Furniture Makeovers: Simple Techniques for Transforming Furniture with Paint, Stains, Paper, Stencils, and More

by Barb Blair, Holly Becker (Contributor), J. Aaron Greene (Photographer)

Transform tired furniture into stunning “A fabulous how-to volume for everything from sanding to decoupage and beyond.” —The City Sage blogYou’ll never look at a hand-me-down dresser the same way again! This book offers twenty-six easy-to-follow techniques that can be applied to all different types of pieces, from bookshelves to painting, applying gold leaf, wallpapering, distressing, dip dyeing, and more. In addition to the core techniques, author and Knack Studios founder Barb Blair shares thirty beautiful before-and-after makeovers from her studio and outlines how to achieve each look. With helpful step-by-step photographs, a visual glossary explaining all the tools and materials needed, and a lovely contemporary aesthetic, Furniture Makeovers is a treasure trove of ideas and instruction for the home decorator.“Her amply illustrated book shows why her repurposed furniture is in demand.” —Publishers Weekly

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Interior Design, Reference, Art, Ebooks, How To

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Marina]

Long before painted kitchen cabinets were all over Instagram, Blair (with two small children at the time) painted hers and fell in love with the power of paint.
This book is packed with advice (don’t buy anything with any hint of a smell of smoke!) and techniques (from stripping to decoupage). But it’s the before and after pictures that are the book’s greatest charm, each with a little story attached.
Inspirational!

[Daniel]

This book was a little bit of a mixed bag for me. I found the instructions and descriptions to be very informative. Since I was reading this book for the educational value, my needs were more than met. That said, I didn't share this person's taste in design. I was marginally distressed by the distressing methods used on a few of the pieces I liked more before than after. despite not totally loving some of the pieces, I would have enjoyed and benefitted from a few more photos. I now know that I need to pick up some shop towels and maybe a china brush.

[J]

Not at all what I expected.

Some of the "makeovers" looked worse than the original furniture! I got a total of two ideas from this book.

[Jackie]

The techniques in this book have great pictures of all the steps, plus clear written explanations. Half of the book deals with materials and various techniques using them. The rest of the book shows applications of the techniques and finally, there is a bragging section of before and after pictures, again referring to the techniques and materials from the book's beginning.

I love reading books like this. I get lots of ideas for craft projects. However, often, in the before and after pics, I liked the before better than the after view. I really like old wood. I choose to emphasize real history over the artificial paint-over-it and then "make it modern" or the "wannabe worn" looks.

[Kaethe]

My interest is really more restoration, so no, not the target reader here.

[Christopher Hachet]

This book is an excellent right to the point book about painting and making over older furniture. I am a woodworker who has rebuilt tons of furniture. I also build furniture from scratch.

Her advice is well placed and thoughtful in presentation.

The only minor nit I have with her is that a random orbital sander will work better than an orbital sander for the work she is describing.

Also coarse sandpaper is recommended at one point and really for 99 plus percent of what you will be doing, 120 grit is adequate.

Also, while every piece presented is well done the book I think would have been more inspiring to aspiring furniture fiends if more visual examples were given.

Lastly, two additional critiques. Durability of the various finish techniques could use a little more detail as most of us have highly active households.

And lastly the author has a style and design language that works well for her. However, I feel she should have included pieces done by different folks so that readers could have more intuitive grasp of what’s possible with these techniques.

As I am reading this I am thinking of my reading pal “L” a twenty something female renting her first home. This book seems like it would be an excellent match for her and her friends as they work to go from “living space” to “home.”

Strongly recommended but four stars rather than 5 for the reasons discussed above.

P.S. The author really isn’t kidding when they say the newer citrus based strippers seem safe but are indeed a potential health hazard. Please follow her advice on protecting yourself.

[Ligaya]

Really excellent text on tools and materials and some good info on techniques, but I disagreed with several points. (I've never sprayed a clear topcoat on my spray painted furniture and some of those finishes are over a decade old.) The author also likes to distress paint waayyyyyy more than I would and some of her before pieces (to me) look better than her afters... She misses some opportunities to turn little details into jewels (Emmaline p 170 - oh the carved molding! Zelina p 180, those teeny wood appliques!). A touch of metal leaf would have been great! She doesn't seem to change the hole locations of hardware when I think a more comfortable grip (on handles) could be achieved. The front dresser, for instance, would be better if the bottom 4 drawer pulls aligned with the top drawers. Easy tweak, missed. Also, she PAINTS HARDWARE (p 173)! OH, the horror!!!! I just bit the bullet and had the hardware on my parents 1950's bedroom set plated satin nickel and it is amazing. Plus, tennis ball-sized drawer pulls are just... weird. There are better books of this ilk out there but this offers inspiration. Just don't paint hardware.

[Aaron Isotton]

A bit too pinteresty for my taste

I was hoping for some interesting makeovers, but the style the author is going for is a bit too pinteresty for my taste - lots of semi antique furniture repainted in bright colors and modified with large knobs.

The technique part of the book is well written and aimed towards the beginner - if you know the (very) basics of woodworking and painting there is probably not too much there for you.

[Foroiane]

You can repaint, reupholster, or even repurpose pieces to match your current style. However, if you're looking for new furniture, it's important to do your research. For more info, contact cabinet now customer service. Check reviews and ratings to make sure you're investing in quality pieces that will stand the test of time.

[Olivia]

While it does have some nice photographs and interesting ideas, this book is very specific to the author and how she does things. If you're looking for that kind of direction, then it's great. However, I would have liked to see more methods and ideas represented, instead of just her specific projects.

[Holly Moore]

Many blank & unreadable pages

Large chunks of this book are completely illegible. This otherwise would be an informative, useful how-to manual, but I'm disappointed with the quality.

[Michelle Tackabery]

While the first part of this book is a good introduction to the tools you will need to makeover furniture, the technical instructions were very vague. I also found the projects uninteresting and out of date.

[Dweiums]

Superb entré to creative furniture refinishing

Easy to follow with lots of differing repair and finish examples, this book got me moving on two pieces that I've had for years. Thanks for the inspiration and clear guidance.

[Melissa Hagen-ish]

Not a fan. Lovely, antique furniture being turned into something you can buy at IKEA feels counterintuitive to me. Turn 1990s entertainment centers and cheap, press board furniture into something unique.

[Haley]

The beginning section on repair/process of cleaning, prepping, and painting furniture were helpful. The projects themselves were not as inspiring as I had hoped and a little outdated (published in 2013)

[cat]

Although I loved all the different techniques in this book there is no way I am talented enough to make anything remotely this pretty looking.

[Jennifer]

Great ideas. Techniques explained well and tools and supplies listed in great detail. Must have for any fixer upper/diy person. Beautiful color pics

[Margaret Craft]

Fun to look at

Barb does a wonderful job refinishing old furniture. She seems to really know her paints. I find that to be very important.

[Anna]

Interesting and fairly clear technical details. So it was useful! But the actual makeovers were definitely not my style

[Nicole Raine]

3.5

Solid, concise, useful information.

[Tisha]

I've looked to this book a couple of times for information and ideas. It's getting pretty dated in terms of ideas and is very very basic on the what and how parts, unfortunately.

[Two Readers in Love]

Solid instruction, not just pretty before and after pictures.

[Candy]

Inspirational and practical.
When someone has an area of life all figured out and can guide you through it so you don't make dumb mistakes, it's thrilling!
I loved reading all about the techniques, and getting "peeks" at the finished products, and then seeing them in all their glory.
This author made me feel like I can really do this- paint furniture. I want to start tomorrow!!!!!
(I had this in a book rack where the "M" in the title was covered up, and I kept thinking it was "Furniture TAKEOVERS", which is kind of true- they have different personalities when Barbara gets done with them.)

[Loraena]

This is a fun little book with beautiful pictures, how-tos, and resource guides. Years ago, this book would have inspired me to dash to the nearest thrift store and buy projects to undertake! Sadly, my patience for work-intensive creative endeavors has waned a LOT in the past 5-6 years and I don't know if its coming back. But I've been drawn to upcycling/reclaiming projects my whole life so I'm happy to add this book to my collection.

[Kristen]

This book is wonderful. Barb Blair's shares her techniques and insights to help you find inspiration for your furniture makeovers. I look how the book is set-up, making it very easy to read the whole book or skip to a section for a certain technique you need tips for to complete your project. Also listed in the book are the different materials she uses and helpful resources to expand knowledge of creating beautiful furniture pieces.

[Jeri Walker]

The author states up-front that the book won't contain step-by-step directions on how to achieve the various effects due to the variance in wood conditions. She also points out it gives the user more free reign to experiment. That being said, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me as most people who seek this type of book are looking for more explicit instructions. However, the book does contain lots of pictures and tips and helped me feel inspired and generate ideas.

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library]

TCL Call Number: 684.1 Blair B
Diana's rating: 5 stars

This is the best book I've read about transforming furniture, mostly with paint, but also with paper and new hardware. Good step-by-step explanations and great photography and art direction. Get inspired to pick up a garage sale piece and make it into something you'll use and love!

[Ann]

Love the straightforward how-to! This book is great if you already have a rough idea of what you want to accomplish. If you are looking for inspiration the selection is limited but still well-done. This is definitely a book to keep in reference.

[Shila Iris]

This book is very comprehensive. However, it is not intimidating like a lot of DIY books. Everything is comprehensible. Overall, the book is well put together, the descriptions, pictures of supplies and before and after pictures are nice.

[Barb]

So fun! Inspiring! Some of the things she painted, I would have left more natural, but that is just personal preference. This is definitely a skill I'd like to work on. Or just finish some of my past projects.