DIY: Furniture Makeovers

I'm obsessed with making-over old, worn out furniture. It's amazing how almost any old piece can be totally transformed with new paint, hardware and a little imagination! Here are three examples from Ladies Home Journal...click here to read the entire article.

Out-dated side table with stone top transformed into a bright and cheerful accent piece!

*First they removed the hardware and stone top, sanded the table all over, and applied a coat of primer.
*Then they gave it two coats of semigloss latex paint in a lively citrus hue.
*For a pull, they threaded a length of cord through the existing hardware holes, knotted the cord on the inside and trimmed the ends.

*They cut a length of seagrass wallpaper to fit the inset and topped it with a pane of 1/4-inch glass. Switch the paper to change the look.

Old dresser transformed into a chic sideboard with plenty of storage!

*They gave the whole piece a light sanding, a coat of primer, and two coats of semigloss latex paint in a pale blue shade on the outside and a deeper blue inside for contrast.

*To dress up the doors, they picked out a pair of modern nickel pulls.

*Click here to read the details on how they transformed the inside...

Old entertainment armoire transformed into a stylish home office!

*They replaced the upper pullout shelf with a fixed painted plywood shelf hung on wooden brackets, which we screwed directly into the armoire's back wall.
*They cut Homasote boards (recycled fiberboards soft enough to sink pushpins into) to fit the back and the side door panels and covered them in fabric secured with a staple gun. Small screw hooks hold each panel in place; you can also simply screw the panels to the corners.
*They swapped out dated brass hardware for pretty (and inexpensive) glass knobs.

The original TV shelf became a functional slideout work surface. To make it movable, they screwed two drawer glides (available at hardware stores) into the top of the base about 6 inches in from the sides and then set the shelf into the glides. Knobs make it easy to pull the shelf out and push it back in.