In the former USSR, high-quality furniture was made. The materials chosen were strong and durable. The motto then was “never demolish.” One problem is that they produced furniture of the same type and did not think about the color and design of the products.
So there are old book tables in houses, they don’t break, and they don’t add coziness to the interior. But there is no need to throw away a durable table, but it is worth transforming it according to the tips given below.
Decorative films
An easy, affordable way of restoration is to use decorative self-adhesive films. The range of colors is even difficult to express in numbers. Choosing a material suitable for the interior according to functional needs is not difficult. Manufacturers offer a wide range of furniture with abrasion-resistant surfaces. The cost of film for pasting a table will not even reach a thousand.
There will be no difficulties in gluing:
- on the back of the roll there are instructions for use and markings for even cutting out parts of the required size;
- they are glued to a completely dry surface, cut out with a margin;
- remove shipping paper in small sections;
- corners are sealed using a sponge and hair dryer
Acrylic paints
If your old table sadly looks at the world with chips and cracks, standard painting with acrylic paints will do. The work is quite labor intensive.
- Old varnish and paint must be thoroughly cleaned
- Sand the uneven surfaces with sandpaper or a grinder
- Damage to the surface should be repaired with wooden or polyester putty.
- After the patches have dried, sand again
- If the surface is well preserved, it is enough to cover it with stain and varnish.
- If not, prime and apply acrylic paint.
Lace technique
Treat the book-table as in the previous case, but apply the design using tulle curtains or curtains. For this:
- Dry the table, already painted with one color (base), thoroughly;
- secure the lace layer to the surface;
- for each part of the book-table top you need a new one, the tulle cannot be used a second time, it is thrown away;
- then use a sponge or spray can to apply a different color of paint over the first layer and base lace.
Decoupage
A book-table using the decoupage technique will bring a touch of romance to the interior, when delicate floral elements seem to be scattered on the table. Decoupage can be done at the priming stage, after repairing cracks and chips, or after painting with white or other light paint.
- Mark the proposed locations for placing images.
- Cut out the necessary elements from a paper napkin or special paper for decoupage.
- Place them face down in a flat vessel with water for 30 seconds.
- Place the soaked picture in the same position on a polyethylene file and roll up the unnecessary paper.
- Together with the file, lower the image to the selected location, the file on top.
- Carefully level and remove the file.
- After applying all the elements, if there was no painting, decorate with it.
- Acrylic varnish coating is the last stage.
Replacing with laminate
A home craftsman, having the tools and skill in working with wood, can easily replace old countertops with laminated ones. You should:
- measure and cut to size;
- buy an edge strip with a layer that melts when heated;
- carefully lay it along the edge of the parts and iron it.
Each of the methods can give new life to the good old tables. A little sanding, add some fresh paint, some inspiration, and a new design item adorns the interior. Good luck to you and your creative flight!
I did it with paints. Beautiful!
There is a way, good! throw it in the trash!
The best way to transform this old Soviet *** is to throw it in the trash and buy a new one.
For a simple dacha, decor with film will do.
It's better to throw it away and not bother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They took her to her daughter’s entrance. Now everyone who needs it is brought into the apartment for a while. Thank you. True, the table is practically new.
So you throw everything away, and then, for very little money, from what you threw away, they make it “as if” brand new and sell it at three prices, and you are happy to boast that you threw away the old one, and the designer made you something like this from your old one. “new” and it worked.
And that’s why you won’t have enough money because you like to throw away a lot, because now you answer in social surveys “your salary is small”
And for those without arms, just throw it away!!!
It was whoever damaged the second table. Tear off your hands
Before you throw away something you don't need, you need to buy something you don't need.
Remodeling and updating furniture has become a very enjoyable activity for me after retiring. About 5 years ago, during the renovation of an apartment, a secretary from a standard Soviet wall set fell apart. I don’t know how I came up with the idea to make a false fireplace out of this cabinet. In general, I sawed it, assembled it, connected it, made fireplace decor from the remnants of the ceiling moldings, painted it, and the next morning I was surprised at the beauty that it turned out to be. Then I made two frames for large mirrors, then repainted the coffee table, then converted two bookshelves under glass into racks with glass shelves for table lamps or fresh potted flowers. And now I’m getting ready to redo and repaint the wall (after all, it’s a lot of work). There’s no point in buying something new, they’ll throw it away after death anyway, but for myself I make beauty that everyone likes.
I will never, ever spoil my Soviet folding table, which was made beautifully and well. And I propose to throw those who spit on our past into the landfill.
The planet will soon suffocate from human-made garbage. And the forest? If you keep throwing everything away, you will wake up one day on a desert planet, or your children. This consumer society gives rise to some cynical, irresponsible people.
You can, of course, throw everything away, but now they sell disposable squalor made of chipboard and paper, which you put together once and that’s it.If something breaks or falls out, it’s difficult to repair it with meat. We can't afford real wooden furniture.
Old wooden furniture. I restore it. Of course it’s labor-intensive, but if you also use some ingenuity…….
Well done, ingenuity is good
This is a table-cabinet, not a table-book...
I've seen enough of the housing issue to become an expert
A very beautiful table with carved legs, and it was mercilessly defaced with paints. It would need to be cleaned and coated with wood oil.
And for those without arms, yes, just throw it away.
You had to ruin the vintage table with acrylic paints! Tear off your hands)
Yes, I personally would cover a vintage table with stain and varnish, and on top it just begs to be a chessboard, it would be much more interesting.
Why are they so aggressive, send them, try it yourself, it’s easy to be rude... but what can you do?
I looked at decoupage of old furniture on the Internet. It was done by 2 elderly women. Eye-catching. So everything works out well for them. And modern furniture is simply squalid. Take the sofas. Sit down with your feet near your chin. After 2 maximum 3 years they already become unusable. I've moved my wall 5 times and it still looks good. The son says let's throw out this sofa and buy a new one. No, just do whatever you want after me.
I liked it, I love reviving junk to look vintage
I’ve lived in America for many years and have been looking for a table like this for guests for about 10 years now. But no, not anywhere. They wanted to make it to order, but no one wants to - it’s labor-intensive and unprofitable. They don't want it even for good money.
Restore old furniture!!!! New furniture is assembled only once, if you want to move it, consider it all lost... Modern furniture is lying in the trash because the quality is crap!!!
It is best to remove the old varnish, polish with felt and coat with either linseed oil or new varnish.
It's easy to throw away. And if you have the desire, imagination and a little patience, you can make candy out of seemingly unnecessary things. Started a new life from scratch. I bought an apartment, and what was left in it was a tattered chair, a charred children's sofa and a collapsed sofa. The armchair and sofa were upholstered to match the interior style. I dismantled the sofa and made it out of a foam mattress, dividing it into three parts and sewing a cover on it to get a guest mattress for emergencies, as well as down for children. From the base of the folding part of the sofa and the backrest I made a headrest and a soft wall. I have a corner apartment, it came in very handy, now the street wall is not cold at night. To do this, I also changed the upholstery on the back of the sofa to match the interior style of the interior. The base of the sofa, from which I removed the mattress, was sealed with pieces of foam rubber from the armrests and also covered in the style of the interior, it turned out to be a soft corner, and in this corner I placed a book on the new sofa. True, it hardly folds up, but serves as a sofa. Old office chairs discarded at work were covered with the same upholstery. True, I haven’t gotten around to repainting the frame yet. So, after spending quite a bit of money, I have several new stylish things in my apartment. And whoever doesn’t know, thinks that all the furniture is new, and not the rubbish that belonged in the trash heap.
The table is compact and functional and will always come in handy.
Just look in stores at how much furniture costs now. In reality, now, if anyone knows how to restore old furniture, he’s a great guy, but those who want to throw it in the trash are very wasteful and uneconomical people, or very rich. Capitalism in our country has done its job, people have become less thrifty with things, because everything can be bought. But real millionaires are very thrifty, which is why they are very rich. And for those who know how to restore old furniture, great RESPECT!