The story of how I transformed an abandoned piece of furniture into a trendy chair.

What if the magic bullet to the old / new mix was actually to make the old something new? Ultimate solution to solve a lot of integration issues, renovation and updating of furniture is on a roll. It’s of course always recommended to have it realized by a professional but sometimes, under certain circumstances, why not try the experience of DIY?

I’ve tried!

I obviously didn’t start directly by the renovation of my Louis XVI armchair (which would nevertheless need it). Too frightened at the idea of a real mess, I took advantage of another opportunity that showed itself. Simple: my upstairs neighbors moved, I found a set of furniture and objects lying on the sidewalk outside. Waiting for the passage of a parisian garbage truck, a retro style chair caught my eye. Hard yellow varnish and ripped "hunting scene" fabric were not enough to mask the potential of its shape. After a few hesitations, I took her back to the building, a floor below.

The great experience of renovation starts

Today, we benefit from an incredible tool for renovation: internet! A source of information packed with explanatory videos and tutorials of all kinds, I did my research and ended up combining a number of ideas gathered around.

After a inventory of the situation, I finally started. I should definitely confess that, when time came to remove the first piece of cloth, I was not serene at all! But I got over it: the work was now started, there was no more coming-back. The layers disappeared one after the other: original green velvet, excessively dusty fleece, burlap under the seat. Only the old springs remained.

Calling a professional can save you some setbacks. For example, a rusted nail 5 cm long propelled at full speed through the air by a spring that you were removing .…

End of dismantling the wooden elements and the yellow varnish is finally ready to disappear under sanding. This is where magic starts! A beautiful light wood reveals itself and gives a lot of decorative ideas for the future development: the result begins to be drawn in my head, the anguish I felt at the beginning disappears to leave room for excitement. But there are some issues that need to be addressed. Indeed, if I want to keep the texture of rough wood, the stains due to the rusting of the screws spoil everything. So I buy paint in addition to the hardware, the board and the foam for the seat and the velvet fabric.

Final touch

Small graphic work for painting, reassembly, cutting wood, foam and chair is ready to win its new dress. One thing is for sure, a professional will do you a finishing much more neat than your own work (unless you know the technique inside out). For me, the fixation with the upholstery nails, if they hold, is clearly not of an impeccable finishing. But no matter, it was over and it was very different! The wood had regained all its natural beauty, lifted by a touch of pastel color and, which was the simple solution to a problem, finally turned into graphic detail definitely bringing the last touch of modernity.
The use of a professional can be costly and not very profitable in some cases. But this should not prevent you from succumbing to the temptation of an antique furniture that attracts you. For certain pieces of furniture will be neither precious nor of any financial or sentimental value. In such cases, it may be more judicious (and profitable) to do so on your own. By helping you with tutorials, or even based on your intuition if you feel like it, a recovered piece of furniture will find a new youth. Not to mention the occupation and the memories that this experience will give you!

Have you already renovated a piece of furniture with your own hands? Share your photos in comments!
Do you want to start but remain hesitant? What is holding you back? Maybe I can help you.
Check #MaybeOutOfTime on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and do not hesitate to share your experiences and projects.

In the meantime, I wish you a good day
Emilie