These 5 Tips For Making Over Vintage Furniture will help ensure you are picking up the right pieces and making them over with success.
I love making over vintage furniture. It is the furniture I am always looking for when I am out hunting for pieces. Over the years, I have learned a lot about working with vintage furniture and what you should and shouldn’t pick up. This post will highlight the 5 main things to know and look out for when dealing with vintage pieces to makeover.
5 Tips For Making Over Vintage Furniture
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Not All Vintage Furniture Is Worth It
Not all vintage furniture is worth it. Just because you find a piece of vintage furniture at a great price doesn’t mean it is a good candidate for a makeover.
Vintage furniture is not like other furniture. It has a lot of character and charm. It always holds a story and is made of real wood. BUT, just because it is vintage doesn’t mean it is perfect to makeover. Some vintage pieces aren’t great for makeovers and knowing when to walk away from pieces is going to be your superpower. Trust me. I walk away from so many. Once you tap into this superpower of knowing what is worth it and what isn’t, you will ensure all your makeovers are the best options and will give you the best return and outcome in the end.
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Know The Repairs
Many vintage furniture pieces will need repairs. Here is a shortlist of things you may run into:
- drawers not working
- bottoms of drawers missing
- the drawers push into the dresser
- missing veneer
- missing hardware
- broken or missing wheels
- drawer fronts missing
- peeling veneer
Repairs are part of the game and knowing what you can and can’t fix is key to working with vintage furniture pieces.
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Not All Vintage Pieces Should Be Painted
If you run into a vintage piece of furniture that is in excellent condition, maybe it shouldn’t be painted. A makeover doesn’t have to mean paint. Many times, it consists of a good cleaning and maybe adding some salve or Restor-A-Finish to the wood to condition it. I have picked up many pieces like that.
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Keep The Integrity When You Can
Keep the integrity of the vintage piece when you can. Don’t add things or take things away from them if you don’t have to. If you are needing to repair it, try and stick with the same style, wood, and age of the piece.
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Original OR Vintage Hardware
If you come across a piece that still has all the original hardware, celebrate. When you find vintage pieces, a lot of times the hardware has been changed or is missing. Finding a vintage piece of furniture with the original hardware is like finding gold. If you have to replace the hardware, try and find hardware from the time of the piece or at least a good dupe.
I hope these 5 tips for making over vintage furniture are helpful. They are all things I wish I knew when I first started flipping furniture. I love working with vintage furniture and knowing which pieces are worth picking up makes a world of difference.
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Do You Want To Make Money Flipping Furniture?
After twenty years of doing this, I am still picking up pieces when I can find them because I love the creative outlet, but I am now coaching other furniture flippers on how to make more money in their business. If you are someone who is looking to start and/or grow a furniture flipping business, I would love to help you. There are ways to make money in your business beyond painting a piece of furniture. Once I learned that, my business flourished. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it out on your own.
To help other flippers, I created The Furniture Flipping Academy! The academy includes everything you need to start, grow, and/or scale a furniture flipping business. It includes courses, resources, templates, social media planner and guide, a private community, and so much more. It will ensure that you are doing the steps that will lead to success and not wasting your time on things that won’t.
You can find all the information about the Furniture Flipping Academy HERE.
Let’s get your business started and/or moving in the right direction. The Furniture Flipping Academy is for any flipper, from beginner to experienced. If your business is stagnant, there is a reason for that. Let me help you grow it into a flipping career that is profitable and fits the lifestyle you want to live.
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