If you’re trying to decorate your period home, you have probably considered a plethora of furniture options to update the space while embracing the unique style that comes with owning an older property. For convenience and affordability, we couldn’t recommend flat-pack furniture enough.
When thinking of furnishing a Victorian home, flat-pack furniture may not be what immediately comes to mind. Admittedly, many of today’s flat-pack options may seem better suited to the modern home but, with an ever-increasing range of styles and some clever customisation tricks, it’s now easier than ever to incorporate affordable flat-pack furniture into your period home and make it look the part.
For ideas on how to add some flat-pack furniture to your space, take a look at our simple tips and tricks.
Replicating vintage furniture
It will be tempting to fill your period property with vintage furniture pieces that match the space, but that isn’t a realistic option for everyone. Vintage pieces aren’t always the most cost-effective option and they can sometimes be very hard to find. Which is why you’ll be pleased to know that there are many flat-pack replicas out there that look just as good at a fraction of the price.
We’d recommend researching a style that you like and think will suit the existing features in your house and then seeing if you can find some flat-pack furniture that matches. Look for darker woods, ornate and intricate designs, floral patterns, and metal embellishments.
DIY wardrobes using flat-packs
If you’re up for a DIY project which will result in something quite unique, you can use the carcass of a flat-pack wardrobe to create your own custom-built version with just a few little extras to make the piece feel more in keeping with your period home.
Many flat-pack wardrobes come in a variety of colours and finishes and can be made to your specifications and size requirements, allowing you to create one that perfectly fits your space. One of the most popular is IKEA’s PAX system, which you can design yourself.
To bring the furniture even more in line with your period home, you could consider adding mouldings or a decorative trim to your wardrobe doors to achieve a more ornate look. You could also swap out the wardrobe’s existing door handles or knobs, incorporating vintage or replica-vintage styles for even more character.
If you’re contemplating fitted wardrobes but are conscious of the cost, flat-packs might also be the answer! You can utilise alcoves on either side of your Victorian home’s chimney breasts to build your own DIY, fitted wardrobes and take full advantage of the space. With just some MDF, moulding and caulk, you can affordably transform your flat-packs into custom-fitted furniture.
You could follow the same process with chests of drawers or IKEA’s Platsa range – a selection of interchangeable and stackable pieces – to build fitted furniture in unused alcoves or awkward corners of your home.
With proper planning and careful measuring, using flat-packs in this manner can be a really affordable way of incorporating customised designs into your home, allowing you to get the period look without the premium price.
Changing the look of your furniture
A lot of flat-pack furniture looks more expensive than it actually is, but you can always take things a little further to elevate the look of a piece.
Sanding
With Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) furniture, you can sand it down to make it appear more like real wood. There are a couple of different techniques you can use.
Because MDF may be more fragile, we recommend using medium-grit (120) sandpaper to start the process, going with the grain of the wood and then finishing with 220 sandpaper for a smooth feel and professional look. You may need a sanding block to complete any corners.
Remember to wear gear like a mask, gloves, and protective glasses and make sure you remove the excess dust created by the process.
Painting
You can stop at just sanding your piece, but this sanding can also be used to prepare for a paint job. You may want to add a pop of colour with a standard furniture-friendly paint that matches your colour scheme, or you might like to try and replicate a hardwood or rustic wood aesthetic.
Brands like Rust-Oleum offer a range of weathered wood style paints to achieve the rustic look, while wood grain paint tools, brushes and rollers can be used with stains and paints to mimic the knots and grains of real wood. These tools can be used to create a trendy-looking piece without breaking the bank.
Vinyl wraps
For flat-pack cabinets with glass inserts, adding a vinyl wrap to mimic the style of ribbed glass can be a simple but effective upgrade. This style was popular in the art deco period, so for a Victorian property, it’s a wonderful choice.
To avoid air bubbles, make sure you remove dust and residue from the surface and that you take your time. You should also cut your vinyl wrap to size before application, ensuring each piece has some allowance to fit the glass insert.
Reupholstery
Flat-pack bed headboard feeling a little lack-lustre? Selecting a new fabric in keeping with your chosen style and reupholstering it may be a winning option for you. Though this can be done professionally, if you’re feeling brave and have the right tools, reupholstery can be easily attempted at home.
Alternatively, you could ditch the headboard altogether and replace it with a decorative room divider behind your bed that matches your home’s decor. Victorians were big fans of beautifully designed room dividers so this trick would work well for a period property with smaller rooms.
Replace the handles
Don’t want to make any major changes? Changing the handles on flat-pack furniture can make a big visual impact with minimal effort. Just buy some knobs or handles that suit your style and replace any that you want to upgrade.
Victorians loved exquisite ironmongery when it came to their choice of knobs, so if you want to match that, try incorporating matching gold or brass handles with intricate designs into your furniture and interior design.
Insuring your Victorian home
As you deck out your space with some new furniture, you may be wondering about your home insurance. Adrian Flux can help you find a policy that works for you and your home.
Call 0800 369 8590 for a quote or book a callback at a time that works for you.
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