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Old Furniture Made New – Modernizing The Dining Room

Old furniture made new can really give a room a great refresh. Take it slow and update your home one piece at a time. Here is how one piece can make a room much more modern!

old furniture made new - modern coastal dining room

 

Since updating the kitchen at the Miami home with my new quartz countertops (see more HERE) and the marble backsplash (see that HERE) I’ve had a few design thoughts and taking it slow. The kitchen is finished for now and I’m working on updating the dining room in our open concept layout.

old furniture made new - coastal white kitchen

The chandelier was changed out (more in this post) giving the room a modern tropical vibe. It’s just a cleaner appeal and you know how one thing often leads to another in decorating a home! I had been wanting to change out the dining room buffet for quite awhile and just never found the right piece. As you might know if you’ve followed me for awhile, I do work with brands…but honestly nothing jumped out at me in terms of what they had. I was thinking vintage…to replace the vintage buffet (below) that I had grown tired of.

palm tree leave decorating

There is a certain thrift store that I frequent when up at our beach home. I walked in one day to find what I thought was a diamond in the rough in excellent condition! My husband was with me that day and after lots of eye rolling we just left empty handed. But I couldn’t sleep that night and was thinking about old furniture made new. Living in Miami I’ve always had a thing for wicker, rattan, bamboo…and I just had to have this one.

dresser in truck

I posted a photo on Facebook and a vintage dealer buddy told me that it was Henry Link Bali Hai. The next morning I waited for the thrift store to open and grabbed that baby for a great price! We put it in the back of the truck and headed back to Miami the next day, praying for no rain. I loved the dresser but not the finish, and didn’t want it to be the focal point of the room…so I went with white. Here are a few tips about how I gave the dresser a white lacquer finish, without using anything too harsh.

old furniture made new - henry link bali hai modern white lacquer dresser

Old Furniture Made New – White Lacquer Finish Look

  • When painting a dresser remove all of the drawers and hardware
  • Lightly sand down the exterior surfaces and wipe off with a tack cloth.
  • I have painted lots of furniture over the years and it depends on the finish that I want to achieve as to what paint I use. In this case, I wanted a white lacquer look without the messy, tedious and stinky process.
  • If spraying furniture (as I did) be sure to set up outside or in a well ventilated garage. Lay out a dropcloth, protect your hands with gloves and wear a mask!
  • I applied 2 coats of THIS primer/paint combination…allowing to dry in-between coats.
  • For a final coat I sprayed THIS sealer and allowed to dry. Everything dries quickly in the Florida sun, so I was able to do this project in a couple of hours.
  • I sprayed the handles gold for a modern look and used THIS paint. I have to be completely honest as usual and let you know that I’m not 100% satisfied with the gold. Depending on what you paint, gold spray paint (and craft paint) may look unrealistic so I’m going to give it a coat of THIS.

old furniture made new - vintage white lacquer buffet

One thing leads to another and I just purchased a mirror that I have been jonesing for and was at 20% off this weekend. Can’t wait to share that with you soon!

I’m super happy with this old furniture made new project and I think it shows how a small change makes a huge difference! Do you have any rooms that you’d like to update? Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions…I’m happy to help.

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old furniture made new

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11 Comments

  1. I love your dining chairs. Where are they from? I’ve seen many in other colors and finishes, but yours are the finish I’ve been searching for. Love your decorating!

    1. Thanks Barb! I worked with Kirklands last year and they sent me the chairs. Not sure if they still carry them, but maybe in your local store they could tell you.

  2. Odessa Graham says:

    You did a great job on that dresser/buffet, and I am sure there are others besides me who are now going to be on the search for a reasonable facsimile. The white lacquer was the perfect choice for it!

    1. Thank you so much Odessa…I’m always happy to inspire others!

  3. MARGARET jones says:

    The room looks amazing so light and bright and original ,just by painting adding flowers ,lighting and art work good job

    MARGARET

    1. Thanks Margaret…flowers alone make a huge difference!

  4. Hi Janet! I love how you made over the buffet!! That is gorgeous! I’m excited to see the mirror!! I’m embarking on painting my front door and my cabinets!! I’m very excited that my hubby has agreed! It’s funny that they need a little persuasion and we’re ready to jump on board!! ???

    1. Hubbies can be clueless for sure Babette. Mine does lots of eye rolling, LOL!

  5. Claudia Carpenter says:

    I have been following you for many years. It all started after I purchased one of you unique Tea pot, tea cup chandeliers. Which I still get wonderful comments on. The buffet came out amazing but you are right the gold hardware needs some tweaking. In the photos the color really looks off. I love the mirror you already have above the buffet. I guess I’m still loving my shabby chic. If you are getting rid of it I would be interested in it. I will be in Florida for 3 weeks in October, let me know.

    1. Hi Claudia…sorry it took me a bit to get back to you. I most likely will be selling that white mirror, yes! Please contact me at [email protected] and we can discuss it. Thank you…Janet

  6. I love that mirror. Did you make it. And if so, is there a tutorial? I want to steal this idea. Love the dining room.