It was a bittersweet moment when you suddenly realized that your formerly fashionable cherry wood furniture has in no time turned “vintage”.
Think about the situation when you are taken aback by the image of your hairstyle since high school looking at yourself in the mirror.
Cheer up! there is still a way to turn that cherry wood into fab from drab.
Today, we take a closer look at how to modernize such once-charming items without changing their real nature. Let’s begin!
Modernizing Cherry Wood Furniture: Here’s Your Battle Plan
Before rolling up your sleeves, decide on your strategy. Do you want to paint, change some hardware, or go for complete staining? Here’s what you need:
- Switching Out Old Hardware: It’s like getting an instant facelift without going under the knife.
- Throw Some Paint On Feel up for total transformation. Get hold of a brush.
- Strip and Stain: Some prefer things to stay the same but be refreshed.
What path will you take? Painting makes it look totally different. Can hardware swapping do any good at all?
And what if stripping and staining is something that interests you…?
Let’s Break It Down: Modernizing Your Cherry Wood Furniture
Changing a piece of furniture into a work of art can be as satisfying as discovering twenty bucks in your coat pocket left over from winter.
Yes, it takes hard work—but just wait till you see it!
Step 1: Change the Hardware
Think of hardware as jewelry for your furniture. While they won’t completely mask its cherry wood appeal, they’ll certainly make it trendy enough for this millennium.
If those brassy gold handles scream 1990s and nothing more than that, then replace them immediately! Go black. Black is like one-color-fits-all but let us think further.
- Looking at Other Hardware Options:
Although black may be classic and forever nice, there are times when we want to be bold. The cherry can easily pop if silver is introduced as its hero – modern, sleek, and edgy.
Alternatively, choose transparent handles for a trendy vibe that matches winter iced coffee. Too timid? White handles provide a clean, fresh look that says “See me!”
Whichever you decide on, changing the hardware is like altering your shoelaces in terms of interior design: not difficult at all but it makes a huge difference.
Step 2: Paint It
Ready to make a big swing? By painting your cherry wood furniture it will turn out to be an entirely new room altogether!
In the same way that dying your hair with some bright color gets heads turning.
Select a shade that goes well with your décor for the whole room or go wild and use it as an accent piece.
Step 3: Strip and Stain
If you can’t imagine painting over wood, consider removing the old finish and then applying a contemporary stain instead.
Think of this process as exfoliating—it uncovers the beauty beneath. Ready for revival in today’s style tone.
So there you have it! Whether you prefer minor adjustments or radical transformation, your cherry wood furniture still has lots of modernity in store.
You only need to decide—swap, paint, or stain—and see how people start talking about your favorite pieces again.
How To Embrace The New And Keep The Old: Modernizing Your Cherry Wood Furniture
So you have glanced at your furniture and realized it says ‘historical artifact’ more than homey haunt.
We will change all this! Here is a small guide on how to update your beloved pieces:
1. Change up the decor
First things first, we need to talk about the surroundings. Swap those dusty old mirrors for sleek, new ones that seem to reflect more light and less past.
Have some old lamps?
Get them changed into cool chic items showing “I have been shopping in this century”. Also, flowers are never wrong since they refresh rooms or breathe life into them.
2. Paint It To Match The Room
But what if subtle changes just aren’t cutting it? If you’re ready for a full-on shake-up, think about painting instead.
Yes, it’s an investment. Yes, it takes longer than an afternoon of whimsical painting with your brush only.
You’ll need sandpapering, priming & applying lovingly new paint – these are some of the activities involved in giving your furniture a day in at a spa, except this time around you are doing all the hard work yourself as well.
- Prep Work: Sanding and Priming
Take 220-grit sandpaper and delicately sand down the surfaces. You’re not erasing its past, just helping it prepare for a bright future.
Dust it off well because cleanliness is next to godliness—or at least next to a good paint job.
Slap some stain-blocking primer especially if you’re keeping some of the original wood peeking through.
This will avoid any unexpected color changes during painting.
- Let the Painting Begin
Now for the fun part! Choose a paint color that matches your current décor or go big and make it an accent piece.
For those large flat surfaces, use a roller, otherwise utilize a brush for the nooks and crannies.
Once done, seal it with furniture wax, polyurethane, or polyacrylic depending on which finish you want. Each has its personality and durability so choose wisely!
3. Strip The Old Stain And Finish
Sometimes, what your furniture is calling out for is to be taken back to its roots.
Stripping old stains and finishes can show up the surprisingly light color of natural cherry wood that is nothing short of breathtaking and unexpected at the same time.
It’s like finding out that your quiet workmate can salsa like no one’s business.
- Removing The Old Guard
If sanding sounds too medieval, grab some Citistrip or another gentle stripper.
Smear it on, let it think about what it has done (usually an hour), then scrape off the gunk carefully.
Finish with a wire brush or steel wool going with the grain always so as not to rough things up at this stage.
- Final Touches: Sanding and Sealing
After the whole stripping procedure, utilize a piece of sandpaper with finer grains to smoothen the surface in readiness for its new look.
Dust off all the historical dirt and then coat it with some varnish or paint. If you want to keep it natural, only a thin layer is needed.
But remember that there are some sealants that may slightly change the color therefore test on one spot first before you apply.
RELATED: 30 Beautiful Dining Room Ideas
In Conclusion:
Revamping cherry wood furniture doesn’t necessarily entail bidding farewell to its vibrant red past.
With a few adjustments, elbow grease, and ingenuity, this old piece can be brought into the twenty-first century without losing its spirit.
Which way will you go?
A major painting overhaul, an elegant facelift through new fittings, or going back entirely to nature? The choice is yours. Your cherry wood is ready once more to turn heads again. Or maybe even earn your friends’ envy for your furniture collection.