Sustainability, recycling and second-hand items make our era and should be present in modern interior design as well. Besides, being sustainable and designing modern spaces can create something completely new and unique. Therefore we will introduce how you can use paint to make recycled materials feel contemporary.
Nowadays, the possibilities for circulating materials are endless, and with good luck, you can find beautiful pearls from the trash of others. Therefore, remember to keep your eyes open because you never know when you will cross something unique.
Old items and furniture will always reflect their era within the form and design of the object, but that doesn’t mean it won’t suit the space you are designing. With paint, the possibilities to modify items to a wanted style are vast, and you will get a perfect result with a good treatment.
Explore old materials
Collect distinctive recycled materials and furniture that inspire you. Pay attention to different forms and details, and remember that the surface and colour can be changed with paint. Naturally, it is also important to consider the style of the space you are designing, whether it is a restaurant, a lobby or a private home. Using second-hand furniture and recycled materials will make the space more sustainable and one of a kind.
How it is actually done: right products to old materials
Old materials can be used again and again, but the more they are reused, the more the colours become faded and muted. Painting is an easy, cheap and authentic way to modify furniture and objects that claim to be updated and serve a new purpose. Therefore it is essential to handle them right to make them look as good as new.
If you are treating the surfaces yourself, start by making the preparations. It is essential to thoroughly clean all the surfaces of the old items as the material tends to get dirty with time and use. Clean the surfaces with Kalustepesu and a wiping cloth to get the best result. Sand all the surfaces with sandpaper and remove the sanding dust before processing.
Prime the surfaces one or two times depending on the age and quality of the material. Use Multistop if you paint old yellowed and darkened wooden surfaces, Roster Super Akva for metal surfaces and Otex Akva for the rest of the materials. After you have primed the surfaces, it’s time to paint. Choose either Intact 8 or Intact 40, or Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the shine you wish to gain. Remember that your material might demand painting the surfaces twice to get the best result.
Pop with colour
When you paint an old material, you can give the item a complete transformation that will speak the language of the space. Often the form of the furniture or item painted gives the atmosphere of the original item, but it will gain a new life with the fresh paint.
If you prefer to bring more colours to the space, you can choose a few colours with the same tone, like in the image where the colours chosen are all pastel colours. Try combining for example X417 Pavillion, H441 Trade wind and X344 Minuet. Together they create a whole. Find the perfect shades in our Symphony Color System.
When you have several different forms and materials that you would like to add to a space, a subtle way to make them uniform is with paint. If you are designing a restaurant and you want to use several chairs, all with different forms, a trendy approach is to paint them all the same colour. The colour will create a red line between the chairs. Try for example a dark shade like Y498 Midnight.
Dig into details
The use of different recycled materials will bring more playfulness to the space. Even small elements, like recycled bottles used as flower vases, will bring character and make the design more sustainable. Remember that also glass bottles can be painted with the style of the space.
If you get excited about painting, you can add ornaments to bigger surfaces. The more you pay attention to the atmosphere of the space and follow the style, the more coherent and unique look the space will gain.
Get to know our colours in the Symphony Color System.
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