Chest restoration

Don’t rush to throw away an old chest you find somewhere in the attic. Besides the fact that it probably has value for your grandmother or for you as a memory of bygone times, you can also find practical use for it. It’s easy to restore the chest yourself, so you don’t have to spend extra money on professional help, and it will also help you lift your spirits and become confident in your own capabilities.

How to restore an old chest

There are several options for how you can restore an old chest yourself. Each of them has its own characteristics, which should be taken into account before choosing, so that the resulting item is ideal for you.

From an unsightly old chest you can create a real home decoration that will please the eye and, moreover, will be not only beautiful, but also a useful decorative element. You can put unnecessary things in it, for example, seasonal outerwear that takes up too much space in the closet. So, the easiest option would be to preserve the original drawing, complementing it and making it brighter. But if you don’t like the design of the old chest, then you’ll have to work a little longer to decorate it with a new one.An interesting solution would be to decorate the item with decoupage - by gluing various pieces of fabric. Some craftsmen turn the chest into a cute bedside table that can be placed in any place that its dimensions allow. Thus, by starting to restore a chest, you can get a useful, beautiful, and also original item, spending a little time and without using a large amount of additional materials.

Restoration of a chest in vintage style

One of the most optimal and attractive options would be the restoration of a chest in vintage style. Recently, the fashion for the return of this style to various areas of culture and everyday life has only intensified, which means that you will have a stylish thing made with your own hands.

What will you need

In order to do this job, you will need:

• old chest;
• acrylic paint of different colors;
• acrylic primer and putty;
• drawing template;
• hole puncher;
• synthetic brushes;
• masking tape;
• cardboard;
• paints;
• transfer paper;
• craquelure varnish;
• oil varnish.

Algorithm of actions

The first thing you have to do is wash the item, because it probably hasn’t been used for a long time. But it is worth considering that any wooden surfaces cannot withstand excessive exposure to water, so you should be careful not to damage the chest. It is best to lightly wipe it with a damp cloth. After this comes the turn of putty and primer. It is important to bring the surface to complete smoothness, so that further decoration would be more convenient, and as a result, the chest would look more beautiful and neat. This is done using sandpaper.Then comes the turn of the acrylic primer - wait for it to dry completely and seal the handles and corners of the chest with masking tape. You need to apply craquelure varnish to the surface - this is done in order to visually age the item, giving it a great resemblance to the chosen style.

IMPORTANT! Please note that you must apply paint on top, in our case it is white, so that a network of cracks will subsequently appear, which will create the desired effect.

The next step is to apply the design using a stencil or tracing paper. The outline of the roses should be transferred to the chest with gold paint, and then left to dry. The roses themselves will be made in pink, and for greater artistry, you can shade the petals with a slightly lighter shade. It is also advisable to cover the golden outline with craquelure varnish, so the design will look more impressive. After this, you can start making corners. They should be covered with green paint mixed with putty.

Restoration of a chest in the Old Russian style

There is another option for those who want to engage in useful and interesting creativity related to the restoration of an old unnecessary chest. By completing it in the ancient Russian style, you will receive an incredibly interesting and entertaining piece of decor for your home, and will also learn more about the history of your native country. In Rus', such chests were used to store the most valuable things - gold or a dowry for a noble maiden who would soon be married off.

What will you need

In order to join ancient Russian culture in this way, you will need:

• PVA glue;
• nails;
• parquet varnish;
• curly handles with overlays;
• water stain;
• belts;
• leather;
• self-tapping screws;
• textile;
• hammer;
• brush;
• furniture stapler;
• drill;
• screwdriver.

Surely, these materials will be found in everyone’s home, and therefore you won’t have to spend money on buying something else, thus, you will kill two birds with one stone, without spending extra money, but by acquiring a wonderful, and most importantly, necessary thing for the household.

Algorithm of actions

In this case, you should also start by washing off the old dust and dirt from the item, after which you need to go through it with a drill with a special attachment, removing the old varnish and any other coatings along with the layer of wood. Thus, the surface should become as smooth as possible. The next coating will be water stain. You need to wait for it to dry completely. Then you need to apply a layer of brown varnish to the walls, paying special attention to the protruding elements. It is best to apply several layers so that the coating is more reliable and there are no unsightly bald spots.

The last step is to make the decorations. Several pieces of triangular and rectangular shapes should be cut out of leather to cover corners and corner walls. Thus, the chest will look more impressive and interesting. Leather strips must be secured with nails.

Furniture handle trims can be screwed to the chest if desired, painted brown. You can also staple the straps that will hold the lid, which will make using the item even more comfortable.

Now you know how to restore a chest in various styles at home yourself and what you will need for this. To get inspired and update your chest, look at the photo.