Give Your Home a Rustic Facelift: Upcycling Old Wooden Furniture for Modern Charm

Bring Your Home To Life With Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Creating a new look for your home shouldn't be expensive. As long as you have the right pieces of furniture and decor, you should be able to revamp your place without putting a strain on your budget.

One way to do that is with old wooden furniture. Wood is long-lasting and durable. It's a sustainable material that's friendly to the environment, too. To help you in designing your home using old wooden furniture, below are some awesome tips you'll find useful.

Bring Chairs Back To Life

A stunning-looking pair of chairs from Christopher Knight that give that old-timer look to dining.

Make sure your wood furniture is worth refinishing

This is the first thing you need to do. While old wooden furniture is great to have at home, check it first if it's worthy of revamping your place. Wood should last long, but some factors can degrade its quality.

For that, check whether the furniture was painted. Paint can typically hide much damage, like water stains and burns. It's best to buy a piece of furniture with an old, dirty varnish since you can see everything underneath. Next is the structure. Check if the wooden furniture is still working properly. You may also want to check each of its parts to make sure that there are no termites.

If you find termites, treat the furniture before bringing it inside your home. A termite colony can grow fast, which can spell problems for your other wooden pieces at home.

Tree Stump Table

The versatile piece is perfect for a side table or stool, bedroom nightstand or end table, bath shelves or seating. With every rotation, you'll find yourself choosing your favorite side, and the pieces are so stunning that they will make any room feel comfortable while still looking stylish!

These trees have been gleaned from sustainable felling projects in Eastern Europe years ahead of time, making them an environmentally conscious choice

Find a dominant wood tone

After knowing that your old wooden furniture is in good condition, it’s time to determine the pieces that’ll go with it. While it's perfectly fine to play with different wood tones, it's still best to pick out a dominant tone to help you bring the rest of your pieces together.

After deciding on your dominant wood tone, check if it's on the warmer or cooler side. This will help you in choosing and mixing undertones between your pieces. If you choose a warm mid-tone piece, pick up pieces within the same family. This way, you'll be able to create continuity throughout your space.

Reclaimed Wood Desk

Guice Woodworks sources lumber from first-growth forests over a hundred years old and salvaged from razed barns and warehouses across the country. We pull nails, strip paint, and plane down surfaces all to repurpose this beautiful wood into furniture. Once our furniture is assembled, it is lovingly rubbed by hand with Guice Woodworks' own non-toxic blend of oil/poly/wax for added shine and protection against damage or spills.

A lot of love goes into every piece made by Guice Woodworks. From the meticulous finishing process to protecting each and everyday use, there's an attention to detail in all their designs from the start (the rough cutting)to finish.

Create continuity with finish

If you are having difficulty putting your pieces together, using similar wood finishes or grains is a good solution. For example, in one room, you can use matte pieces or with subtle grain finish. This tip is helpful if there's a high contrast between your chosen wood tones.

Please don't overdo it

While using old wooden furniture is great, be careful about how many pieces you pack inside a room. Please don't go overboard with it, as it will result in an interior design mistake you'll likely regret.

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Use an accent color

Now, if you are unsure how you matched the wood grains in your home, try to tie the different finishes together with an accent color. You can create a more harmonious flow using a single color or shade for your stools, throw pillows, and lampshades. You can add a rug in your chosen accent color.

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Try to mix modern with traditional periods

While having a vintage air at home is nice, it's usually not enough to make a space fit for everyday life. With that, you might mix traditional furniture with modern periods. For example, adding old wooden furniture to your living room can give your plush sofa or TV a more at-home feel. The same thing applies if you have lots of modern appliances at home.

Now the ultimate decision to pick the right mix of furniture and appliances will depend on your preference and the design you are aiming for. So before you buy things to add to your home, it's a good idea to sit down and plan everything first.

Consider the space

If you have smaller rooms at home that you want to maximize, pick wooden furniture in a lighter shade. It can give a room an airier, bigger feel. For larger rooms, pick wooden furniture with rich tones as they help create a luxurious effect. You can stress corners using potted plants. Their green hues create a nice hint of color among the grains in your home.

Maintain your wooden furniture

You need to pay more attention to maintaining your wooden furniture. This will make sure that the piece lasts long. To start, you need to dust it well. Use a soft and dry cotton cloth to sweep off any dirt. You must also keep your furniture from exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. This will cause spotting where dark and bright spots appear across its cross-section. Apply wax and oil regularly. These products add a protective layer to the furniture, making it appear more lively.

Conclusion

With revamping homes, you can’t go wrong with wood. This material has a timeless effect, and it’s durable, cheap, and sustainable. Apart from that wood is also good for your mental well-being. So, in designing your home using old wooden furniture, you’re not just improving the way your place looks, but you are helping the environment and your health.

However, like everything you put inside your home, you need to be extra careful in picking up the right pieces. Careful planning will help ensure that you’ll be able to get the exact design or theme you want for your home. It’s also a way to ensure that everything you have at home won’t clash or look awkward against each other.