Exploring Bedroom Furniture, Decorations and Layouts

Learn How To Update The Look Of A Great Yard Sale Find

20 January 2015

Margie Craig

Shopping at yard sales can be a fun and exciting way to find unique furniture at reasonable prices. The pieces of furniture you find will be in used condition, but that doesn't mean they are not still very usable. Older pieces of furniture are often very well made and designed to last for many generations. If you have found a great piece of furniture at a yard sale, use the following guide to learn how to update it to turn it into a stylish piece of contemporary furniture.

Sand It

You first want to take any drawers out of the piece and place them to the side. Use 80 grit sandpaper to sand down the entire exterior of the piece, as well as the fronts of the drawers. Remove the knobs off of the fronts of the drawers to ensure that you are able to create a smooth surface. You need to use 80 grit sandpaper because it is rough enough to smooth out any imperfections without actually wearing away at the exterior of the piece of furniture. A thicker grit could leave divots or expose the grain of the wood when you are done.

Paint It

Next, you want to get a bright enamel paint to use on the piece. Enamel paint creates a smooth finished look without making the piece look like it was freshly painted. You want the piece to have a fresh look when you are done, while giving the illusion that it has always been the color that it is once you paint it. Paint all of the exterior of the piece with the paint, including the fronts of the drawers.

Add Glitz

To really jazz up the look of the piece, add unique knobs to the drawers. There are many amazing knobs available at home improvement stores. If you fall in love with a handle that requires two holes in the drawer to attach it, you can use a drill to create the second hole. If you find one that requires only one hole, but the drawer has two holes in it, you can fill both holes with wood filler (before painting) and drill a hole between them to place the new knob.

Once you have updated the piece of furniture, you will be able to proudly display it in your home. No one will know how little you paid for the piece because it will look like a brand new piece of furniture when you are done refinishing it. The entire process can be done in a day and you can start enjoying your new piece as soon as the paint dries. To check out great used furniture pieces, visit a retailer like Wertz Brothers Furniture Inc. 

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