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Rejuvenate Your Existing Furniture For a Whole New Look by Bonnie P. Carrier
When you begin looking to make Home Decorating changes, the first thing you may  want to do is replace your current furniture.
If your budget allows then by all mean go for it, there are some beautiful set available for every room in your home.
However, if brand new just doesn’t fit into your plans at the moment why not take a look at what you already have, maybe just updating is the answer.
This applies not only to your upholstered pieces such as sofas and chairs; it also includes wood items like tables, hutches or bookcases.
Slipcovers: One of the easiest ways to make upholstered pieces look brand new is with the use of Slipcovers.
Now this is different from reupholstering which involves removing the existing fabric completely and replacing it with something brand new, depending on the choice of fabric and the number of pieces this process can get a little pricey.
Slipcovers simply cover over what is already there, like putting on a coat. One of their great benefits is that they can be removed and tossed into the washer when needed, now isn’t that music to your ears.
They come in a multitude of colors and patterns, with a wide variety of styles, and can be purchased pretty much everywhere. Of course if your handy with a sewing machine, try making your own.
Another option is to use Furniture Throws, which unlike slipcovers just get put on loosely. Think of it like draping an extra large blanket over the piece. Like slipcover these also come in a variety of colors and patterns and are easy to maintain.
Wood Furniture: Let’s move on to other types of furniture and what type of updating can be done.
Wooden pieces such as tables, bookcases, hutches and chairs can be sanded and painted or re-stained.
Of course if the pieces happen to be family heirlooms or priceless antiques, you may just want to leave them as is.
But let’s assume for the moment that the pieces are store bought or hand me downs and it’s OK to doctor them up. Here’s a perfect opportunity to let your imagination just take over.
For example: A plain little two shelf side table, can be painted either a color to coordinate with something in the room or maybe your favorite color.
But don’t stop there, take it one step further by cutting out images from a piece of fabric or one of the many wallpaper borders available, gluing them onto the table in what ever pattern you like.
You now have a table that not only looks like new, but it’s also a one of a kind.
Oh, before I forget, you should sand the piece before you paint, this will remove any sealer that may have been applied. It’s also a good idea to first apply a coat of primer, this helps seal the wood and gives the new paint a good base to stick to.
If you don’t happen to have scrap fabric or wallpaper handy, pictures in magazines even old calendars will work just as well. Ordinary house hold glue (like Elmer’s) works just as well as decoupage glue.
Staining: Like the look of natural wood rather than paint? Then maybe all your pieces need is a new color stain.
Staining can be a little more time consuming and messy, but the end results are worth it. Just remember to sand the piece first, to remove any sealer that may have been applied.
Stains can be found in a number of different shades, they even have solid colors, you also can chose between liquid and gel.
So look around your home, with a little imagination and some elbow grease you can spruce up what you already have and make it look brand new, with out spending a lot.
About The Author: Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating - The Information Center. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a very spoiled Blue Merle Sheltie named Toby. www.savvy-home-decorating.com
This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article and author’s bio. is left intact including this notice. Copyright © 2008 bonnie carrier.
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