips glued and pressed together to form thick sheets for the framework. The shape or form of particle board furniture cannot be altered. If you try to cut through particle board, the stuff just falls apart.

Update solid wood cabinetry pieces by removing overly-ornate skirts or pediments for a cleaner look, and then follow up with new stain or paint. If the piece is too plain, add a skirt or pediment, or add bullnose molding along the edges to soften the lines of angular cabinetry.

Reupholstering

Update any upholstered furniture piece with new fabric. Small pieces such as foot stools and occasional chairs with removable seats are easiest; simply remove the current fabric layer and replace with new fabric.

Reupholstering larger pieces, such as fully upholstered chairs and sofas, requires a specific skill set; upholstering such pieces should be done by a professional. The cost of re-upholstering is high, but is usually less than the cost of new furniture.

Quick fixes

If you don't want to completely refurbish a piece, but just want to add a little 'newness', use a quick fix tip.

Add new hinges and handles to cabinetry. Make sure to choose hardware that aligns with existing holes if you don't want to putty and drill for new holes.

Add tassels and trim to upholstered pieces. These little accessories give the furniture a textural dimension as well as a fresh look.

For those inexpensive particle board pieces that still function well, but are hard to look at, consider covering them in a collage. Choose a theme, such as garden or cityscapes, and cut out pictures from magazines. Paste them onto the piece in a collage fashion and seal with a decoupage medium. It's a fast, easy and cheap update for a piece of old furniture.

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