Six simple ways to upgrade your vintage furniture

Chloe Hines Chloe Hines
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If you're looking for a fast, easy, and cost-effective upgrade to your home, look no further than your pre-existing furnishings! Furnishings are typically items that we don't get rid of easily, nor are we willing to buy new most of the time.  If you've collected plenty of furnishings over the years but have grown tired of them or don't know where to place them – we have some suggestions!

Investing in your furniture is like investing in any other long-standing item in your life – you have to take the time and energy to fix it when it's growing old and find ways to make it feel brand new.  Whether you decide to reupholster, paint or mix eclectic pieces together, you'd be amazed at how much a small project can turn your furniture into brand new objects, ready to give your home a new feel and a much-needed upgrade.  Below we have listed several ways in which you can upgrade your furniture and statement pieces in your home with little effort and little cost!

Painting old cabinets

Unfortunately, when most homeowners view their kitchen cabinets, they think of pulling them out and renovating their entire kitchen for a brand new look.  However, don't be so quick to make permanent changes to an area that probably just needs a few details changed.

If you're looking to upgrade your kitchen, consider painting over the pre-existing cabinets! Depending on the size of your kitchen this can usually be done with the purchase of one bottle of primer and one or two bottles of paint.  Make sure to recognize the colour scheme of your kitchen, as the flooring and cabinets tend to be the largest and most colourful items in your kitchen. Keep cabinets light and fresh for a new look, as seen here. For an added touch that will polish off the project to perfection, think about adding new handles to your cabinets as well! 

If you have exposed kitchen shelving, as seen here, consider painting the interior of the shelves for a fun pop of colour!

Line vintage sofas with new fabrics

If you've ever purchased a sofa or any type of large furniture from antique stores, vintage stores, or flea markets – then you're already ahead of the design game!  Vintage and retro-style sofas are a great addition to your home and tend to save you time and money rather than buying brand new!

If you want to give your vintage sofa a facelift, think about using new fabrics and ribbing to reupholster the old, drab look into something more modern and new. Vintage sofas and furniture tend to be smaller than the large, family-sized couches that you find nowadays, so the amount of fabric you will need will be less than most homeowners assume. 

We suggest that, in order to maintain the longevity of the design, you should choose either neutral fabrics that will fit into your living room for years to come, or take the time to historically restore the sofa to its original grandeur.  For modern mid-century sofas use hues of burnt orange, olive greens and light blues for a stunning retro effect!

Use old quilts on beds and couches

Handsewn quilts can seem hard to come by for many – for others, maybe you have an unbelievable stash of them in your attic or basement passed down through generations of your family. If you're lucky enough to own older quilts of a high-quality, handsewn nature, then add them to the general decor of your home.

Using old quilts on beds and couches as decorative throws means you're getting more use out of them, keeping them fresh and aired out rather than boxed up and unseen! If your handsewn quilt collection isn't really your style of if you feel they're too big to fit over certain items, then consider making different objects out of their leftover scraps, such as pillows, smaller throws and cushions.

Alternatively, you could pull out all your cotton quilts, like the one pictured here and throw them over random furnishings for a super-cosy look!

Painting old picture frames

Danta zinc frames homify Case eclettiche Accessori & Decorazioni

Picture frames are incredibly versatile objects in that they can be hung however you want – but the physical appearance of them can also be changed quite easily. Hand-paint your frames to give them a brand new, fresh look and change around the art in them for a quirky, eclectic mix.

Hand-painting frames is an especially nice feature on old frames where the designs tend to be more extravagant and heavy. Have a great oval or circular frame that you've recently painted a funky colour? Why not leave out the art altogether and add a mirror, or for a super-cool design, leave them empty and hang them on the wall as an interesting design feature.

Tip: Also consider frames like the ones seen here, leave out the backing and opt for another piece of framing glass – place flowers and plant extracts in them for a fun DIY project.

Mix old dishes with new

One of the most successful and visually stimulating suggestions on this list is to combine your collection or randomly-assorted dishes and china with new, more modern pieces like seen here.

We all tend to have old plates, bowls, serving platters and coffee cups that we've accumulated over the years – don't throw these out as their value tends to rise and fashionable design repeats itself.  You'll find that pieces like this are hard to come by and look fabulous when matched with über-modern pieces that you've collected on your own. For a great dining room look, why not pair your old, vintage dish finds with minimalist and modern flower vases, or vice-versa?

Lining walls with old paintings

Lastly, strategically think about how to hang your old paintings and drawings on the largest wall in your living room. Don't worry about matching and measuring them perfectly – the more they mismatch and hang differently, the more the design feature will stick out!

Check out the eclectic combination in this living room.  The designer decided to use the same wooden contemporary frames for all the pictures as a neutralizing element, perhaps without this the room would be overly-stimulating and look over-cluttered. 

Tip: Pair old paintings and drawings with a great vintage sofa like seen here for a super-eclectic, yet modern, fresh touch!

Want more inspiration on how to bring the old world into the new? Check out this Ideabook on how to get a vintage bedroom!

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