Cover with film
Self-adhesive film will help hide all the imperfections of cabinet doors or dresser drawers in a couple of simple steps. The range of films is huge, you can choose one color or with an interesting pattern, golden or imitating wood. Do not forget to degrease the surface before application, or even better, sand it and cover it with a layer of primer.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper provides more options than film, since it comes in matte, textured, and generally suits every taste. If you wish, you can choose photo wallpaper that will visually expand the space. Wallpaper is applied using PVA; the surface must be prepared in advance for better adhesion. You can decorate not only the front doors with wallpaper, but also the interior shelves or the back wall of a cabinet or rack.
Tips for remodeling a closet
Site search:
Online designer for independent 3D modeling of a cabinet!
Sooner or later, many people are faced with a situation where the old wardrobe or furniture with hinged doors has become boring or out of order and there is a need to refresh their appearance by replacing the facades or making a completely new wardrobe from the existing material, spending only on replacing some details.
In order to make a new product from parts of an old cabinet, consultation with a specialist is necessary, since it is not always possible to realize your wishes. Most often this is due to design limitations of fittings and accessories.
While it is not difficult to additionally order the necessary parts from chipboard of the required sizes to remake the frame or facades (doors) from any materials, the fittings that were present in the old furniture may be outdated or completely unsuitable after the remodeling.
Advice when remodeling a closet is never superfluous.
Remodeling the furniture frame.
Remaking the frame of furniture, especially built-in furniture, usually does not entail any problems; the main thing here is not to make mistakes in calculating the dimensions of the parts. In built-in furniture, always take into account the curvature of floors, walls and ceilings, since frame parts are usually adjusted by installers on site. Parts adjacent to the walls and ceiling are usually ordered 3-5 cm larger for convenient trimming.
If shelves and partitions in an old cabinet are mounted using special fasteners that are no longer commercially available or it is not possible to mill them, you can always use mounting angles that are attached using ordinary self-tapping screws.
When remodeling a cabinet, you may encounter the problem of differences in shades in decor between new and old parts. The same color has different shades among furniture manufacturers, and finding the right color that exactly matches the old cabinet is very problematic.
If you have a completely antediluvian cabinet, tightly mounted into crooked walls in an old house, there is no need to break it and redo it. It is possible to order only external side panels extending from floor to ceiling, protruding 10 cm forward in relation to the standing frame for installing a compartment door mechanism and installing sliding doors. This is one of the simplest ways to update a cabinet by adding external trim without touching the structure itself.
Remodeling swing or sliding doors.
Remodeling the furniture frame often inevitably leads to the replacement of facades, both hinged and sliding. Hinged doors are rigidly tied to the furniture frame, since they are attached to the internal partitions of the product through hinges. Displacement of parts even by 2-3 mm will lead to the fact that the hinged facades will move along with the partition and cease to function.
With compartment doors everything is simpler; they are not tied to the “filling” of the closet and slide in front of them. Therefore, if, when updating the appearance of a hinged wardrobe, you want to avoid the difficulties associated with calculating new hinged facades, consider sliding doors. The only condition for them is a rectangular opening with a 10 cm recessed internal filling for installing the mechanism.
But there are also pitfalls here. For example, a “dead” zone in front of the central frames of a two- or three-door wardrobe. All retractable accessories that fall into this zone will not extend and will rest against the frame. Regardless of the position of the doors, this area is always blocked by vertical frames.
If you nevertheless decide to close the openings of the converted cabinet with hinged doors, then you will need the advice of a specialist. The difficulty here lies in selecting the necessary hinges and calculating the dimensions of the facades, taking into account their installation in accordance with the technical characteristics of each hinge.
There are a huge number of them and they differ in the type of installation of facades in relation to the partition (inset, overhead, semi-overlay with their huge variety), different installation angles and other parameters. With different hinges, the dimensions of the facades are always different. In production, all these calculations are carried out by designers.
General information about loops can be found here.
If you are faced with a choice between buying new furniture or redoing old ones, I advise you to choose the former, since remodeling can sometimes cost more than new ones. And not every specialist will agree to help you, because when remodeling, the likelihood of a design error is much higher than when developing new furniture from scratch.
Cover with fabric
This method gives a smoother, more textured look than wallpaper. It is better to cover large elements such as wardrobe doors with fabric, fasten them with a furniture stapler or with glue. It is interesting to choose leatherette as a fabric for a luxurious look.
This is interesting: A small kitchen is not a problem! Expanding the boundaries
Fabrics made from pieces using the patchwork technique will make your closet more comfortable and will help you fit it into a child’s room or into styles such as Provence and country. The style can be embodied with wallpaper or film if you cover the panels of the drawers with materials with different patterns.
Hallway decor with mirrors
A mirror wall is the best way to visually expand a small space. But the limited area of the hallway requires a competent approach to using mirrors.
A sliding wardrobe with sliding mirror doors solves several problems at once. It combines many compartments for storing seasonal items and large mirrors, without which it is difficult to get ready before leaving the house. The built-in closet can be deep, if there is enough space in the hallway, or compact. The configuration depends on the space that will be occupied by a straight or corner “compartment”.
Highly reflective tiles are another way of mirror decor for a hallway. It is laid out in different ways:
- narrow inserts;
- mirror wall;
- as a edging to a large mirror;
- diagonally in separate blocks.
A large mirror on a stand or frame on one of the walls can become the main accent. This indispensable attribute of the hallway has not been used as a functional item for a long time.
A sign with a pleasant inscription will give you a good mood
You can hang bright wallpaper on the walls
A dry tree in a vase will look harmonious in this design
A mirror of an unusual shape will perfectly complement the interior design of any style:
- frame with wood carvings - classic;
- sun mirror – art deco;
- without decoration - minimalism;
- with a wide edging of shells - marine style;
- chrome frame – hi-tech;
- asymmetrical shape with stained glass addition - modern;
- aged wood on the frame - Provence or country;
- with a console and candlesticks – historical style;
- The unusual decor of the mirror will decorate the interior in a modern style.
A wall cabinet will save some space
Wallpaper in the form of a brick wall will look harmonious in this design
See also: Artificial stone in the interior of the hallway
Paint
Paint will be a real savior in furniture restoration. Before applying paint, sand the surface and coat with primer.
You can simply paint the cabinet in 1-2 colors, or you can paint a real picture on it. If you don’t have enough artistic skills for painting, you can make a drawing using a stencil. Geometric lines and shapes can be easily created using masking tape - it will serve as a smooth border for the paint. And for more complex patterns and pictures, the stencil will have to be made specially.
We talked about ways to transfer images to surfaces here: “The Happiness of Drawing on Walls.” And this link contains detailed instructions for using stencils: “Experiment: painting a wall using a stencil.”
Classic interior option
Classic style is a type of interior that will never go out of fashion. Combining delicate pastel colors with deep brown, burgundy and greenish colors, it has a touch of aristocracy and comfort.
This style goes well with:
- muted gray and beige walls;
- cream stretch ceilings;
- cornices;
- curbs;
- floors made of decorative parquet and laminate.
A minimum of finishing is used. Classic items have simple outlines, which are compensated by expensive materials - natural wood, high-quality fabric and leather.
An entrance hall made in this style can also consist of other styles - English, loft, Victorian. But it is important that all elements are in clear harmony of shades and shapes. Composition with pronounced centers, exceptional monumentality and symmetry best characterize this style.
To create a room in a classic style, a wide space is desirable. Design abounds:
- massive cabinets;
- bedside tables with curved legs;
- dressing tables.
It is characterized by both romance (depicted by dark wood and marble colors) and the severity of neutral tones. But even in a small hallway, laconically arranged furniture will please the eye.
Framed mirrors, figurines, vases with flowers will fit perfectly into the overall picture. And if you add details of a different direction to everything, then a holistic image of a representative hallway will appear.
It is not at all necessary to collect antique furniture just to demonstrate luxurious comfort. Inexpensive imitations of antiques are now in the public domain. You can also be creative and invent decorative items yourself.
Warm, multi-level lighting is invariably present in every classic hallway. Massive chandeliers and spotlights are also welcome.
Important!
It is worth considering that their design should also match the appearance of the rest of the interior.
Make a slate surface
Chalkboards are all the rage right now, so why not make one out of cabinet doors? The slate effect can be easily achieved in two ways: buy a film or paint the chest of drawers with chalkboard effect paint.
Decorate with mosaic
Mosaics from broken tiles are very easy to make with your own hands. The article “Creativity from leftover tiles” has a complete guide to action. Such a wardrobe or chest of drawers will look especially elegant in Mediterranean styles. You can also purchase ready-made mosaics in blocks.
What you need to update the facade of an old cabinet with your own hands
According to the recommendations of the master, in order to update an old cabinet with your own hands, you will need:
- A rosette (medallion) made of plaster of suitable diameter.
- Small nails without heads and a hammer.
- Double-sided tape and masking tape.
- Moment glue or liquid nails.
- Paint in the desired color (it is better to use chalk paint, it “fits” beautifully even on chipboard).
- Brush, sponge, roller - everything you need for painting.
True, finding a plasterboard socket on the Russian market is not so easy. Mostly, gypsum and polyurethane foam are used in finishing.
Sculpting an easily wrinkled polyurethane foam blank onto the front of a cabinet is not the best idea. It hangs entirely on the ceiling, since it is not a door that everyone uses. Fragile plaster molding (which also costs significantly more) is also not worth sculpting on a movable door.
Adapting to our realities, you can choose a suitable carved wood blank. Moreover, our carpentry masters can carve even less beautiful things from wooden blanks!
Many overlays are sold freely - the main thing is to know the “places”. And they are available in almost all more or less large construction hypermarkets. Well, no one canceled online stores - if there was a desire.
Make old
Many styles, such as shabby chic, Provence and vintage, are furnished with artificially aged furniture. So if your closet is ugly old, you can make it beautifully old. We discussed the methods in this post, choose the most suitable one: “Aging techniques: an overview”
Stick rivets
To create a brutal effect for a loft or steam punk, cabinet doors can be decorated with metal rivets or staples. Nails with decorative heads will also work. Let the chest of drawers look like an old chest, and the wardrobe look like a door to a submarine. You can use other metal fittings for decoration, and support the style by painting or covering it with fabric.
Original design ideas
If you approach your hallway decor creatively, even a few extravagant accessories will radically transform the room.
Two large floor vases on either side of the front door will complement the design of the spacious room. They can be used for dry ikebana, twisted branches, peacock feathers and other original fillings.
When there is enough lighting in the hallway, it will be decorated with flower tubs with large plants or wide collection florariums with succulents.
Large rectangular baskets are the best “storage” for shoes for a country or Provence style room.
You can decorate the hallway with wall paintings
This mirror will look great against a brick wall.
A stack of old suitcases will perfectly replace a bedside table or table in a retro style. An old chest in the hallway or a chest of drawers on which you can store handbags or hats will complement it.
To combine several pieces of antique furniture, it is painted in a common color; soft seats need to be reupholstered with beautiful furniture fabric.
Transparent tabletops and plexiglass shelves create the illusion of free space. But it is advisable to place original decor on them - vases, souvenirs, unusual accessories, so as not to stumble upon “invisible” objects in the dark.
See also Subtleties of hallway design with mirrors
Make the doors mirror
Mirrors not only expand the space and add light to the room, but also hide surface imperfections. Any closet can be turned into a mirrored one by attaching one full-height or several small mirrors to its doors. This technique will help you create an Art Deco style cabinet.
An alternative option is a mirror mosaic, which will create wonderful highlights.
