5 Ways To Add Life Into Worn-Out Furniture

White Painted Furniture, Gustavian Furniture, Swedish Furniture, Updating Furniture, Swedish Decorating Ideas

Colefax and Fowler

Furniture ages just like everything else…and like with most other things, you don’t notice the small changes that happen to your furniture until one day, a few years (or maybe even a decade or more) down the line, you stop and say, “When did my furniture develop this natural patina?”

Obviously you love your furniture — you wouldn’t have kept it for so long if you didn’t — but loving your furniture doesn’t mean you can’t update it or dress it up a little. What’s more, you can make your updates and do your dressing up for very little cost (which should be a relief since it’s doubtful you’ve got a Steve Wynn-sized bank account to fund these projects).

Here are a few cost-effective ways to do just that.

1. Put on New Hardware

Consider adding a little bit of bling to that old chest that you want to fall back in love with.  Putting on new hardware is a great way to dress up old cabinetry and furniture. For example, maybe instead of having handles on the dresser drawers, you can put pulls on instead. New hardware can completely change (and update) the look of a piece and costs way less than buying a whole new item.

2. Refinish It

That chest sitting in the back of the garage may look nice in it’s all natural elements.  Consider sanding off the old layers of varnish and finish.  Maybe this time you can choose a different paint color, or maybe you’ll leave it all-natural.

Refinishing vintage furniture helps get rid of layers of gunk and grime. It can also remove dings and scratches that might have dampened the appearance of the piece. While it won’t often make the piece look brand new, it can help it look re-energized.

3. Paint

As someone who is undoubtedly into the purity of his or her furniture, the idea of painting over the current finish, stain, or varnish probably turns your stomach. Before you hurl, though, know that light paint colors are very “in” right now (and has been for a while). You don’t have to paint the furniture a garish color if you don’t want to. In fact, one of the best things you can do is paint it white. A coat of white paint helps it keep its integrity while also updating its look.

4. Reupholster It

The simple fact of the matter is that over time, fabric (in spite of your good intentions and good care) starts to rot. Cushions (even with minimal pressure) lose their strength. Reupholstering the seat, sofa, or stool helps maintain its beauty and structural integrity. You can even find antique-looking fabrics fairly cheaply online. Even better — upholstery is something you can easily do yourself, which saves you even more money!

Whatever you choose to do, know this: Updating is not the same as replacing. You can keep the same furniture for decades if you treat it well and give it a facelift now and then!

Erin Steiner is a full-time freelance writer and web content creator.

Country Swedish Furniture, White Painted Furniture, Gustavian Furniture, Swedish Furniture, Updating Furniture, Swedish Decorating Ideas

White Table set ,White Painted Furniture, Gustavian Furniture, Swedish Furniture, Updating Furniture, Swedish Decorating Ideas

Table With 4 Chairs- Live Auctioneers

White Table Set, White Painted Furniture, Gustavian Furniture, Swedish Furniture, Updating Furniture, Swedish Decorating Ideas

Table With 8 Chairs- Live Auctioneers

Texas designer Joe Minton, White Painted Furniture, Gustavian Furniture, Swedish Furniture, Updating Furniture, Swedish Decorating Ideas

Riverhills Game Room- Texas designer Joe Minton sought to create a space that would be well-used. Accordingly, he selected a durable outdoor fabric for the banquette. Its yellow-and-blue, slightly nautical stripe adds playfulness to a room rich in antiques.

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Paint It White He Says….

Darryl Carter on One Kings Lane- Swedish ArmoireDarryl Carter on One Kings Lane- Swedish Armoire

Washington, D.C., interior designer Darryl Carter certainly has made a memorable mark on the color white.   Fifteen years ago he had a busy career as a lawyer when he decided to change course and open his own interior-design firm.  He made a name for himself by transforming rooms that were grounded in a neutral palettes with an appreciation for showcasing art and antiques.  Swedish interiors have always been known for their white based interiors.  In an interview by Veranda, designer Darryl Carter gives his best tips for using the color white in your home.

1. Pick Your Paint First

“It’s not a cop out,” he insists. “It’s a way to harmonize a house in its entirety.” Once you’ve chosen your paint, select textiles next—preferably a hue that closely matches the walls. “Navigate the drapery into the wall color so that you are not so aware of the window treatment,” he suggests.

2. Paint Your Architecture In White

He says that architecture looks best in white.  He gives an example pointing to a bookshelf cabinet in a Virginia townhouse which was painted to blend into the walls.  The coffered ceiling was also painted the same color, which added a subtle architectural element to the space.

3. Don’t Shy Away From White Or Cream Around Kids

He tells Veranda, that you don’t have to sacrifice style and serenity because there’s a toddler in the house. “There is a presumption that neutral cannot be kid-friendly,” says Carter.

“Instead of shying away from softer shades, he suggests changing the materials. Try enamel finishes and high-gloss paint in high-traffic areas, as well as durable faux leather and outdoor fabrics for upholstered pieces that withstand the wear and tear of young children”

4. Unite Your Kids Rooms Into The Rest Of The House

Carter encourages parents to integrate their child’s room into the larger experience of the home.

“You don’t want to open the door and suddenly wonder where you’ve landed,” he says.

In one family home, Carter created a space in the child’s room which matched the overall modern style of the family’s home. Over time, parents can adjust the space with different pillows and textiles as the child matures.

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Daniel Romualdez’s Swedish Montauk Home

The indoor dining room features doors painted by an artist who lived in the home
in the 1930s. Wallstreet Journal

It is no doubt that the hottest designers are using distressed Gustavian furniture in their own homes. Designer Daniel Romualdez is one of those designers.  His Montauk, New York home also shows off a captivating white based interior.  Romualdez breathed new life into the home using only splashes of blue, white and black.  The main dining room shows a beautiful collection of seashells in weathered frames.  The room is furnished with 18th century Gustavian furniture with a geometric blue and white upholstery.  Most of all the pictures we picture below are credited to the Wallstreet Journal.  Here are a few links to this homes interior from Corbis.  Here is a picture of the stairway that was installed in limed pine, in line with the Swedish styles found through the house.

Decorating with seashells can add a natural touch to your home.  Here are 10 tips to getting a high end look with seashells:

1.  Paint your walls in soft pastels. Keeping the wall color light will create a serene feel and allow you to play off the colors found in the lighter natural tones of seashells.

The ocean and the sky are both blue, so blue should be incorporated into the color scheme. Borrow looks from Daniel Romualdez’s home by choosing upholstery in blue and white.  White based backgrounds for upholstery choices keep within the classic textile choices found in Sweden.

-Light blue or green walls are also great colors for a room decorated with seashell decor.

-If you do use brighter blues, consider using it in an accessory as Daniel Romualdez’s does with a vibrant floral centerpiece.  Add layers of duller blues in your rooms with accents of brighter tones of blue sparingly.

2. Mix in reds, oranges, and golden hues within your home decor to provide a contrast to the white walls, and white shells such as what Daniel Romualdez’s does with the black hand painted doors, and black frames on the walls.

3. Consider installing wall panelling, which can be stained in a soft cream or white.  Wood adds an organic layer that is commonly found in Swedish decorating. Clean, brilliant white walls make a great backdrop for bold color splashes or natural wood accents.

4.  Sofa or floor pillows incorporate the feeling of comfort.  This Sea Shell Linen Pillow Cover with Jute & Mother Of Pearl Embroidery has both the linen fabrics found in Swedish decorating, as well adds a bit of the pearl shine we find in the sea.

5.  Cover furniture or home decor with shells.  A neoclassical bust with smaller seashells is a sophisticated approach to using shells in your decor.  All you need is a nice looking neoclassical bust, hot glue and a variety of seashells.

-Make a crown for the bust or display it on it’s own.

Here we see a rustic bust, with a seashell crown.

Here we see a mirror made with hand collected shells and Ikea mirror frame.  All the shells are facing the same direction rather than the sporadic placement that we see with seashell art.

Here we see a beautiful floral display with an urn decorated in seashells

Plaster Busts on Ebay

7.  Consider presenting your collection of shells as a display on your wall with corbels.  Instead of displaying the smaller shells, collect the larger seashells, which can make more of an impact.  Swedish decorating is known for clean, uncluttered looks, so bigger shells are better in a Swedish scheme.  Corbels can be rather expensive, but there are ways of getting corbels that match without spending $300 on each corbel.  Make your own shelves for pennies with concrete molds such as this one from Mold CreationsConcrete Success has the perfect mold shelf featuring a sea shell in the design, selling for $34 dollars.  This allows you to make endless shelves for your collections, without spending any more than for the mold itself, and the plaster or concrete.

Interesting Finds on Ebay And Amazon

This square sea shell mold would be a rather interesting texture to cover an entire accent wall in a bathroom with. It has a rather primitive fossil quality to it.

-Silver Tone Decorative Spiny Jewel Nautical Sea Shell Home Decor $27

-Luxury Lane Hand Blown Art Glass Seashell Centerpiece 7.5″ tall by 12.5″ long $25

-White Pearlized Chambered Nautilus Sea Shell Decor 5″ – 6″ $25

-100% Real Sea Shell-4.5″ Original From Haiwaii,$9

-Small Brass Compass Rose Nautical Wall Plaque $50

-Bathroom Decor- Set of 3 Decorative Clear Glass Bottles with Nautical Sea Shell $71

-Luxury Lane Hand Blown Art Glass Seashell Centerpiece 4.5″ tall by 9″ long $25

-Aluminum Sea Shell Decor 4″H, 10″W $36

-Round Rustic Wooden Nautical Porthole Mirror– $70

-Set of 2 Seafoam Green and Cream Sea Shell Pattern Rustic Aged Decorative Bowls $110

-Gorgeous Set of 4 Mini Sea Shell Covered Spheres $48

-Decorative Wooden Paddle  $19

-Wooden Nautical Sailboat Yacht Model w/ Shell Sail $24

See our other post Daniel Romualdez’s Breathtaking Late-Eighteenth Century Farmhouse

Daniel Romualdez’s Montauk Home-www.williamwaldron.com

Another View Of This Room From www.corbisimages.com

You can see the trim was painted blue, and the floors limed.  In addition, the doors were touched up.

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The Country Side Of Sweden- An All White Based Home

Wood has always played an integral part in the Swedish home life. Beech, birch and pine are the most popular woods in the Nordic region. Hardwoods such as mahogany were rarely used in Sweden as they would have to be imported, as well as the blonder woods were native to the land making it practical to make everything out of wood other than the kitchen sink. Swedish design is known for their use of pale wood, paneling, and solid wood furniture. Furniture was often elaborately painted, or left bare.  In this country home we see this very design; shades of white, minimal design, and outstanding Swedish wood furniture.

Tips From This Interior To Your Home:

1. Add Interest- This Swedish interior is based around whites. They add an interesting floor mat to spice things up. A guitar hangs on the wall, which adds a stamp of personality into the home.  Make your textiles count in a minimal home.  Consider fabrics that have a Swedish styled patterns.  Look for upholstery fabric, slipcovers, tablecloths with a distinct Swedish design.

2. Skip Painting Some Pieces. If you are hoping to decorate around white, add in plenty of untouched wood pieces to the overall scheme. Raw wood furniture can be very beautiful. This directoire style chest is washed with solid paint in a unique way that shows off the wood, but at the same time presents a very rustic edge to the style.  Use the paint technique for your own wood pieces.  Give a Swedish touch to these raw pieces by adding a oil rubbed hardware…. The rustic details won’t be overlooked.

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Designer Colette van den Thillart’s European Decorating Style

 

Picture Credit-Toronto’s Best Dressed

Designer Colette van den Thillart is a very talented designer whose work has been featured in some of the biggest magazines such as Canadian House & Home Magazine and Traditional Home.   This Canadian designer works as the creative director of NH Design and certainly doesn’t mind breaking the rules and going her own way.

Colette is currently working on an 18th Century estate in Denmark that we hope to see some time soon.  We cannot wait to see what this beautiful home looks like, and whether she will keep with the traditional schemes that are often found in 18th century or if she will incorporate modern elements in to the design.

Achica Living had an interesting interview with Thillart, where she gave her top 10 unexpected design tips.  In the Achica Living article she suggests to create multi purpose rooms, than typical living-rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.  She suggests in vertical houses with tall walls that libraries could be incorporated into dining rooms.

Here are some excellent examples:

1.  Home Beautiful Magazine features a wonderful dining space with an extravagant cabinet that reminds me of some of the elements in the Drottningholm Palace LibraryDesigner Myra Hoefer’s California home’s unique library and office features a large table perfect hosting dinner parties.

2.  This dining room features a round table with brighter green colored slipcovers.  The wall cabinets have wired fronts exposing a large collection of books.

3. This Ketchum, Idaho home features a lengthy white painted table with a large collection of antique books featured on built in black bookcases.

4.  This dining room features a paired down approach, with books stacked on industrial metal shelves.  The look gives this room a clean look, yet the books give this room a lot of detail to look at.

All The Best Blog also interviewed Thilart, and here are some of the questions and answers I found most interesting…..

Q: What books are currently on your bedside table?

A: Savage Beauty – The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
Citizen of the World – The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau by John English
The Book of Symbols– Reflections on Archetypal Images, Taschen
Redeeming Features – Nicky Haslam

French painted blue and gold dining chairs featured in Traditional Home Magazine

Watch this video featuring Colette van den Thillart, who adds European touches to a classic Ontario cottage without losing its rustic feel. Barn boards and crockery lamps work beautifully with Windsor chairs, antiques and pretty designer fabrics

A sitting area within the master bedroom doubles the comfort and elegance. The lilac-and-white bedroom was inspired by Canada’s northern light. The headboard was custom designed by Colette.- Traditional Home Magazine

18th-century engravings, Lilac Draperies – French Sofa

The hallway is a study in neutrals with wall-to-wall seagrass and patterned wallpaper. Colette accessorized the foyer with gilded antlers, a unique art piece with a plaster frame and warm white furnishings, including an 18th-century Russian side chair. From Canadian House & Home

This pedestal table with matching cane back chairs features a hand-rubbed grey finish. Beige linen seats complete the upscale look.

Gustav Foldover Table and Chairs. Table, $1998; armchair, $699. Available at The Art Shoppe.

See more products inspired by Colette van den Thillart’s London home, featured in our January 2011 issue, in our gallery. Plus, watch a tour of Colette’s cottage.

 

Designer Colette van den Thillart’s daughters, Ava, 9, and Hannah, 11.  Each bed is framed by a chintz canopy for a soft and romantic look.

 

An Interview With Tara Shaw About Her Swedish Furniture Line

(These pieces are no longer on Amazon…sorry)

A few select pieces from Tara Shaw are now being sold through Horchow.

Reminiscent of favorite antiques imported from Europe, Tara Shaw Maison offers reproduction furnishings and decor for the home that will become your new classics. Simple yet elegant, this handcrafted birch Swedish side chair is hand carved of birch wood with a hand-painted finish.  19″W x 13.5″D x 38″T. This terrific chair sells for $1499 from Horchow.

Horchow had an interview with Tara Shaw that was very inspiring:

HORCHOW: What inspired your furniture collection?

TARA SHAW: “Guerrilla antiquing” for 15 years in Europe. II was so difficult, finding one-of-a-kind items and knowing only one person could buy it and enjoy it.  I couldn’t find these finishes and styles in a reproduction line – that inspired me to create the pieces I wanted.

HORCHOW: As an interior designer, what are your go-to’s?

TARA SHAW: For fabrics, Dedar; I used their acanthus  print in gray and cream for a showhouse bedroom. For paint, Benjamin Moore #925. an ivory that works with
whites or colors; tor high-gloss. “Possibly Pink” from Fine Paints of Europe. For wallpaper, I just launched my own “Grisailles”, based on the grisailles panels in
Tara Shaw Maison.

HORCHOW: Which design era is most inspiring to you?

TARA SHAW: Louis XV! in France and King Gustav II in Sweden. Louis was the father of the straight leg. and both are known for clean lines, pale painted finishes gilded to perfection.

Tara Shaw Swedish Reproduction Furniture

Three distinct chair backs, each featuring elegant curves, intertwine to form the back of this breathtaking Swedish-Rococo-style bench. Reproduced from a European original, it offers a unique seating option formal enough for grand dining rooms yet casual enough for entryways, bedrooms, or other areas.

  • Hand carved of birch; no two are exactly alike.
  • Seat upholstered in poly/cotton.
  • Hand-painted finish.
  • 64″W x 20″D x 42″T; seat height, 20″T.
  • Imported.

Tara Shaw Swedish Reproduction Furniture

Tara Shaw Swedish Reproduction Furniture

Inspired by a European original, this stately bench features ornate carvings on the apron and legs for Old World charm and antique appeal. From Tara Shaw.

  • Frame is hand-carved birch with a hand-painted finish.
  • Upholstery is polyester/cotton blend.
  • 52″W x 22.5″D x 21″T.
  • Imported.