Furnishing or Upgrading Your Home? Buy These Pieces of Furniture First

How important is furniture? Historical records can pinpoint humans during the Neolithic Period (between 5,500 and 2,500 B.C) using wood and stone furnishings in their homes. Fast forward to today, where picking the right furniture plays a vital role in making a house feel like a home.

Is it time to refurbish or upgrade your home? If so, put your furniture first! Picking out new furniture or redesigning existing appliances can make your home feel as if it’s straight out of an IKEA catalog.

Keep reading to get the most out of our furniture upgrade guide.

Furniture First: Questions to Ask When Upgrading Your Home

When you’re updating your home’s furniture, ask yourself three essential questions:

• What furniture do I need to function?
• Can any of my current furniture be redesigned or refurbished?
• How can I update my furniture while sticking to my budget?

By answering these questions, you can update your furniture and determine the best places to buy new home items without hurting your savings account.

What Furniture Do I Need?

When it comes to buying furniture, start with the essentials. Ask yourself what your home absolutely needs for you to live in it. Keep in mind that function comes first.

Answer basic questions regarding the furniture in your home, such as:

• Where will I sleep?
• Where can I sit?
• How can I cook?
• Where can I eat?
• Do I have places for storage?

Eating, sleeping, and storage are top priorities when it comes to furnishing your apartment. Once you have the basic elements covered, you can move from functional furniture to fun furniture.

Can I Repurpose or Redesign Anything?

Before you dip into your savings to afford fresh furniture, ask yourself if you can repurpose anything in your current selection. If you’re tired of your old furniture, adding creative elements can be just as rewarding as buying brand new items.

Redesign your old furniture through decoupage, staining, and painting. Or, get creative and repurpose existing furniture to make it feel like you’re living in a brand new home.

1. Try Decoupage

While decoupage might be a mouthful, it’s a simple concept. Decoupage derives from the French word “decouper,” which translates to cut out or to cut from. Decoupage involves applying paper cutouts on your existing furniture. First, layer several pieces of paper on top of one another. Use double-sided tape to raise the flat surfaces. If you want to get creative, try cutting and layering different elements to create an image.

Using decoupage to decorate old furniture is one of its most popular uses. It doesn’t cost a lot of money or take up too much time. In a few minutes, you can completely change your furniture’s appearance. A successful decoupage session makes it feel as if you’ve updated your entire living room, even though you didn’t buy a single new piece of furniture.

2. Stain Old Furniture

Staining allows an aging piece of furniture to get its shine back. Staining is best applied to wooden furniture. You can pick out your favorite color to make the wood appear newer, richer, and even more expensive. Stain multiple pieces of furniture to give your home a harmonious feel. Before you get to staining, prepare your wood by sanding it down. Once the wood is ready, brush on the stain of your choice using an old rag, sponge, or brush. Finish off with a layer of finishing coat to protect the wood and voilà! Your old wooden furniture will look so sharp, you’ll forget it’s not new.

3. Freshen the Paint

Painting makes it easy to redesign old pieces of furniture. Whether you want to touch up blemishes or get creative with unique designs, a fresh coat of paint does wonder for aging furniture. If you’re looking for something simple, yet chic, black and gold is the perfect combination. Various shades of blue are ideal for bedroom furniture, especially when combined with a soft grey. For tables and desks, you can never go wrong with a pale green and grey combo.

Simple paint jobs can cover cracks, chips, and any other injuries your furniture has suffered over the years. If you want to go for a completely new look, start with repainting your furniture with one solid color. Once the first coat of paint dries, add little pops of color using fine-point brushes to take your furniture from drab to fab.

4. Don’t Throw Your Furniture Away

Before you chuck out an old piece of furniture, ask yourself if it can be repurposed. Coming up with creative new ideas for your existing furniture allows you to redesign your home without spending a dime. When placed in the right spot, an old step ladder transforms into a beautiful shelf that’s perfect for books or a potted plant.

An old and battered antique trunk forms the perfect coffee or end table. Plus, it creates another area for storing blankets or miscellaneous supplies. Or if you’re looking to decorate your exterior, fill the center of an old coffee table with sod and plant a small garden. Not only is the refurbished coffee table aesthetic, but it also creates the perfect place to put your feet up while lounging outside.

How Can I Buy New Furniture on My Budget?

If the current furniture in your home is beyond repair, then it’s time to go treasure hunting. Before you blow your savings on brand-name home items, make sure you shop smart. Check local flea markets, garage sales, or Facebook Marketplace to browse second-hand furniture.

If you’re looking for something new while sticking to your budget, online retailers like this furniture warehouse offer amazing deals so you can refurnish without breaking your bank.

Is It Time to Upgrade Your Home’s Furniture?

When it comes to sprucing up your home, it’s furniture first! Whether you’re looking to redesign your entire layout with some fresh new items or want to test your creativity by refurbishing old appliances, there are millions of ways you can redesign your home.

If you’re looking for more creative ways to update your home’s aesthetics, check out our blog. From kitchen design ideas to the benefits of going solar in your home, we have a plethora of home improvement topics to guide you.