Do you have get nostalgic about a piece of furniture?
We all have second-hand furniture in our homes.
Whether it’s a table you got from a friend because they no longer had space for it; or a sofa given to you by your grandparents when they upgraded their living room; or even that extra couple of guest pouffes you ‘borrowed’ from your parents (that never made their way back).
We keep these random bits of furniture, because they were gifts or long-term loans… ehm, and they have sentimental value.
But what one of them gets a little scratched, or stained, or it no longer matches the rest of your bedroom? Would you replace it or fix it? I wrote about fixing things a while ago (THOUGHTS: FIX THE OLD OR BUY ANEW?). And what if you wanted to do more of an upgrade?
The Poker table / writing desk!
This table belonged to a grandpa and was passed down to a grandson. However, in its journey through generations, it acquired a lot of scratches, scuffs, and the paint was chipped in quite a few places.
Also it didn’t exactly go with the rest of my furniture, as I have mostly neutral colours in my flat, with hits of teal and blue. Like a sandy beach.
Yep, here it is in all its glory (and scratches) ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Time to restore it to its original glory
Luckily the desk was well functioning and nothing was broken. Sure, the hinges needed a little cleaning, the top had water marks and scuffs everywhere (coasters, coasters, coasters, that’s why they exists), and the paint was chipped here and there.
In short, I decided to try to restore it and fix any scuffs along the way. And while doing that, also change the colour to match the rest of my flat.
How did I do it?
Best place to start? YouTube as usual (this is the pro-version of what I did). After a quick search, I discovered a few essential things I needed to get me started.
- Dismantle it, where possible, so step 2 is easier. You can always put it back together later.
- Sand the thing. Every corner, everywhere. With a palm sander if you have one (luckily I did).
- Paint it with a primer and then with whatever colour you like (the primer stops the old colour coming through).
Step one was the easiest
Took about one day in total, and also add some masking tape over the hinges to make sure no paint went in there. Here are some pics!
Dismantle and then sand every little corner. And wipe the green velvet, as it needed a clean.
Step two was pretty ok too.
Took about a day I think, as I did it in two mornings on a weekend. Bottom one day and the top of the table the following day. I used a simple white primer, which the wood absorbed very quickly.
Sand, Every. Little. Corner. And wipe the green velvet, as it needed a clean.
Step three was a little trickier, but was the best once finished!
Once the primer was dry, I had to wait for the paint to dry before painting with the colour of my choice. All in all, I think it took me a week, as I did a full coat in a pretty dove grey and then waited for it to dry and then did some touch up here and there. I re did some corners, and places where some deep scuffs needed evening out.
Paint. Watch paint dry. Repeat.
Grey eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeverywhere!
In conclucion
The writing desk is now being used as it was supposed to. As a desk for the home office.
In the end, upcycling this desk / poker table wasn’t just about restoring it to its former glory – it was about honoring family history, embracing creativity, and infusing our home with love and memories.
So, the next time you find yourself faced with a tired piece of furniture, don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and embark on a DIY adventure. With a little time, effort, and imagination, you can breathe new life into old treasures and create something truly special. Something you can enjoy for so much longer.
With a little time, effort, and imagination, you can breathe new life into old treasures and create something truly special. Something you can enjoy for so much longer.
Awesome project!
I highly recommend http://www.petitmiracles.org.uk for anyone looking to efficiently reuse, recycle, and upcycle furniture. Their platform offers innovative ideas and easy-to-follow guides that make restoring and transforming furniture pieces a straightforward and rewarding experience. It’s an excellent resource that complements the goals of this project perfectly. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to breathe new life into old furniture and organise my clutter more sustainably.