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84 Times People Found An Old Piece Of Furniture, Saw The Potential In It And Revived It (New Pics)
Most of us have at least one piece of furniture gathering dust in a garage, spare room, or basement. Or maybe we've found ourselves taking a second look at a worn but charming item left on the curb or tucked away in a thrift store. Sure, it's got great bones, but there's something left to be desired for it to fully earn pride of place in our home.
Members of the r/FurnitureFlip subreddit see these items differently. They can imagine what lies beneath the thick layers of peeling paint or how it would look with a fresh new coat. Just take a look at this list to see how, with a bit of vision, elbow grease, and love, the members of this community transformed these once-shabby pieces of furniture into something truly worth showing off.
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#1
Ice Chest Resto😊
RELATED:
#2
I Can't Say No To Free Curb Furniture In Need Of Some Love
Beth Wheeler 4 months ago
Great job, it was actually refinished instead of ruined by paint. I hate it when people ruin good wood with paint.
#3
Walnut Art Deco Dresser
#5
How’d I Do On My First Real Flip?
#6
Recent Restoration
#7
Garbage Heap To Statement Piece
#9
This Is How It Turned Out
#10
Precisely 😀
#11
The Dresser That Almost Broke Me!
kissmychakram 4 months ago (edited)
Absolutely not to my taste (in fact, I hate it) but they certainly have put a lot of quality hard work in to it and I applaud them for that.
#12
My First Ever Flip. Using As A Bedside Table
#13
I Turned This Old End Table Into A Bougie Dog Bed
#14
Now She Can Breathe! 😌
#15
One Of My Favorite Pieces We Have Done
#16
Mid-Century Dresser Restoration
#17
My Daughter Wanted A Sleeping Beauty Dresser
#18
Mid Century Strip Flip
#19
Refinished My Curb Find!
Verity Stewart 4 months ago
Beautiful, least they did a sympathetic restoration and not painted it. Well done
#20
My First Flip. Thoughts? Tips For Next Time?
#21
Saved From Someone’s Trash, I Thought The Base Looked Awesome!
#22
Does This Count As Furniture?
#23
Vintage Cosco Stool Restoration
#24
Before And After Antique
#25
Mid Century Modern $44.99 Goodwill Find
I am not you 3 months ago
Sparky: Why should they add artistry? They made it look nice again.As it was intended.
#26
Saved This From The Landfill
#27
Table And Chairs Set Makeover
#29
End Tables From A Desk!
Lara Verne 3 months ago
I liked end tables better. I think dark color suit this type of furniture.
#31
Flippn’ For This Green Old School TV Cabinet
#32
Before And After Of My Latest Flip
#33
Second Flip
#34
Gossip Bench
#35
Update: Side Of The Road Find
️Rando Panda 3 months ago
With so much detail, I know that must have been an eye-watering amount of work! Nicely done!
#36
First Post 🥹 My Sad $60 Marketplace Find To The Dark Academia Bookcase Of My Dreams 📚✨️
Cerridwn d'Wyse 3 months ago
I like it if it fits with the decor. There's nothing special about what it started out as and not everybody likes the look of wood.
#37
Celebrating My First Project Finding Its New Home!
#38
Favorite Piece So Far!
#39
This Old Gal Got A Makeover
#40
My $5 Dresser Restoration
#41
My First Try At A Flip
#42
Mcm Dresser Before & After
Upstaged75 4 months ago
The pics are backwards - the painted version is the before. I checked on Reddit.
#43
My Favorite Flip To Date
#44
Loving The Green!
#45
An $11 Desk From Savers Flipped For My 7 Year Old Bedroom
#46
Puppy Supply Station
#47
Repainted! $15 For The Dresser
#48
Do Jewelry Boxes Count?
#49
Old End Table I Found In My Grandparents Attic
#50
Proof That You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover
StumblingThroughLife 3 months ago (edited)
I prefer the original handles, TBH. They have a unique style.
#51
Wizard Of Oz For A Young Girl
#52
Great-Great Gram's Table
#53
I Refinished This Telephone/Gossip Table!
#54
Before & After
#55
Just Finished This! Very Happy With The Result =)
#56
I Flipped A Jewelry Armoire
#57
Goodwill Mcm Dresser Makeover
#58
First Flip For Our Guest Room
#59
First Time Posting My Work Online
Stephanie Did It 4 months ago
Well, I love them both and would proudly display them in my home.
#60
First Flip! What Do You Think It's Worth?
#61
Refurbished This Dresser
#62
Couldn’t Be More Happy With How These Turned Out!
#63
Desk Flip!
#64
A Fun Little Flip For A Fun Little Corner
#65
Side Table I Refinished To Match My First Flip
PrettyJoyBird 3 months ago
The before handle hardware look sad the after looks like its sleeping. Cute!
#66
Found This Chair On The Curb And Decided To Give It A New Life
#67
My First Flip
#68
My First Flip! Ugly Orange To Modern Boho
StumblingThroughLife 3 months ago
The doors are a disappointment compared to the original. It basically looks a generic flat-pack cupboard, now.
#69
Trashed End Tables Get A Blowup
#70
Since Neck Surgery I Can’t Do Big Furniture Anymore So Jewelry Boxes Are Now My Thing
#71
Before And After Of A Table I Did Not Too Long Ago That I Am Proud Of
#72
Look What I Did!
#73
My First Attempt
#74
This One Was Fun To Do!
#75
Before And After Dresser Flip
#76
Update! First Flip: Before & After
#77
My First Painted Project
#78
First Attempt At A Flip!
#79
My Most Recent Project
#81
The Neighbors Trashed Their Side Table And It’s Now The Perfect Accent For My Tiger Pillows
#82
Think It's Looking Good In Red!
#83
Some Furniture Flips I’ve Done!
#84
Flipped This Solid Wood Dresser From Goodwill Into A Vanity For Our Bathroom! After ➡️ Before
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Stephanie L Thesing 3 months ago (edited)
Ok, this is about furniture, not world politics. I’ve rarely read so many rude and negative comments here. There are many who love and appreciate painted wood, and some of the hand painting on these is remarkable! There is just so much negativity these days as it is, you don’t have to come here with the express purpose of being rude.
janetmullender 2 months ago
So people shouldn’t give an honest answer anymore?
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
So many people painting over beautiful old wood. But I guess that's easier than doing actual restoration. Also, stop with the "flip." The nomenclature is asinine.
margaret carradus 1 month ago
Old wood isn't always beautiful. Often it's just veneer anyway, especially with utility and mid century stuff.
Load More Replies...
Petra Schaap 3 months ago
as long as they're not painting YOUR precious old wooden furniture, leave these people alone. I cant with the wood snobs.
Jesha 3 months ago
Where do you get high quality wood these days like that?
Load More Replies...
Leekier 4 months ago
Some of these remind me of the time we moved from my nana's house and my mam left one or two things behind to collect later. As a surprise my nana repainted a cabinet turquoise. It had been black Chinese lacquer with mother of pearl inlay and intricate carvings. My mam was not happy and I cried because, at 6, it had been the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen
Robin Roper 3 months ago
I sold estates for several years and saw many buy sold mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, cherry pieces knowing they would be painted. I always advised the buyers to place a label somewhere in/on the piece stating what the type of original wood. Style and fashion as well as personal preferences change. For a while sellers couldn't give away dark wood. Paint can be stripped and at least these pieces are being used and someday can be restored to the original unpainted wood if desired. I'm for anything that keeps these great pieces out of the dump.
Vasha 3 months ago
Not all wood is sacred! Too many comments just dump on the work done with "it was better before" when furniture is painted. Not everyone want to live in the 2000s version of a wood paneled den. Sometimes dark interiors benefit from a splash of color ... especially over a deeply grained oak wood. Changing a style from early american to something more contemporary is fun.
Kabuki Kitsune 4 months ago
I had to stop halfway through reading this article. Seeing people take valuable antiques and "flip" them into something worthless was irking me WAYY too much
Jesha 3 months ago
I mean, at least it wasn't distressed 'shabby chic'. It'll just take forever to remove some of these paints from these impossible to find qualities of wood. It's not like we can't gro... what's that? It takes hundreds of years to grow something like this and you can't just slap it back in the ground infinitely? Huh.
Petra Schaap 3 months ago
yeah. Getting downvoted for liking something. And we wonder why people start wars, if they already lose their shitt over furniture.
Load More Replies... Cerridwn d'Wyse 3 months ago
Are there things that people probably shouldn't color to their liking, yes. But you guys insult people who do what they like. Stop
Natalia 3 months ago
Because people can do what the hell they want with the things they own.
Load More Replies...
margaret carradus 1 month ago
I do not get why so many people seem to think dark ugly knackered furniture is preferable to a tasteful repurpose or refurb. It is just of the tip in that condition. Brown furniture doesn't sell for a start. I like that people are putting their own personality into something well past it's prime and giving it a new life.
Stephanie L Thesing 3 months ago (edited)
Ok, this is about furniture, not world politics. I’ve rarely read so many rude and negative comments here. There are many who love and appreciate painted wood, and some of the hand painting on these is remarkable! There is just so much negativity these days as it is, you don’t have to come here with the express purpose of being rude.
janetmullender 2 months ago
So people shouldn’t give an honest answer anymore?
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
So many people painting over beautiful old wood. But I guess that's easier than doing actual restoration. Also, stop with the "flip." The nomenclature is asinine.
margaret carradus 1 month ago
Old wood isn't always beautiful. Often it's just veneer anyway, especially with utility and mid century stuff.
Load More Replies... Petra Schaap 3 months ago
as long as they're not painting YOUR precious old wooden furniture, leave these people alone. I cant with the wood snobs.
Jesha 3 months ago
Where do you get high quality wood these days like that?
Load More Replies... Leekier 4 months ago
Some of these remind me of the time we moved from my nana's house and my mam left one or two things behind to collect later. As a surprise my nana repainted a cabinet turquoise. It had been black Chinese lacquer with mother of pearl inlay and intricate carvings. My mam was not happy and I cried because, at 6, it had been the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen
Robin Roper 3 months ago
I sold estates for several years and saw many buy sold mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, cherry pieces knowing they would be painted. I always advised the buyers to place a label somewhere in/on the piece stating what the type of original wood. Style and fashion as well as personal preferences change. For a while sellers couldn't give away dark wood. Paint can be stripped and at least these pieces are being used and someday can be restored to the original unpainted wood if desired. I'm for anything that keeps these great pieces out of the dump.
Vasha 3 months ago
Not all wood is sacred! Too many comments just dump on the work done with "it was better before" when furniture is painted. Not everyone want to live in the 2000s version of a wood paneled den. Sometimes dark interiors benefit from a splash of color ... especially over a deeply grained oak wood. Changing a style from early american to something more contemporary is fun.
Kabuki Kitsune 4 months ago
I had to stop halfway through reading this article. Seeing people take valuable antiques and "flip" them into something worthless was irking me WAYY too much
Jesha 3 months ago
I mean, at least it wasn't distressed 'shabby chic'. It'll just take forever to remove some of these paints from these impossible to find qualities of wood. It's not like we can't gro... what's that? It takes hundreds of years to grow something like this and you can't just slap it back in the ground infinitely? Huh.
Petra Schaap 3 months ago
yeah. Getting downvoted for liking something. And we wonder why people start wars, if they already lose their shitt over furniture.
Load More Replies... Cerridwn d'Wyse 3 months ago
Are there things that people probably shouldn't color to their liking, yes. But you guys insult people who do what they like. Stop
Natalia 3 months ago
Because people can do what the hell they want with the things they own.
Load More Replies... margaret carradus 1 month ago
I do not get why so many people seem to think dark ugly knackered furniture is preferable to a tasteful repurpose or refurb. It is just of the tip in that condition. Brown furniture doesn't sell for a start. I like that people are putting their own personality into something well past it's prime and giving it a new life.
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