Take an old piece of furniture, tart it up and use it for a different function to add interest to your home suggests interior designer SUZANNE SACORAFOU
MAYBE you think that painted furniture has had its day, but I feel the occasional piece can give a personal touch and add variety and colour to your interior scheme. Being something of a colour freak – I do not have one white wall in my house — and having an eclectic collection of furniture, to some my house might be a nightmare, but my family and friends have always felt that our house gives a warm, friendly, cozy atmosphere, and I take that as a compliment.
Types of furniture available on the market have increased since the reduction of import taxes, so where do you start looking, when you want to add to your present set up? Normally, you want a specific piece of furniture to fulfill a specific function. But how about forgetting new pieces of furniture for once and considering a piece of furniture that no longer serves its original function and create an exciting piece that’s unique for your home.
This is not as daunting as its sounds because you can pick up pieces of furniture that fit these criteria quite easily.
The old fashioned wardrobes that are found in Cyprus, are perfect for the job. Don’t be put off by their size, they all come to pieces and can therefore fit into a lift. A word of advice though, do label each piece as you take it apart, not only what part it is, but which side it is, where is top and bottom and so on and so forth. You could have a bit of a problem fitting it back together if this is not done properly. These great pieces of granny furniture do tend to dominate the room, but by adding some paint, maybe some gilt around the edges and replacing some of the door panels with glass, it will soon become less overpowering, and acceptable in a modern flat or house.
Bookcase, Hi/fi and Television Unit
This piece was an ordinary wardrobe with three solid wooden doors on the front.
Each section was for hanging clothes so no shelves were inside.
Being naturally divided into three sections it was pretty easy to decide what to do with it. The two outer most sections would become a space for books, and the inner section I would remove the door completely to become a space suitable for a CD player, TV and DVD.
The next stage was to paint the inside and decide what part of the outer shell needed some colour. It’s not necessary to paint the entire cupboard, but make it balanced. I left the side panels and the drawers underneath in the natural wood. The paint I used for the new shelves and inside the wardrobe was emulsion, waxed over with a neutral beeswax for a smooth finish. The thickness of wood for the shelves was 18mm.They can be ordered at a carpenter’s workshop, with the shelf supports, and you can determine where the shelves are to be placed by measuring your books.
Changing the inner panels to glass, will allow you to have the books on show but will protect them from household dust. Silver leaf was added to the cornice, the skirting and the detailed section of the panels. I used silver leaf rather than gold as the handles on the drawers and doors were silver. Another detail was to have the glass cut with a beveled edge to add more interest.
The colour I chose for the inside panels and shelves complements the wood, it is not dark but a lively lilac blue, know here as louragi.
Letter sorting boxes
A very lucky find and perfect for a couple’s crockery and ornaments.
It’s a very narrow piece that fits snugly into a corner of a dining area.
The wood is just pine, so painting over the outside with a pale green emulsion and hi-lighting around the glass panels in Indian red, was the chosen solution. Leaving the inside pine, kept a neutral base for the different types of everyday crockery displayed.
Easily painted and positioned, the real strength behind this piece is that every box reads as a separate story. The art of placing every day objects in an aesthetically pleasing manner, adds an extra form, as well as functionality.
1950’s Kitchen Unit
This unit was designed for cutlery and pots and pans, now it stands in a day room and is used for storing the family board and card games with the hi fi placed on top. Originally painted a cream colour, it was finished in a dramatic way, by repainting it cream, then with a combing effect finishing it with an emerald green oil paint, letting the cream show through. Hand-painted patterns were added to the inset door panels. The inside was kept wooden.
Old shutters
Two pairs of old shutters used as sides for a bookcase cum room divider. The shutters were stripped of their old paint and repainted in a blue then dragged with pale beige. Shelves were made out of planks of pine and painted in the same way. A cornice and a base were added to give the piece stability. These pieces can be used either as a room divider or placed against a wall. Either way, an easy solution for extra shelves, custom made to fit your room size and décor.
