50 Times Someone Ruined An Item And People In This Online Group Restored It To Its “Original Glory”
Over the past years, more and more tasteless DIY'ers have been ruining perfectly fine coffee tables, dressers, and other pieces with lousy paint jobs.
However, there's now a counter-movement, dedicated to fighting their crimes. And many of them can be seen on the subreddit 'Reverse Pinterest.'
According to its 'About' page, this online community is dedicated to "showcasing handcrafted wood pieces that have been rescued from Pinterest-paint hell and restored to their original glory."
Maybe it's not the biggest subreddit, but its 24K members provide a steady stream of content (much of which is produced by their own effort), so continue scrolling and check out their most popular posts.
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Restored This Beauty To Original Glory. $20 Goodwill Cedar Chest Returned From Crackled Paint Torture
I Don't Know If I Can Top This One! Fully Restored Brasilia II Petite Buffet
Second-hand furniture can add a unique edge to a home and is often easier on your wallet. According to interior designer Deirdre O'Connell, there are things you can do to better your chances of coming across a great find.
"Scouring for second-hand furniture isn't for everyone, but its advantages have never been so great," she said.
"There is the obvious, generally large, financial saving, all the while doing your major bit for climate change, but with global material shortages and long, changeable, shipping delays, wait time for decent furniture can now regularly be 25, 30, even 40 weeks."
Behold, The Most Satisfying Reverse Pinterest Of 2021
Painted Antique Mantle Restoration Transformation
Something I Did A Few Weeks Ago. :)
For this variety of reasons, more and more people are turning to local vintage, antique, and “pre-loved” finds to furnish their homes, and with a little thought, they can achieve a gorgeous look too.
"As a designer, I avoid anything too perfect, or anything too dated and fussy," O'Connell said. "I like contemporary schemes, of bright rooms with charming furniture and interesting touches. I love the mix of the old and the new."
Heard You Guys Like A Good Before And After
Lane Acclaim Side Table Hidden Under Pea Green Paint!
Thinking My Recent Rehab Of This Pre-Pinterest Paint Job Would Be Enjoyed Here
Not mad at the original colors, honestly, but it could have been done better. Restore is stunning!
Thought Y’all Might Appreciate My Efforts
To find old treasures, she has made a list of the places where she can source a range of furniture, collectibles, homewares, and bric-a-brac.
In the country she's living, Ireland, there are plenty of wonderful, second-hand marketplaces online, like Done Deal, Adverts.ie, and Gumtree, which are free to sell on and easy to navigate.
Find out what alternatives the internet has to offer for your area, and in the search bars, use brand names or shops like Neptune, Bo Concept, Casey’s Furniture, or Ventura to discover any items from valued furniture names.
Vintage Console I Stripped A While Ago
The Abuse Is Finally Over
I Put Two Months Of My Time On Weekends And After Work To Remove The Awful Paint From This Gorgeous Danish Teak Desk With Floating Legs!
Shouldn't that be floating drawers rather than legs? Doesn't matter I know, but I was just curious 🤷
Was Told To Post Here. Before And After De-Pinteresting
1st Dibs, for example, is a world-class platform, full of vintage designer listings and is regularly used by interior designers for antique and modern furniture.
You’ll see its name regularly in the sourcebooks of design magazines. However, remember that even vintage designer furniture often doesn’t come cheap, so it might be a good idea to start your searches from "Price Low To High" if you're looking to save an extra dollar.
A Ridiculous Amount Of Love, Patience, And Skill Went Into Reversing These Mid-Century Modern Pieces! I Restore For A Living, And Although I Really Hate Dealing With Painted Stuff, It Makes Me That Much Prouder Of My Craft
Under 3 Coats Of White Paint And 1 Coat Of Green, Was This Beautiful Rimu Timber
Before And After
Such beautiful wood panelling - why on earth do people want to hide this under layers of paint?
Restauration Process, Finished!
Then there are charity shops, antique shops, markets, and salvage yards. Again, do your research and find out where they are located around you. Even if you don't find anything visiting these places, your time won't be wasted.
"There is a great sub-culture to the second-hand furniture world," O'Connell said. "In my experience, things tend to be memorable; you'll have a funny story to tell, you’ll encounter hilarious characters, or you’ll learn the hard way about measuring up!"
Thonet Dining Chairs, Redeemed
Stripping Paint Is The Absolute Worst. Three Weeks After Staring I’ve Finally Made It, Boys. Just Picked Up Another Similar Dresser Painted Brown. Why Do I Do This To Myself
Because you’re a good person who rescues abused furniture and rehomes it to someone who will cherish it in its intended form.
Before And After
American Of Martinsville Dresser That I Tried My Best To Restore
However, as you can see from the pics, some things look better if you withhold from painting them. Interior designer Kelli Ellis thinks you should not pick up a brush just for the sake of doing it.
"Slapping any old paint on the furniture can turn into a disaster. Take time to consider what your best paint options are, or leave the furniture as it is," Ellis said.
My First Furniture Unflip
That is absolutely beautiful! To look at it makes my heart sing I want to just sit by that beautiful piece of furniture and its sunny glowing finish that is like summertime it is fantastic
I Saw This Desk On Cl For $50 And Drove From San Antonio To College Station To Pick It Up. Restored It In American Oak And Black Lacquer
I'm in awe of how people see the beauty underneath the abuse. I mean, they must envision how good it could look after restoration, and that kind of ability is underappreciated!
60s/70s Wine Bar Restoration
The ‘Distressed’ Console That Caused Me Such Distress
Distress? Poor thing looks like it was in agony! Much better now, beautiful wood.
"Painting furniture is a skill that takes time to master. It is a bad idea to simply attack a piece of wood ... with a paintbrush or spray can."
"Although you can find videos on YouTube, you truly need more than a three-minute explanation of how to do it," the interior designer highlighted. "People who rely on the Internet to help them paint furniture almost always end up with furniture they do not want to keep."
I Bought This Coffee Table In 2018 For $15 At A Flea Market Because It Was Cheap And I Needed Something For My Living Room. Finally Got Around To Stripping It This Weekend
The before picture looked alright, but I'm so glad you removed the paint
Pair Of Lane Acclaim Round Tables
Facebook Marketplace Makeover
Final Update On My Mcm Nightstands! Before, Fully Stripped, And After! They Are My Pride And Joy
Ellis said that even though it is currently trendy to paint furniture, trends tend to change with the wind.
"Something that seems to look good now can easily seem dated in a few years. At that point, you are either stuck with your 'handy work' or in for a huge refinishing job."
Johnson Carper Ronda Saved From Teal Spray Paint
Forgot To Take A Pic Of The Finished Product Without Stuff On It But! My First Reverse Pintrest On This $10 Genuine Mahogany Dresser That Had Been Spray Painted
Reverse Pinterest That A Friend Did
Beautiful Restoration Job
It Had To Be Done. I Hope You'll Enjoy The Result
Reversed This $10 Fb Marketplace Kroehler Side Table
Stripped And Sanded This Mission Oak Coffee Table. Happy To See The Tiger Oak Back Out In The Open
Some people just don’t know what they have when they paint over such beautiful wood.
Restored This Johnson Carper Fashion Trend Desk. This Paint Did Not Want To Come Off
I Found This Painted Broyhill Brasilia On Craigslist And My Husband Fixed It
Stripped The Paint And Transformed It Into A Tilt Out Storage Cabinet
My Refinished Bassett Dresser, It Was Pink!
Lane Acclaim End Table For $50 On Facebook Marketplace, Before And After
Why anyone would paint a flat color over such beautifully patterned wood is beyond me. I much prefer the contrasting colors of wood used in the inlay to the dull flat blue—-even though blue is a favorite color of mine.
I Was In Desperate Need Of A Dresser And Bought This Cheap. 7 Layers Of Paint Later I Found This Beautiful Wood Underneath
Why! Just why would you think that paint job made it better. Thank you for sharing your skill at restoring amazing furniture
First Time Rehabbing A Piece. Broyhill Sculptra Dresser. Few Mistakes With The Finish Due To Impatience. But I’m Happy With It For A $30 Thrift! All Thanks To Dashner Restoration Youtube Channel
Stanley Furniture “Linear Precision” Credenza
Solid Brazilian rosewood, which is now banned. $20,000.00 to $35,000.00, depending on condition. Hard to say without seeing the interior.
Beautiful Wood Grain Revealed
My Crusade Upon Painted Antique Furniture
Painting over such pretty wood grain should be a crime punishable by being painted the same color and not allowed to wash it off.
Thrift Store "Rescue"
FAKE! You can tell it's not the same clock because they are showing a different time!
Reversed It
Looks so much better in its intended form—-the mosaic even looks better contrasted with the wood rather than the white paint.
I Wish I Could Pay $170 To Purchase This Piece Off Of Fb Marketplace And Restore It...literally Should Be A Crime To Do This
Is it just me or is anyone else sick of inspirational quotes on everything? I'm not inspired by them at all.
First Major Restoration
Was this actually a restoration? People forget that plenty of mid-century furniture was painted from new and this piece looks like one of them. I used to have a sideboard that was in a milky speckled finish that was definitely original. An aunt of mine had a bedroom set that was the same way.
My First Before/After. Any Id Help Would Be Awesome
Most Recent Restoration. Gunni Omann For Axel Christensen Credenza
Since credenzas are usually found in offices, why tf would anyone paint it white, rather than keep the richer looking wood?
Bassett Rescue: Before And After
Crossposting This Here. There Really Is A Sub For Everything!
Beautiful. Must’ve been a b***h to get the paint (?) lacquer (?) off!
Our Neighbours Left This On The Street! So Glad I Picked It Up
WTF did they do that fugly paint job for? To purposely ruin a perfectly lovely piece of furniture?
Before And After Refinishing A Painted Zenith Mid Century Record Console I Got For $25. Please Please Please Don’t Paint Nice Furniture
A Mid Century Basset Glow Up! Only Sanded And Teak Oiled, I Loved The Contrast!
First Reverse Pinterest Project On These Danish Mid Century Candlesticks
They Look Better In Person. Found 1950s Heywood Wakefield Chairs $4 Each, Slathered In Thick Green Drip Dried Paint. I Know It’s Not Their ‘Correct’ Color, But I’m Cheap, Don’t Prefer Light Wood, And They Work For Me, Plus The Wood Grain Is Cool. Total Cost Beyond Materials Already In My House: $8
Before And After On My $70 Marketplace Find. Lane Brutalist Nightstands
Very Happy With How This Turned Out!
While it’s fine to be into mermaids, please refrain from f*****g up perfectly lovely wood furniture by painting one on it.
One Month Of Work And Countless Hours Of Sanding. Nowhere Near Perfect But I’m Really Proud Of How It Turned Out. Details Of The Restoration In The Comments
The Salvation Of A Lane Copenhagen Nightstand
Revived A Streaky, Drab Paint Job! Not Perfect (The Wood Color Is Inconsistent, And There’s Some Dings), But I’m Jazzed It’s Finally Done
My $10 Garage Sale Find Was Pristinely Preserved Under So Many Layers Of Paint
I Stripped And Sanded A Dresser I Found Earlier This Summer. It Was My Second Project And I’m Really Happy With The Way It Turned Out
Thank Goodness The Paint Wasn’t Too Thick And The Wood Was Nice. Easy Restoration But Always Satisfying When You Scrape Off The Paint And Get The First Glimpse Of The Wood Underneath
Found These Chairs For 12$ Each, Stripped Most Of The Black (The Center Was Veneer And Was Scared I Might End Up Messing It Up) I Think They Are Denmark Mcm
Found This At The Thrift Store And Figured I Had To Give It A Chance. I've Never Sanded, Stripped Or Finished Anything But I Figured It Couldn't Possibly Get Any Worse. They Also Ripped The Manufacturer Sticker Off The Inside Of The Top Drawer, So I Have No Clue Who Made It. Not Perfect But Better
Broyhill Pacemaker - Not Perfect, But I’m Pleased With My First Paint Removal Project So Far
Fb Flip! Not Perfect But Much Better
How It Started vs. How It’s Going. Now I Just Need To Reattach The Handle And All That Will Be Left Will Be To Find A Spot For It In My House (The Hard Part)
Stripping! Found This Poor Baby In The Wild
Stripped And Refinished A Couple Of Doors That Had Been Painted And Even Had Wall Paper On Them. Unfortunately The Panels Of Them Were Just Too Much Work To Try And Get To A Condition To Stain Them So We Tried A Unique Color Combination
Stripped Another Goodwill Vase. Honestly, I Think That The Textured Paint Looked Better…
Mixed feelings. Some pieces of furniture look better with natural wood, some look too old and outdated and benefit greatly from a paint makeover (if done correctly)
Yes, if the people who painted them had the time and skills to sand, varnish, fill, and finish these (possibly very unfashionable items, at the time) I'm sure they would have.
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I used to paint furniture as a teen. It was cheap, easy, something I could do. These are all stained beautifully but the stuff I picked up? Well, wasn't. It was usually nasty, banged up c**p. Painting was a near-free way to make something presentable again.
Those look extra nice because they've been sanded and newly varnished, if they're left without cleaning and polishing it'll look c**p again in 10 years and then it's much easier to just paint it over than remove the old varnish. Plus as you said, fashion. Brown furniture was a crime against fashion for quite a few years!
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Mixed feelings. Some pieces of furniture look better with natural wood, some look too old and outdated and benefit greatly from a paint makeover (if done correctly)
Yes, if the people who painted them had the time and skills to sand, varnish, fill, and finish these (possibly very unfashionable items, at the time) I'm sure they would have.
Load More Replies... I used to paint furniture as a teen. It was cheap, easy, something I could do. These are all stained beautifully but the stuff I picked up? Well, wasn't. It was usually nasty, banged up c**p. Painting was a near-free way to make something presentable again.
Those look extra nice because they've been sanded and newly varnished, if they're left without cleaning and polishing it'll look c**p again in 10 years and then it's much easier to just paint it over than remove the old varnish. Plus as you said, fashion. Brown furniture was a crime against fashion for quite a few years!
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