Furniture Makeovers: Simple Techniques for Transforming Furniture with Paint, Stains, Paper, Stencils, and More Hardcover – April 9, 2013

I purchased this book to update some old furniture that was left behind at our house when we bought it. Since we moved from an apartment to a house we didn't have a lot of furniture to fill the space, so I wanted to update and modernize what we had. This book goes into detail on how to take your existing pieces and update them to amazing one of a kind items. They go over in detail how to strip, prime, stencil, paint and even replace the hardware to change the look of your furniture. I turned a hallway table into a printer desk and it only took me an entire day to sand, prime, paint and add new hardware. I love how it turned out and get so many compliments on it. Even if you're not "crafty" this book teaches you ways to transform your furniture no matter what your skill level. Don't be intimidated by DIY crafts!

The book lists specific materials, stores where to get them -- vital information for any nervous novice.Well written: sounds (reads) like friend walking you through a no-fuss project.Her thoughts on which used furniture to pick up or walk away from, cautionary messages on handling potentially hazardous materials and repetitive advice on different techniques made me feel confident enough to tackle my first project within a week of reading the book!The list of materials is many pages long -- however, one can buy the shorter list for each technique and still finish a project.Straightforward instructions on basic seat upholstering prodded me to up-cycle my favorite chair and got such a great result.The greatest compliment was when my husband came home, "Cool chair. Anthropologie?" 'Could've hugged him, but I hugged my book instead. LoLIf you've been eyeing a few tired looking furniture pieces at home, and didn't have the money for new stuff -- get the book and get ready for some fun make-overs!

What a great instruction book for the would-be furniture sprucer-upper. From tools to techniques, this book covers so many aspects of re-finishing and repairing wooden pieces. Bar Blair takes you, step-by-step, through the process of removing the old and then applying the new. My husband and get such a kick out of turning someone's kicked-to-the-curb discard, into a proud member of the family. My kids have all come around and asked "Hey, what are you going to do with that when it's finished?" I tell them I'll put it in the will, but they'll have to wait til then!The author also gives good insights as to what to look for in construction of a piece, what it will take to restore it, and when to walk away. There are costs involved, and I have found myself occasionally paying too much for what it will be worth in the end. All supplies cost money, especially if you are into the new milk and chalk paints and the wax finishes, which she also covers.. This is a good beginner's book, but there are tips that even the more advanced amateur will find helpful.

I've been refinishing and painting furniture for over 10 years at my antique shop. And, if you are a bookworm like I am, you are always looking for the next great book to show you something new. There is always that project that you have never faced before or a technique you want to try. This book does a wonderful, step-by step, job of outlining the basics of many techniques and showing us some twists we would never have thought of. Add to that, the great inspiration section at the end of the book, and you have a real keeper. I have one copy at home, one at my shop, and I bought another copy for my daughter, a beginning "reworker". I really like the beginning sections of the book which outline all the recommended tools and supplies you'll need. That's a great time and money saver. I use this book as my refresher course and quick answer book as well as an idea source. Overall "Furniture Makeovers" is one of my very favorites and my default Christmas gift this year for all my "antique friends".

I watch Flea Market Flip all the time and I’m really fond of the idea of re-imagining furniture with paint and other media. So, when I happened upon this book – all about painting old furniture to redo it - I snatched it up.The cover picture does not appeal to me, but I figured it was just a piece for a child’s room and that the rest of the projects would grab me. Well…now that I’ve had a chance to read it, I’m not 100% thrilled. It’s a nice idea and there’s a very thorough section on various paint/other techniques, but the makeover section is disappointingly short. Speaking of the makeover section…I suspect that the author’s style and mine just don’t coincide, because I found a lot of the projects rather ugly afterwards, particularly the little desk that was turned into a weird orange color with white distressing brushed over it. I know that I like painted furniture because I have seen beautiful, inspiring pieces online before (which even inspired me to paint my own dresser), but nothing in this book was particularly inspiring to me (aside from a few pieces I thought were alright). It’s really too bad, as I was hoping for more.Overall, whether or not I can recommend this really depends on your personal style. Some people out there may love the author’s style, and if so, then you’ll likely love this book. I suggest you try to look inside the book before buying if you can, just to see if it’s up your alley.