TODAY I’M SHARING HOW TO MAKE OLD FURNITURE LOOK MODERN BY UPDATING THE BASE AND BOTTOM | 15 IDEAS AND LINKS TO FULL DIY TUTORIALS

Hi, sweet creative friends! To start this month off, I’m sharing a fun roundup on How To Make Old Furniture Look Modern – 15 Ideas To Update The Bottom Your Furniture! As I always like to say, if I can do this YOU can do this!

I’ve added 15 easy ideas below in no particular order. There is a link to the original blog post and step-by-step tutorials.

Let’s get this party started…

1. PAINT LEGS IN A FUN COLOR

Color evokes emotion so one of the easiest ways to update old-looking furniture is with a fun pop of color. If you pick a color you love, you can’t go wrong. Below I painted this dated desk in a bright Plum Crazy. This color puts a smile on my face every time I look at it!

2. ADD MOULDINGS

For this console table makeover, I added a Lafleur molding AND a pop of color to update the legs and draw the eye up.

3. ADDING HAIRPIN LEGS

On one of our bulk days, I found this Ikea dresser roadside. Once I decided I was going to paint a high contrast bold stencil design, the round wood feet needed updating.  I swapped them out for these hairpin legs and what a difference!

4. ADDING METAL LEGS

I believe these thrift store nightstands are from the 70’s or 80’s. They were low to the ground and looked very bulky and heavy.

I painted them in modern black and added these metal feet. These metal legs come in black, gold, and silver and give a much cleaner and sleeker look to older-style furniture.

5. ADD CASTOR WHEELS

If you were visiting a few weeks back you may have seen this dresser-turned Map Cabinet.  This was another Ikea find that had round wood feet. To refresh this piece, I added small caster wheels so this piece is easy to move and looks way more updated.

6. SWAP OUT A FLAT SKIRT FOR LEGS | PAINT GOLD CAPS

This one is a double whammy. I removed the bulky bottom skirt and replaced it with tapered legs. Then I painted gold on the bottom of the feet to create faux gold caps. This piece went from a plain flat dresser to a gorgeous Anthropologie Dupe!

7. STRAIGHTEN OUT THE BOTTOM SKIRT

To give these $12 nightstands a new Boho vibe, I straightened the bottom skirt by cutting the rounded edges straight. It’s not difficult to remove a skirt and it gave me great practice using a jigsaw!

What a difference, don’t you think?!

 

8. ADDING ANGLE LEGS

This piece started out as a high gloss boxy dud and turned into this fabulous feminine beauty.

I repurposed these angled legs (they came off another dresser in my inventory) onto this boxy dresser and I feel the bottom angles add so much more than a straight leg ever could!

9. LONG HAIRPIN LEGS TO ADD HEIGHT

I picked up these side tables at my local restore. To give them a totally new updated look, I removed the old dated wood legs, changed the front of these tables to the long side rather than the short, and added 16″ long hairpin legs. The difference is unbelievable. I wouldn’t even know these were the same tables if it wasn’t me who restyled them!

10. ANGLED BOTTOM REVISION

Last week I upcycled this trash-bound desk into two updated nightstands using an angled bottom revision. To get rid of the whale tail skirt, I marked out my angles using a woodworking square and a Sharpie. Then using a Jigsaw, I followed the lines to create a new bottom skirt profile.

This angled bottom works much better with the new cleaner look.

 

11. ADD FEET TO AN EXISTING SKIRT

A lot of older furniture is short by today’s standards. If you find a piece you love but looks dated because of its size, you can add a few inches by adding legs to an existing skirt. This nightstand was a custom piece for a client back in 2015. The addition of the feet raised the entire nightstand by 4 inches and gave it a more modern updated look. Here’s a simple way to add legs to your furniture.

12. ALL-NATURAL WOOD BASE

I love this look. Taking a vintage piece of furniture, painting the top but leaving the base in its all-natural wood beauty! This really gives your vintage furniture a fresh look while showing off its workmanship in a fresh way.

13. STAINED LEGS W PAINTED TOP

And here’s another version of the above. If your vintage piece already has a flawless and gorgeous stain, why not paint the top with a pop of color and leave the legs showing off a rich stain. That’s exactly what I did with this Fall Cabinet. I also included some distressing so some of the dark stain peeked through and tied the entire piece together.

14. PAINT DIP A NATURAL WOOD LEG

Paint dipping or color blocking is a fun way to update the base of your furniture. This sewing machine cabinet makeover had these stunning long legs that I left bare wood.

To tie the new modern look together, I painted the feet the same color as the top. It weighs the piece down and adds interest to these long gorgeous legs – like little ballerina shoes!

15. ADDING BUN FEET

I always want to call Bun Feet Bunt feet…lol, but whatever you call them, they can make a huge difference on your old furniture. Check out how this beast of a dresser all came together! Adding bun feet raised this dresser off the ground to give it a classier modern look!

These bun feet are adorable and they come in all different shapes and sizes!

I hope you enjoyed today’s makeover and it’s given you some ideas on how to update your old furniture!

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THESE IDEAS OR FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂

Happy furniture painting friends!

Denise x

RELATED POSTS::

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HOW TO PAINT MCM FURNITURE

DIY BOHO NIGHTSTANDS

HOW TO REVAMP YOUR OLD DESK

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