Breathing New Life into Old Furniture

By Veronika's Blushing for GalTime.com

Giving new life to old furniture..
Giving new life to old furniture..

I'll never forget the day we were visiting my husband's parents' home and my mother in law casually mentioned that she was donating a hutch she had to charity.

I took a look at the piece--- It was a medium wood color, with very old-fashioned hardware and this weird brass grid that covered the cabinet's glass.

Despite the fact that the hutch didn't complement our current home décor and that I wasn't particularly drawn to it at first, I saw a glimmer of potential in it and asked if she would consider letting us have it.

Related: Redoing a Room? The Keys to a Realistic Design Plan

Maybe it wasn't the perfect piece for our home as-is, but with a fresh coat of black glossy paint and crystal hardware, I thought it may just be the perfect addition to our dining area.

My in laws were so sweet and had a professional refinish it for us, but it's certainly a project you can do yourseld---there are tons of great DIY blogs and YouTube videos that show how to refinish furniture, step by step.

The hutch is especially meaningful to us, since it belonged to my husband's late grandmother. It feels great to have a family heirloom in our home, with a modern twist! The piece is such a standout, that everyone who sees it in our home or on my blog asks about it (usually they ask where we got it, and we have a great story to tell!)

We love that it's both pretty and functional. Since we don't have much storage space in our kitchen, the hutch is the perfect way to display some of our glassware while leaving our kitchen cabinets free to store other essentials.

Related: Why Homes in Magazines Are a Joke

The Hutch
The Hutch

A lot of people (especially couples living together for the first time or newlyweds) have furniture in their homes that may not match their newer pieces or that may no longer fit into their décor style---but before you donate or toss something---think about how you can revamp the piece to fit into your existing home.

It could be as simple as staining the wood a darker color, painting the piece or swapping out the hardware. If you're really handy, you can even transform a piece you currently own into something completely new---like converting an old door into a desk for your office or entryway bench---the possibilities are limitless!

So, before you write-off a piece of furniture, give it a second look and see if you can make the piece work in your home. I know I'm glad we did. Here's our refinished hutch:

Have you ever refinished or repurposed old furniture? Share your ideas in the comments below!

-Veronika

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