DIY Makeover - Perabot Lama Berwajah Baru

16 years ago, I bought a set of 2nd hand wooden living room furniture set. It was on auction and we got a pretty decent deal. Having just married less than a year then, it was all we could afford at the time.

When we moved to Miri in 2010, we had already by then acquired a new set which, of course, deserved centre stage in our living room. Mesti la kan? And so the old wooden set was then demoted and moved to the patio. Which actually, wasn't such a bad idea lah. We hung out on the patio quite frequently, so they have been well, useful, to say the least. Therefore, not forgotten.

Only problem is, being outside all these years had taken quite a toll on the furniture. They were constantly exposed to the mercy of the weather. Our house faces the evening sun, and let me tell you... evening sun in Miri is merciless. Panas terik gila ok? And since we live close to the beach, rain means strong wind and often times during heavy rain, they were left drenched and the cushions soaked. And such has been the cycles of torment they have been subjected to.

Gile drama kan I punya description? Hahaha!

Anyway, one day I realized that these chairs are quite sturdy and of a reasonably good quality wood. I mean, after all these years under sun and rain and still no clear sign of decay to the wood. They still hold their shapes, no chips nor cracks. And they're heavy. So, for me yang tak berapa arif bab2 kayu ni, I take it that this can only mean that these furniture are made from quality natural material.

That realization lead me to embark on a makeover project. Initially, I just wanted to sew new cushion covers to replace the old, battered ones. Bayangkan, tak pernah tukar sarung sejak beli! But having completed the cushion covers and put them on, I thought they'd look better with a new coat of paint as well. But I had never painted any furniture before. Cat dinding pernah lah... but wood furniture? Macam tak yakin jugak la nak buat. What if I mess up?

But I went ahead anyway, after having googled the how-to's and what not-to-do's.

So here's the before picture. See how ugly they were? Nak duduk pun macam geli gitu kan?

Here's what one of them looks after a new coat of paint. As you can see, the plywood clearly needs replacement. But it's too much of a task for me... will get a real carpenter to fix it.

Someday... hik!

Here's when I made the cushion cover. Lazy me only made fitted covers. Yang macam fitted bedsheet tu. I don't want to go through so much hassle sewing zippers and what not since these are going to be placed outdoors anyway. Besides, it's so much easier to remove them for cleaning.

And here's what they finally look like.

Amacam? Ok tak? Ok sangat kan?

I still have more wooden outdoor furniture to splash paint on....

One day, insyaAllah.

=)