Furniture Restoration and Transformation for Beginners
A course by Antic&ChicInterior design studio and furniture transformation workshop.
A course by Antic&Chic, Interior design studio and furniture transformation workshop.
Create unique decorative pieces from your old furniture to achieve spaces full of style and personality
There’s an endless world of possibilities within the art of restoration. Creators of the interior design studio Antic&Chic Celia and Marc are here to teach you how to restore and transform your old furniture or household items to revitalize and add character to your home.
Discover the different array techniques used in furniture transformation and restoration. Step by step, Celia and Marc guide you through the careful art of renovation as they share their secrets to creating unique pieces that add charm to your decor.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 26 downloads
What Will We Do in This Course?
2 minutes, 46 seconds
Before Buying Old Parts
6 minutes, 44 seconds
Chair Diagnosis
3 minutes, 51 seconds
Clean and Deworm
11 minutes, 32 seconds
Stripping
6 minutes, 18 seconds
Sand and Prime
13 minutes, 52 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by hearing the story of how Antic&Chic came about. Cecilia and Marc share some of their favorite projects and explain the different places they draw their inspiration from.
Discover the basics of restoration and transformation, and the difference between the two concepts. Learn what to take into account when buying your materials, and the importance of designing the finish for your piece in advance, which ensures starting your work on the right foot.
Time to get down to work. First, decide what finish you want to use. Then, evaluate the state of your piece in order to clean it and treat it in case it has woodworm. Learn how to remove the original varnish and make small repairs such as gluing or applying filler.
Bring out the beauty of your piece of furniture by mending the surface using sanding or priming. Celia and Marc also teach you how to paint and varnish after demonstrating all the different possible finishes. Wrap up by creating different effects such as distressed, lacquered or dip-dying. Chose your favorites to give your piece more personality.
What is this course's project?
Design and restore an old chair using different techniques to transform it
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is suitable for decorating and DIY hobbyists as well as professionals who work with furniture.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge of furniture restoration is necessary..
For this course, you will use a variety of materials found in hardware stores, such as paint remover or stripper, steel wool, liquid woodworm treatment, flat-head screws, sandpaper or sanding sponges and filler, among others. You will also need tools such as a spatula or scraper, screwdriver and drill bits, a chisel or cutting multi-tool and screwdriver, as well as others that your teachers will indicate during the course.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
This course was excellent to show you the basics of restoring furniture. I learned so much and the ways I can apply it to different pieces. I have all my parents furniture in my house. These pieces are from the 1930s and 1940s, I now fill confident to make a few tweaks to them so they can be around a longer time.
- 3 months ago
Ainda estou a começar, mas já estou a adorar :)
- 5 months ago
muy chevere y practico el curso.. me encanto
- 6 months ago
Excelente!
- 7 months ago
Muy bueno, bien explicado y buenos resultados
They incorporate antique pieces and transform them to give them a more modern look. In their projects, they combine antique and modern pieces, and use works of art, plants and colors to achieve results that are full of joy, a sense of freshness and heaps of character.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What Will We Do in This Course?
- U2
The Bases to Know How to Restore
- Restore vs Transform
- Before Buying Old Parts
- Decide On the Furniture Finish
- U3
First Steps for Your Project
- Chair Diagnosis
- Clean and Deworm
- Stripping
- Small Repairs 1
- Small Repairs 2
- U4
The Moment of Change: Paints and Varnishes
- Sand and Prime
- Paint and Its Finishes
- Varnish and Its Finishes
- U5
And This Is Just the Beginning...
- Care and Maintenance
- Tips to Move Forward with Your Projects
- FP
Final project
- Furniture Restoration and Transformation for Beginners
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
You’ll learn restoration techniques, creative recycling, and how to transform antique furniture—including cleaning, woodworm treatment, stripping, painting, repairs, and decorative finishes to achieve styles like country chic, vintage, or eco-friendly.
The course is designed for intermediate learners—perfect if you already have basic skills or some DIY or decorating experience but want to deepen your knowledge of classic and modern restoration methods.
You’ll need wooden furniture to restore, eco-friendly paints, varnish, wax, sandpaper, stripper, filler, basic carpentry tools, and personal protective gear. The course guides you on choosing the right materials for each project.
Techniques taught include professional cleaning, woodworm treatment, chemical stripping, gluing, damage repair, applying Milk Paint, rustic patinas, Deep Diet finish, and tips for blending current and eco-conscious styles.
The course teaches you how to assess structural condition, detect woodworm, evaluate materials, and decide if restoration is feasible to ensure successful, functional results.
Yes, you’ll learn how to create distressed finishes, patinas, stripping effects, and apply bold or neutral colors to achieve vintage, country chic, and personalized looks.
The course encourages using recycled materials, eco-friendly paints, and responsible practices, showing you how to minimize environmental impact in every restoration project.