Give a new life to old furniture: 12 ideas to give furniture units a captivating look

Raise your hand if you have an old piece of furniture at home that you just can't get rid of - for emotional, practical or economic reasons. We keep these items laying around and never find the will to take them to a landfill. And if they still perform their functions properly, why throw them away anyway?

So, in these cases, just get a few simple tools, a little paint and a good dose of willpower and elbow grease to restore these items of furniture. Here's 12 great ideas to inspire you:

1. From an old dresser to a stunning chest of drawers

A coat of blue paint on the structure and drawers, gold on the handles and a varnishing on the top to hide any scratches: this old dresser immediately becomes a focal point for any room. It can be used to store dishes and crockery, documents, books, tablecloths and anything else you want.

2. An old desk

Do you have your father's old desk in the garage but it seems too heavy, bulky and austere for your children? Or maybe it seems too worn out? Try repainting in lighter and more cheerful colors such as white, blue or green. You will lighten the overall look and your children will love it.

3. A coffee table

Sometimes, all it takes is a coat of paint, a few wooden planks and a hammer with a few nails to make a old coffee table more interesting and save it from the trash.

4. A dining table

Have you moved homes and spent all your kitchen budget? Don't worry, you will be sure to find an ugly, old table with its chairs. Refresh them with a coat of paint, and your kitchen will be transformed!

5. Old chairs made as good as new

Chairs are amongst the furnishing accessories which are the most popular for creative projects: in addition to repainting them in bright colors, we can also age them artificiallly or add decorations with découpage. And the seat or back can be made more comfortable with the addition of a cushion.

6. From an old cupboard to a coffee corner

Nowadays, sideboards have be sidelined by more modern and functional wall units and kitchen furniture. But who said that an old sidboard cannot find its place in the house - perhaps as a coffee corner? Just give it a coat of paint, add some shelves, screw in a few hooks, take off a few doors, and that's it: a new and wonderful piece of furniture!

7. From chest of drawers to sofa

An old, unusable chest of drawers can get another life, rather than being trashed: for example, with a little effort, it can become a comfortable sofa. Practical and versatile, you can decide whether to make it an indoors or outdoors item.

8. Bathroom units

In just a few simple steps, a chest of drawers can become a piece of furniture for your new bathroom.

9. A kitchen island

If your bathroom is already furnished, or if you don't feel like it, or you lack the tools to cut top to insert the sink, you can always fall back on the kitchen. If there is enough space, treating yourself to the luxury of having a central island is a great idea. Here's what an old chest of drawers can become!

10. Bedside tables

What do we do with old bedside tables? If throwing them away seems like a travesty, we can reuse them in the children's rooms. Again, just a bit of paint and creativity are enough.

11. From an old bed to a bench

Old, bulky beds of the past have become white elephants, in most cases. So why not recycle them and use them on your terrace or in the garden? There could be converted into wonderful benches to relax on!

12. Cabinets and wall units

Finally, if you want to remove the worn-out look from your furniture without making major changes, you can simply repaint the units. Whether in the bedroom, the kitchen or the living room, an old-fashioned wardrobe immediately regains its vitality with a new coat of paint: choose pastel tones and light colors - you will see what a beautiful effect it has!