Spread the love

Just because an item’s old doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Often, all it needs is a bit of elbow grease and TLC to make it shine again. When you uncover old furniture in the attic or come across a rare antique find while secondhand shopping, you can make it come back to life with a bit of ingenuity.

Our team at Bored Panda is featuring some of the most creative furniture flipping and makeover projects, as shared by the talented members of a few popular online communities. Scroll down to check out the cool photos and to get some incredible inspiration for your next big creative project.

#1 A Fun Little Flip For A Fun Little Corner

Image credits: sharkdanko1

#2 One Of My Favorite Pieces We Have Done

Image credits: Igotik

#3 I Want Some Praise LOL

Image credits: Ok-Reply7282

If you’re new to furniture restoration, flipping, painting, makeovers, upcycling, and the like, don’t worry. We’re all bad at doing new things at the very start. But the more practice you get, the better you become.

You can learn more quickly if you also combine this with proper research (books, articles, online tutorials, etc.), a big dollop of online inspiration, and a growth-oriented mindset.

#4 Goodwill MCM Dresser Makeover

I picked up this MCM dresser at my local Goodwill for 29.00. Other than typical wear and tear damage- scratches, chipped veneer and a failed finish- this dresser was in pretty good shape. I really wanted to restore it to its original glory, but I was stumped by the laminate top. It was faded in color and there is really no way to correct that issue. I knew that it would totally clash with the beautiful refinished walnut, so what could I do? As much as I wanted to keep things as OG as possible, I quickly, and somewhat sadly, realized that there would have to be paint involved. I restored most of the wood and painted the top, some trim and the base. What would you have done?

Image credits: TlyTlymama

#5 My Daughter Wanted A Sleeping Beauty Dresser

Image credits: Fox_hunt_1980

#6 The Neighbors Trashed Their Side Table And It’s Now The Perfect Accent

Image credits: Upbeat-Cupcake2963

If you see your mistakes as opportunities to grow and improve, you’re going to have a much better time than if you let your perfectionism get the better of you. It’s inevitable that you’ll fail again (and again… and again) while you hone your restoration skills. This is something that you need to accept, no matter what new skill you’re learning.

Keep going for long enough and, at some point, things will click and you’ll feel proud of your accomplishments. However, you don’t need to be a grandmaster-level pro to feel good about your progress.

#7 Favorite Piece So Far!

Image credits: TlyTlymama

#8 Before And After Of A Table I Did Not Too Long Ago That I Am Proud Of

Got it from a thrift store. repainted it, pressed some flowers and got a piece of glass custom made to keep it all pretty💗 a lil rough but it was my first time so I’m learning to work with my vision! 🙂

Image credits: babykyyyo

#9 Trashed End Tables Get A Blowup

Image credits: TlyTlymama

It’s a massive boon to feel supported by someone. So, think about joining a few online communities dedicated to furniture restoration, secondhand finds, or whatever other new hobby you’ve picked up.

Share your works-in-progress. Ask for feedback and tips. Genuinely engage with other people and show them that you’re curious about them and the hobby itself.

#10 Just Finished This! Very Happy With The Result

Image credits: Amenra138

#11 Flipped This Solid Wood Dresser From Goodwill Into A Vanity For Our Bathroom!

Image credits: courtneyrel

#12 Birthday Gift Small Refinish ❤️

Image credits: 2sad2process

As per The New York Times, you actually may not need much to, for example, restore an old desk.

A “thorough wipe-down, a few touch-ups with stain, and a bit of wax to restore the original luster” may be more than enough. You don’t necessarily need to be particularly skilled. Nor do you need any super-specialized tools. What you do need, though, is time and patience!

#13 Flip I Put Together With Some Spare Paint And Bits Lying Around

Image credits: bananabandanas

#14 Found On Facebook Marketplace For $15 And Refurbished As A Nightstand

Image credits: trevorl56

#15 Before And After Of My Grandmother’s Vintage Patio Sets!

Before was AWFUL. At least 25+ years of neglect. My parents kept them but they had been exposed to the elements for so, so, so long even after getting them. And then they were just left on my dad’s porch like skeleton decor after they separated. Moved back home and decided it was time to save them.

They are covered in Rust-Oleum primer and it was multiple coats before the rust quit eating through. Once I knew that was good, I hand painted (never again) the glider and chairs set then spray painted the clam sets. (Tried to match the colors my parents like or this would have been a harvest/fall color vibe set.)

Very happy with the results. It’s been a few months but they still feel like new and are the star of the porch.

Image credits: MafiaMommaBruno

According to The New York Times, there are four main stages to furniture restoration. These are:

Cleaning, using microfiber towels, a putty knife, and a dental scraper or sharp stick
Repairing, with wood filler, etc.
Recoloring, using stain pens and dyes
Refinishing, with sandpaper and wood conditioner

#16 My Wife Has Had This Desk Since She Was A Kid. I Made It My Self-Isolation Project

Image credits: Georgiegoodboy

#17 Spinning Library Table!

Image credits: mg2093

#18 Old General Electric Am Radio Cabinet

Image credits: Justin-Truedat

“In fact, if there’s one lesson to keep top of mind during any restoration project, it’s that going too far is the fatal mistake. Old furniture is beautiful because it shows its age. Tabletops fade to gold in the sun. Chair arms darken where hands have touched them. My desk was originally a uniform amber tone; its rich patina came from decades of service in New York classrooms,” Tim Heffernan writes.

#19 How’d I Do On My First Real Flip?

Image credits: DefectiveOblation

#20 Loving The Green!

Image credits: ooblada

#21 Before And After Of My Latest Flip

Image credits: FootParmesan

Heffernan warns that doing too much can take away what makes your piece of furniture so uniquely wonderful in the first place.

“So I didn’t try to make the finish uniform again. I just harmonized its elements by hiding splotches and stains that jarred the eye. I think of it like tuning a piano: You’re not making the keys sound alike. You’re getting them to play together.”

#22 My First Flip

Image credits: GuiltyAd1498

#23 My Favorite Before And After Flip I’ve Done!

Image credits: aap1997

#24 First Attempt At A Flip!

I didn’t quite understand what I was getting into with a dresser covered in old chipped veneer, but this was a fun project and was able to learn some new skills.

Image credits: Ludwigfan97

Broadly speaking, you want to avoid using oil soap to clean your furniture. That’s because it can leave a greasy-looking residue. What’s more, some aerosols can leave a silicone residue as well. Keep things simple. Use a dry rag, followed by a damp one, to thoroughly remove the dirt from your piece of furniture. Use a knife to remove things like paint drips, sticky tape, or wax. Meanwhile, a dental scraper makes it much easier to get all the dirt out of the cracks and holes.

#25 Desk Flip!

Image credits: purpmom

#26 Puppy Supply Station

So far, I have only done pieces for myself and not to sell…probably a good thing as I made a few mistakes on this one. I think I’m just about ready to try doing a piece to sell, though.

Started with a $20 solid wood cupboard from Marketplace, repainted light grey and dark grey (looks black and white in the pic). Replaced hardware and added matching hooks on the side for leashes and other gear. Finished it off with a silicone mat to protect the top.

The wallpaper on the door and drawer faces was a last-minute addition, I didn’t sand them enough and after painting, a ton of dings and gouges were evident. I’m happy the way it turned out, though!

Image credits: hugh_jass_719

#27 My First Flip!

Image credits: Mumbla

If you need to repair the wood, use some filler. As for recoloring the item, you can use stain pens to hide scratches and recreate wood grain patterns and the like. Finish things up with a coat of wood conditioner to give your furniture a protective layer that shines. That’s the general gist of it.

#28 Purchased A Rusty Plant Stand At An Estate Sale Last Year And Gave It A Proper Glow Up

Image credits: Whalley-07

#29 Repurposed Dresser For My Daughter

Image credits: NoNecessary3869

#30 Jewelry Armoire Makeover

Image credits: TlyTlymama

Which of these before-and-after pics impressed you the most? Which of these pieces of furniture would you love to bring into your own home, Pandas? Have you ever restored, refurbished, or refinished something before? How did that go?

What’s the coolest secondhand item you’ve recently found? We’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

#31 Uncovering That Beauty Hiding Within

Image credits: DavyCrockPot19

#32 Some Pieces I Made

Image credits: wearemakinmovies

#33 My First Flip

My parents recently retired and moved into my grandparents condo in Florida which has looked exactly the same since the early 80’s. I was inspired and itching to do something creative last time I was visiting. This project took all week but I am really happy with the final product. I might paint the hardware on the doors gold next time I go down. I also painted the inside and lined the two shelves to match the top. It needs a second coat thought. What I envisioned in my head, worked!

Image credits: tankgirl45

#34 Finally Finished!

It took a few weeks but I finally finished painting and sealed it. I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Image credits: Ill_Pepercat

#35 Previous Flip I Done Did

Image credits: isthisforsale

#36 First Attempt At A Table

Had this old cheap farmhouse table that was so ugly after many years. Even the mismatched chairs couldn’t help distract. Found a little inspiration and some “Ooops paint” samples for $1/each and crossed my fingers. I used clamps to hold a board straight and gouged out indents, like it wasn’t one solid piece. Added some calcium carbonate to the paint, I had on hand (cheap DIY chalk paint) to go over the glossy finish, with zero sanding. Sanding only came after the desire to give a “distressed look” and less circus 🎪. Last photo is the finish after a couple years. It’s holding up well and shockingly I think works with the weird eclectic vibe of furniture collected by chance.

Image credits: Monkey4life-80

#37 Here’s A Before And After Of A Vintage Drysink I Flipped Into A Potting Bench

Image credits: TlyTlymama

#38 Linen Closet Converted To Sewing Corner

Image credits: The_Lobstercat

#39 Any Edgar Allen Poe Fans?

So I LOVE to read and a lot of the pieces I paint are themed after my favorite books, authors, or short stories. Sorry, I don’t have a before picture, I did them a while ago.

Image credits: Fox_hunt_1980

#40 Updated A Piece From My Late Grandmother. Wish She Could See It In Our House Being Loved

This took months and I may get hate for painting it, but I’m no professional & this looks so much better in our house vs a landfill.

Image credits: dejavu1251

#41 When My Nanna Died No One Wanted Her Bedside Table, Now They Are Suddenly Interested

Image credits: rodgeramjit

#42 One Of My Favorite Restorations I’ve Done

Image credits: cdev12399

#43 $3 At The Thrift Store: Before And After

Image credits: sassubear

#44 Saved This Beauty From The Trash Can

Image credits: Amenra138

#45 It Took 3 Months And A Few Shed Tears, But I Finally Finished Restoring This Huge Swivel Coffee Table

When I spotted this massive 80s-ish swivel coffee table for $40 at ReStore, I really had to convince my spouse that I had a vision, and promised that it would look wicked cool. We were about to move into a much bigger house with a large living room, and I knew this would be awesome in the space. I always dreamed of having a house with a conversation pit-style living room, so this was just the funky piece I needed.

The paint job was yellowed, scratched up, and fairly ugly. I spent a few weeks mulling over a colorblock style with a different rich color on each of the three major pieces, but landed on a simple off white.

We sanded it all down and disassembled the whole piece. The biggest surprise was discovering that the table was so heavy because it’s FULL of like 50lbs of sand in the base. We picked out Rust-Oleum Heirloom White spray paint and went to town. If I was going to do this again, I would definitely get rollout paint and not use spray paint. It took a long time to get it smooth and full covered.

A big point of distress was when we went to spray the clear gloss coat. I’d let the color paint dry for 3 weeks, and when I sprayed the gloss, the entire color layer had a bad reaction and shriveled up. This was the source of some major tears, but I sanded the top layer down again and did another layer of color to fix it.

I waited a month to figure out what kind of top coat to pivot to, and ended up going with a high class polyurethane. This was super easy and a way better choice. It took about 2 days to do 4 layers.

Putting the table back together was awesome and filling it back up with sand was a relief. I did cry again at this point out of sheer elation at how amazing it looked, and the fact that it was exactly how I had envisioned. This was such a hard project labor-wise, and I feel super fulfilled and validated by the result.

We finished it the night before our housewarming party and we got so many compliments on it. It’s a wild statement piece and looks really unique in the space. It almost looks like, gravitationally impossible, it seriously rules.

This is my favorite piece I own now. My friend got me a huge decorative vintage ashtray to complete the vibe, and it looks perfect! I am so stoked on it and hope y’all like it!

Image credits: HorseGirl666

#46 Chair Restoration

Image credits: sandpapergal

#47 Restored This Beauty Back To Its Glory. It’s Now A Staple In Our House

Image credits: Skyewanderers

#48 Before & After: Mcm Hutch From Fb Marketplace

Image credits: WeilaArt

#49 Old Chair I Found And Restored

Image credits: our_past

#50 Repainted! $15 For The Dresser

Image credits: ooblada

#51 Some Furniture Flips I’ve Done!

Image credits: Key-Rock-5415

#52 This One Was Fun To Do!

Image credits: Conscious_Sport_1038

#53 Before And After My First Flip!

Image credits: Sensitive_Study2411

#54 Saved This From The Landfill

My daughter was throwing this away because the drawer slides were warn down. I replaced the drawer slides gave it a new paint and hardware. I think it looks super in its new home.

Image credits: Sufficient-Gate2793

#55 Refurbished This Dresser

Image credits: Its_migi

#56 My First Ever Flip

Image credits: Sensitive_Basis3963

#57 First Flip! What Do You Think It’s Worth?

Image credits: skettiD

#58 First Project!

Image credits: Responsible-Region27

#59 First Flip ~ I Am Now Addicted

Image credits: Feisty-Context-5807

#60 Gossip Bench

Image credits: SusanSickles

#61 Facelift For A Lane Acclaim Guitar Pick Table! ❤️

Image credits: Marvel-ous_gal311

#62 Second Flip

Image credits: Sure_Arugula_8081

#63 First Flip

This is an old dresser I found at my local thrift store for $20! I had to have it for that price! It had veneer that was peeling all over and was in pretty rough condition overall. I haven’t done any kind of restoration like this before so it was a big learning experience and a lot of research, but I’m really happy with how it turned out and I thought I’d share it here.

Image credits: hry113

#64 Art Deco Vanity Makeover

Image credits: Ok_Flight4544

#65 First Attempted Flip, What Do You Think?

Image credits: G-Weaver

#66 Before And After. First Flip 👍

Image credits: Old-Froyo-131

#67 First Flip! What Would You Value This At?

Image credits: Abbs_2319

#68 Recent Flippy, What Yall Think?

Image credits: isthisforsale

#69 Hey! New Here But Wanted To Post A Piece I Finished Recently. It’s An Old 70s Thomasville Armoire :)! Here Are Some Of The Before And Afters

I am by no means a professional so hopefully you guys don’t see too many mistakes haha… this was my first “restoration”. The piece had a wood finish originally, but when I found it, it was white washed and stressed to look farmhouse/country. I personally don’t care for this look. I chose this color to make the beautiful hardware really pop.

Image credits: Miserable-Lion8836

#70 What I Did With All The Advise I Got- Before & After

Image credits: Round-Growth-6695

#71 10.00 Goodwill Find!

Image credits: TlyTlymama

#72 Before And After ❤️

Image credits: 2sad2process

#73 First Flip!

Image credits: soulshine_walker3498

#74 Vintage 1940s* Desk Is Finally Finished!🥰

Image credits: Outside_Local_6075

#75 Restored This Table Found In Our Recently Purchased 1922 House!

Image credits: lithigos

#76 Thanks For The Help Everyone! First Time Working With Furniture

Image credits: Athejia

#77 A Little Upgrade

My granddaughters asked me to fix their broken down dresser and add a little splash to their room. They loved what i did for them. Its fun to be a Nana.