How To Fix And Revamp Furniture

If you’ve got old furniture like a couch, coffee table, or recliner that’s seen better days but still usable, do not throw it away. Believe it or not, you have options.

Actually, sprucing it up and fixing an old couch by yourself is easier than you would think. With a bit of DIY magic and maybe some elbow grease, you can give your furniture a whole new lease on life and make it look amazing again.

When it comes refurbishing old furniture, you can make just about any old piece like a couch, recliner, ottoman and more into newer, redesign items that are a great complement to any living area.

It’s important to take an overall comprehensive approach that includes meticulous cleaning, repairs, refinishing, and thoughtful updates like reupholstering or hardware replacement, can turn old pieces into stylish treasures that captivate any room.

DIY Old Sofa Makeover

These sofa makeover ideas will help you turn your couch into a beautiful new addition to your home. Inexpensive, DIY ideas for updating your old sofa and enhancing the comfort when you can’t afford to replace it.

Stuff Sagging Cushions

Give your recliner or chaise lounge a fresh and comfy upgrade! Reviving saggy cushions is a breeze with just a few simple steps. Add some polyester fiberfill to bring back their shape. If your old couch or loveseat has some zippered cushion covers, take them off, wrap the cushions in quilt batting, and then reattach covers.

Slip on a Slipcover

Add some aesthetic with slipcovers over your dining chairs, ottomans, recliners and even accent chairs. Slipcovers will not only protect your furniture from stains or damages, but also can match with other linens in your home to create a welcoming environment. Just make your slip covers fit over your chairs.

Looking to breathe new life into your old furniture? Revamping it with paint and sanding it are two ways to transform furniture and bring a fresh and personalized touch to your living space.

All you’ll need to do is prepare the surface, apply multiple thin coats of paint, and consider optional steps such as priming and adding decorative elements to have your old furniture looking clean and new.

Sand & Paint Wood Furniture

Sanding furniture, especially the wood in the base, helps smooth rough edges and prepare wood for a new paint job. Remove any hardware, and use medium-grit sandpaper or a fine-grit sander. Next, apply 2-3 coats of a wood stain or your favorite paint color. Apply with a brush or roller. Let it dry in between applying coats.

Tired of your old furniture’s outdated appearance? No need to fret! You can give your home a modern makeover without splurging on all new items. By implementing a few clever techniques and embracing your creativity, you can turn your old furniture into chic, fashionable pieces that inject a breath of fresh air into your space.

From sleek finishes and minimalist designs to strategic accents and innovative modifications to even simple cleaning and repairs, you can turn your old, dainty furniture you’ve always disliked into the talk of the neighborhood.

When revamping old living room furniture, people typically think of cosmetic changes like upholstery and finishes. However, you can easily make a significant difference by simply upgrading support, swapping out loose legs for sturdier options to improve comfort.

Add Some Trim

Hide scratched legs on your furniture by adding decorative fringe trim to the bottom. You can get affordable ribbon fringe for just a few bucks per yard. If fringe isn’t your style, consider using nailhead trim along the edges. Use individual tacks for a custom look or choose pre-made strips available at craft stores.

Add New Hardware

Reviving old furniture and giving it a fresh, updated look is a wonderful way to bring new life into your living room without spending an arm and a leg on new pieces. By simply attaching new elements such as drawer pulls, handles, cabinets, and knobs, you transform the appearance of furniture, making it look new.

Toss On Some Throw Pillows

Bring vibrancy to your room by adding throw pillows. You can use pillows of different shapes, sizes and patterns. Coordinate with your room’s color palette, or incorporate contrasting colors for added visual interest. The right throw pillows can transform the look of your sofa and create a lively atmosphere in your space.

How To Repair Broken Furniture

The first step to revamping your furniture is to assess what parts of your couch, recliner or table are broken. Some are easy fixes, while others may require a little more detail.

Repair Broken Wood

If your armchair or daybed isn’t stable when you sit down, it could be due to some damaged wood in the frame. Remove the upholstery to take a look. Repair or replace the old wood if it is broken with tools, or sand it if necessary. Once you have fixed up all your old wooden pieces, reassemble the furniture properly.

Update the Legs

Upgrade the look of your old chair, dining table or nightstand updating the old legs. Swap out those older chair legs that are holding on for dear life with just a tennis ball with sturdier, more solid ones that match your style, material and will hold up. If you can’t find the correct legs, consider DIY options available online.

Sneak in Some Support

You can add some extra support to any of your recliners, glider ottomans and more by adding a piece of 1/2″ thoroughly sanded plywood to base of the seat. Make sure the edges are sanded and smooth, then replace the cushions. You can also find some pre-made support boards from any local furniture company.

Tie up Loose Springs

To deal with loose springs that are making your recliner chair uncomfortable, you’ll need some fasteners, usually some zip ties or twine work perfectly. Cut the material to the desired length, but make sure it reaches entirely around the spring. Zip tie the spring securely all around, or tie your twine into a tight knot.

Treat It to a Deep Clean

Cleaning furniture is not just for looks! Rather, it keeps you and your family healthy. Treat stains on upholstery with a simple stain remover and clean with a water and detergent mix. You can treat any remaining dust on wood with a simple cloth. Clean the wood with soap and water, then polish it off with simple furniture wax.

⚠️ Be Aware ⚠️: Not only spills and stains need to be cleaned. Over time, couches collect small pollutants like skin follicles, pet hairs, dust and more, which can be harmful for your health.

With the right strategies, you can effectively market your refurbished furniture to a wide audience of potential buyers. From preparing and photographing your pieces to crafting compelling descriptions and choosing the right online platform, there are key steps to follow for successful online sales. Let’s dive into the details.

Prepare Your Revamped Furniture For a Sale

Once you’ve properly repaired, cleaned and upgraded your furniture, it’s time to see if you can make some extra cash by selling it.

The most important thing when selling revamped furniture is to make sure you stage it correctly. Are you taking high quality photographs? Are you listing it in the right marketplaces? Here’s the ultimate checklist for you to follow.

• Good Pictures: Use good lighting, a clean background and a quality camera in order to highlight the furniture in your pictures.
• Write Compelling Descriptions: Time to put on your writer’s cap. Make sure you’re highlighting the attractive parts of your furniture so people will want to buy.
• Choose The Right Platform: Make sure you’re listing your couch in the right groups on Facebook Marketplace or the right categories on places like eBay, Craigslist and more.
• Set A Competitive Price: Determine a fair value for furniture by evaluating depreciating costs, determining the time and money it took to refurbish and then price accordingly.
• Promote Your Listings: Use social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share your listing to get more eyes on it.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to DIY transformation of old furniture into helpful, useful and nice-looking pieces to enhance the overall appeal of your home.

1. Old Dresser Into A TV Stand: Remove the top drawers of the dresser and replace them with cubbies and shelves as storage space for media equipment.
2. Headboard Into A Bench: Remove the legs of the headboard if necessary, attach a seat made from reclaimed wood or a cushion, and paint or stain it to create a cozy seating area.
3. Old Door Into A Dining Table: Attach sturdy legs or sawhorses to each corner, sand and finish the surface, and voila! You have a one-of-a-kind dining table with a touch of vintage charm.
4. Piano Into Bookshelf: Transform an old upright piano into a stunning bookshelf. Remove the piano strings and inner components while preserving the outer shell. Install shelves or add book slats.
5. Ladder Into A Shelving Unit: Sand and paint the ladder, secure shelves between the rungs, and use it to display books, plants, or decorative items.

Whether you tried some simple DIY furniture improvements or found out later on your old couch just needs to go, you have options when it comes to getting rid of old furniture.

Junk removal companies, like LoadUp, offer the convenience of old furniture haul away, disposal, donation or recycling. LoadUp, however, is unique in that we are a eco-friendly disposal solution, which means our team will always try to find sustainable options like donation or recycling to avoid the landfill.

Because, at the end of the day, we’re a lot like you. We’d rather find better uses for old furniture than to simply throw it away!

Related Articles from the Trash Talk Blog:

• How to clean a couch
• How to clean upholstery
• How to sell furniture online
• Furniture stores that assemble for you
• Benefits of furniture companies offering old item haul away