Your DIY heart is yearning, your Pinterest boards are bursting, and after a busy summer, some of your cottage furniture is looking tired. There’s no better time than the cool days of autumn to finally tackle some of the furniture makeover projects you’ve been putting off all summer. We’ve put together a couple ideas that can give boring, bland or beat up furniture a fresh style and brighten the cottage! Time for DIY cottage furniture rehab!
Whitewash your wood furniture. This technique is a great way to really appreciate the wood grain without the warm tint you get from natural wood. You want to make sure you are starting with a raw surface, which likely means that you’ll need to strip the finish from the piece you’re working on; this may involve a combination of sanding, chemical strippers and thinners. Here is a quick and straightforward tutorial on how achieve the perfect whitewash finish:
If you’re really feeling like a change, this technique can also be applied to ceilings and walls. Sarah Richardson Design has offered up some great tips and examples on how to transform the interior of your cottage.
Refresh an old dresser with paint. Give one of your tired dressers a fresh start! Begin by removing all the knobs, cleaning the dresser with mild soapy water and let dry. Using fine sandpaper, work with the grain to smooth out the surface and dust thoroughly. Next, coat with a primer followed by satin-finish paint (high-gloss can accentuate flaws). To finish things off, why not use different dresser knobs to enhance the new look. Use this piece to brighten up your bedroom or add it to your dining room as an eye-catching sideboard.
Reupholster an outdated or damaged chair. This one may scare some people, but with the right resources you may surprise yourself! If you`re a beginner, try starting with something simple, like your dining chairs. This video shows just how easy it can be:
Also, check out this great project guide by HGTV for tackling reupholstering projects of various sizes.
Love the look of upcycled furniture but don’t have the time to make it happen? These local artisans may have what you’re looking for:
Rice & Potato Workshop consists of designer, crafter and artist duo Miguel and Kyle (a Honey Harbour native). These two upcycle home furnishings and fashion them into beautiful pieces as well as offer well curated, unique vintage items.
Back in Thyme. This store is bursting with goodies! When you walk in the door, the first thing you may notice is the gorgeous old building with original tin ceiling and wooden floors; a perfect setting to showcase a collection of reproduced furniture and carefully selected antiques “which hearkens back to a age before mass production”.
Off the Beaten Path. Featured in the Globe and Mail and on TLC, the owner of this little shop is always working away to provide new and inventive, rustic looking creations from re-purposed materials.
So don’t cast off your weathered furniture just yet! With a little creative thinking and some elbow grease you can give your cottage furniture a new life! Follow us on Pinterest for more project ideas and cottage related tips.
For tips and information on cottages for sale in the Georgian Bay and Muskoka area, please see our website georgianbaycottages.com or call 705-756-7629.