What you need to decorate a closet - the most affordable and interesting decoration methods

To update the interior, you don’t need to buy new furniture today; it’s enough to make changes to the design of the old one. We'll tell you how you can decorate your cabinet and give it a second life. Read and find out what restoration methods are best to use in order to completely transform a boring object, hide scratches, faded paint, and cracked varnish. Separately, we will reveal the secrets of decorating a wardrobe.

Bright restoration of an old cabinet Source avatars.mds.yandex.net

Using Accentrim (bevel, diamond edge) to imitate bevel on glass and mirrors of sliding wardrobes

Accentrim tapes imitate V-engraving, bevel, and diamond edges. They expand the possibilities of realizing the designer’s imagination, and when decorating the glass, it does not require its dismantling.

The use of tape reduces the scrap rate, since any error can be easily corrected. The tape is resistant to neutral detergents. Does not shrink, does not change size or shape.

Wardrobe pasting

Pasting the cabinet can be done using the wet or dry method. The choice of method will affect the result.

Dry pasting method

Thus, the dry method is used if the kitchen facade is peeling off in small areas, as well as in the case of applying decorative details on the corners of furniture or uneven areas. In this case, a small part of the protective backing is separated, which will free up the base. After this, the new coating material is applied and leveled.

How to stick film without bubbles? During such work, it is necessary to pull off the substrate and alternately secure the roll to the base surface. Leveling is carried out using a silicone spatula.

Wet method

If it is necessary to cover an old cabinet with film, the wet method of laying the decorative coating is used. In this case, the material is fixed on a moistened base, which will allow for correction during work. To moisten the adhesive mixture applied to the base, use a spray bottle. The backing must be completely removed. The inside of the product is wetted with a soap solution. To prepare it, dilute 10 milliliters of liquid soap or other detergent in a liter of water.

When using the wet method of covering a cabinet with self-adhesive film, it is important not to over-wet the surfaces. Significant moisture causes the canvas to slip and slows down the gluing process.

The film is placed on the desired area of ​​the furniture, the canvas is secured by moving the roller from the center to the edges of the product. The remaining solution should evaporate within 2 days from the moment of application. After this, the canvas with the pattern is processed again with a roller. A similar sequence of work is used for gluing side walls and facades.

DC-Fix film for decorating wardrobe doors

Wardrobe in the living room: types, filling options, colors, location, wardrobe in the living room
DC-Fix film is one of the most popular self-adhesive films, widely presented in online stores. The price of the film is quite affordable, unlike 3M films. You can buy and decorate your closet doors yourself.

Self-adhesive film dc fix imitates silk and ceramics, leather and exotic animal skins, different types of wood, marble and fabric.

There are samples made by artists who transferred images to vinyl film in the spirit of the best examples of world painting.

The Classic dc fix series includes plain matte and glossy films, fluorescent color films, decorative films, films imitating natural stone, tile, wood, wicker, cork and other materials, films with children's drawings, as well as special especially durable films for countertops and doors and external use.

The Magic collection contains mirrored and metallized samples, film with a velor coating, as well as imitating leather and a blackboard.

Spirit are ready-made film stickers that can be easily applied to any surface and just as easily removed from it without leaving a trace.

The dc-fix glass group includes materials for decorating windows and glass surfaces. Self-adhesive dc-fix glass is a stained glass film, colored and transparent with different patterns and reliefs. The 1-2-3-static collection is different in that the sticking effect is created by static forces, without the use of glue, just like Artscape. This is an ideal option for decorating windows, mirrors, glass inserts in doors and cabinets.

Installation

To install mirror elements yourself, you need to work with a fully prepared surface. The base is self-adhesive, just remove the protective layer and glue the main tile.

However, in order not to spoil the material, you need to do it gradually. First, make markings with a simple pencil to get even edges. Peel off a couple of centimeters from the top, place the piece on the drawn line, and press firmly.

Removing the protective coating

From both sides at the same time, gradually from each, the protective film is removed by another 2-3 cm, the canvas is pressed firmly. The steps are repeated until the sheet is glued. Further work looks similar, but compensation gaps should remain between the tiles on each side.

The seams do not have to be treated, but if they are not white, you can apply white sealant and use a grout mixture, which must then be washed off the mirrors.

Films for decorating glass and mirror surfaces 3M Scotchсal

Sliding wardrobe with photo printing

3M films are of a fairly high class in terms of quality and price, films for decorating sliding wardrobe doors.

3M Scotchcal 5525

3M films are non-shrinking, translucent, calendered with a permanent acrylic adhesive layer. In terms of decorating wardrobe doors, we may be interested in films with catalog numbers Haze 314 and Sandblast 324. Haze 314 film gives the glass the appearance of uniformly frosted glass using chemical etching. That is, no chemicals, just simple glass and film.

These films are also interesting because using plotter cutting you can cut out and paste the desired design onto the mirrors or glass of a sliding wardrobe. A non-specialist will not be able to tell whether this drawing was made using sandblasting or film. Examples are shown in the photographs below.

Sandblast 324 film imitates uniform sandblasting of glass. As a result of decorating the glass or mirror of a sliding wardrobe, we get a noble matte finish without unnecessary movements.

The film width is 1.2 m, which is enough for covering wide compartment doors, the cost is about 480 rubles per linear meter.

3M Fasara films are applied to flat glass surfaces and used for graphic decoration of windows and illuminated display cases.

Fasara films also create the effect of etched glass, but with a texture like rice paper. The price of the film is three times more expensive than previous films, and is mainly used for decorating windows.

3M Scotchcal 7725

3M Scotchal 7725 Crystal series films with special effects are used to decorate glass doors of sliding wardrobes, and the film can also be printed on.

Crystal white 314 film with a dusty effect gives the surface the appearance of glass, uniformly frosted using chemical etching. Films Crystal white 324, Crystal mint 326, Crystal blue 327, Crystal rose 323, Crystal gold 331 with frost effect create the effect of glass uniformly sandblasted with different color shades.

Crystal series films can be cut with a plotter, glued to mirrors, edging with lead tape, that is, you can be creative in its use and create sliding wardrobes that are unique in design.

Methods requiring the use of paints

Decoupage

Wardrobe door assembly diagram.

This method is suitable for decorating any surface: solid wood, chipboard, MDF, plastic, glass and mirrors.

If your wardrobe is made of wood, chipboard or MDF, then decoupage on its doors will be done as follows:

1. Sand the areas where the pattern will be applied with fine-grit sandpaper to remove excess varnish or paint from the surface and make it smooth.
2. Cover these places with acrylic varnish and prime (a special acrylic primer is used for this). Then sand again, apply varnish and primer.
3. Attach the pattern.
4. Cover it with varnish.
5. Next, if necessary, refine the drawing with acrylic paints - this will give the image life, as if it were a handwritten painting.
6. Cover the work with varnish in several layers (from 7).
7. Sand and additionally decorate using the craquelure technique, for example.
8. Apply a finishing coat of varnish: it is better if it is alkyd or yacht varnish - this way you won’t have to worry that your creation will not last long. But you can get by with acrylic, because the wardrobe is rarely located in a room with high humidity.

Purpose

Sliding wardrobe with a pattern

The fashion for decorating cabinets with stickers came from Europe. They are an excellent solution when outdated furniture no longer looks beautiful enough. In order not to throw away your favorite closet, it is suggested to cover it with stickers. This will add original design to the model, significantly saving money on restoration.

To decorate yourself, you need to spend no more than 10 minutes. Ready-made options do not require cutting; they are made on the basis of stencils that need to be removed from the adhesive base. If you get tired of the sticker over time, it can be easily removed mechanically.

It is worth emphasizing the main purpose of interior stickers:

• restoration of the appearance of the cabinet;
• decoration of the product to give it a special style;
• hiding defects and scuffs of furniture;
• An excellent replacement for sandblasting.

Stickers on cabinets have a number of properties: they are easy to change to new options, do not leave marks on the surface of the furniture, are easy to clean, affordable, and a wide selection allows you to choose a sticker according to the design of the room. Over time, the sandblasted pattern on the cabinet wears away, which leads to an unsightly appearance of the product. By choosing stickers instead of the specified decor, you can not only save money, but also maintain a pleasant cabinet design.

Mounting and placement options

It is easy to attach stickers to cabinets - to do this, you just need to remove the top layer with the image from the stencil and transfer it to the surface of the furniture. Follow the algorithm of actions to avoid mistakes:

• Clean the surface from grease stains. This can be done using solvents that do not affect the coating;
• It is worth pasting over only even and smooth facades - mirror, glass, wood;
• Remove the backing and apply the sticker to the cabinet. Using a roller, smooth the product from the center to the edges, avoiding the entry of air.

It is recommended to place decorative stickers both symmetrically and in a chaotic manner. The decor of one of the doors or the design of doors in a checkerboard design looks good. Small stickers similar to tree branches can be placed in the corners of the facades. Using stickers on the cabinet will allow you to decorate the product in an original way and add non-standard decor to its appearance.

Interior ideas

In a bright interior, a large white cabinet with a door covered with a light film with contrasting painted patterns in black or gray will look great. Such solutions are trends in recent seasons.

In a cozy bedroom, you can decorate a wardrobe with white film, complemented by large patterns combining pink and gray. Such furniture will be combined with a calm-colored bed, light laminate flooring and soft purple wallpaper.

For a Japanese-style room, stickers for cabinet furniture with contrasting images of cherry blossoms on a dark or light background are suitable (it all depends on the overall palette of the interior).

Kinds

There are several types of wardrobes:

1. The built-in wardrobe is mounted between the walls or placed in a niche. This structure has no floor and roof.
2. The case version may have different dimensions, the number of doors also varies. Such models are placed near the wall.

Purpose of profiles for sliding wardrobes, overview of varieties
The shape of the cabinet can be angular or linear. The first option is placed exclusively in the corner, which allows for more efficient use of the room area. Such structures are made in the form of a triangle with two doors; L-shaped models are popular (often with a large number of doors). There is also a trapezoidal cabinet, which is more spacious.

The linear model is located in a straight line along the wall. Such furniture can be equipped with a different number of doors. Designers still advise placing a moderate number of mirrors. It is better to combine such surfaces with inserts made of leather, bamboo, frosted glass, and photo printing. Otherwise, the room may create an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Hull

Built-in

Straight

Angular

Color and theme

Stickers have become very popular as a type of furniture decor due to the ability to choose a design. If the required option that matches the style of the room is not found among the finished products, you can place an order by first selecting the desired design.

Wardrobe stickers with a decorative function are available in the following themes:

• holidays - this category includes stickers depicting New Year, Christmas motifs, Easter scenes and other holiday designs. You can paste the closet with such products on the eve of the listed celebrations, after which they can be easily removed;
• children's drawings are relevant for decorating cabinets in a children's room. These are images of cartoon characters, animals, fairy-tale characters;
• universal options - drawings allow you to decorate a closet in any room due to their neutrality. More often these are images of birds, plants and ornaments;
• interior stickers - this group includes design developments that feature an original design;
• sports - suitable for decorating a closet in a children's room where a child who is interested in sports lives.

To choose a suitable sticker, think in advance how it will look in the design of the room. If you couldn’t find ready-made options, you can contact a special salon for printing stickers, having previously prepared an image.

Features and Benefits

The fashion for such things came to us from Europe. From the very beginning, people have used stickers to decorate various pieces of furniture, appliances, and walls.

High-quality and beautiful stickers can effectively transform cabinet furniture. It can have a modern and rich design or be simple in appearance.

Another significant advantage of stickers is their ease of application. You can easily decorate your closet to your liking. The range of such elements is simply huge. They come in a variety of shapes and styles.

These details are applied not only to mirror surfaces, but also to cabinet doors made of different materials.

Beautiful and interesting stickers come in different sizes. You can decorate your furniture with many small images or one large design. Entire compositions made from stickers look original.

Dimensions, prices

The cost of one item can vary by 10 times, due to different compositions and production technologies.

Acrylic products cost up to 20,000 rubles, polystyrene up to 10,000 rubles, PVC plastic – 10,000 rubles.

The difference in price is due to the size of the sheets.

Dimensions of acrylate panels:

• 122*244*0.2 cm — 5,000 rub.;
• 122*244*0.3 cm – 6,000 rub.;
• 205*305*0.3 cm – 16,000 rub.;
• 305*205*0.2 mm – 15,000 rub.

The polystyrene-based coating is available in 6 size variations:

• 100*200*0.1 cm – up to RUB 1,700;
• 100*200*0.2 cm – up to RUB 2,800;
• 122*244*0.15 cm – RUB 2,500;
• 122*244*0.2 cm – 3,000 rub.;
• 122*300*0.2 cm – 6,000 rub.;
• 122*300*0.3 cm – 8,000 rub.

The final price may vary. The difference arises when transportation costs increase and orders from resellers.

Decorative films Oracal

Oracal film belongs to economy class calendered films. Oracal film can be transparent and colored, matte and glossy.

The most popular film for decorating sliding wardrobe doors is film series No. 641. The palette has all the colors to make your design dreams come true. At the same time, the service life of a sliding wardrobe with doors covered with Oracal film is not limited.

Using plotter cutting allows you to create entire compositions from different colors of film, as in the figure below.

Preparatory stage before decorating the cabinet

Before starting the transformation process, a number of resuscitation works are necessary:

1. Parsing. Remove all doors from a piece of furniture, take out drawers and shelves. In a word, take it apart into its components. Further work will take place with each of them separately.
2. Updating of fittings. Thoroughly clean all metal elements from dirt and rust, or even replace them with new ones, depending on their condition and your design ideas.
3. Surface preparation. Completely clean the doors, shelves, and body of old coating and dirt using a spatula, sandpaper, brush, rag and water.

Then carefully inspect all surfaces looking for chips and cracks. Defects must be repaired. Use mastic to eliminate minor damage; for more serious damage, putty will be used.

After a course of restoration measures, you can begin decorating with your own hands.

REFERENCE ! Well-chosen fittings can become part of the decorative solution of a cabinet. Plastic, earthenware, copper, a huge variety of shapes and sizes - the choice is yours.

Varieties

Modern manufacturers of interior stickers offer several types of products:

• vinyl;
• paper

PaperVinyl

Each of these types is made on the basis of certain materials, the properties and features of which will be discussed in the next section. Decorative stickers that are in demand today are represented by the following varieties:

• oracal – calendered film. It has an affordable price, several color and structure options. Available in matte and glossy versions. Transparent colored products are widely available and are suitable for use on mirrors. Using the options, you can create a bold decor and decorate your wardrobe in an original way. The service life of such stickers is unlimited;
• 3M film - the use of such stickers on the cabinet is characterized by an elegant appearance, and one of the advantages is the affordable cost. At first glance, such a film can be mistaken for a sandblasted pattern, as it creates a beautiful matte layer of decor;
• 3M Fasara film has an amazing effect and is used to decorate mirrors and glass cabinet surfaces. Some specimens resemble rice paper, which gives the finished drawing a special sophistication;
• stained glass films - create a beautiful multi-colored pattern on the surface of the wardrobe doors;
• stickers imitating other materials. These include options that create the texture of leather, stone and other natural raw materials.

Using decorative stickers on furniture will be a good option for quickly transforming your closet.

Stained glassImitationOracal3M3M Fasara

Advantages and disadvantages

The mirrored sliding wardrobe is equipped with sliding doors mounted on special guide systems. The model of a wardrobe with mirror surfaces has its pros and cons. Among the advantages of the product it is worth noting the following:

1. Furniture visually expands the space, which is especially important for small rooms. This allows you to create a more comfortable environment in the room.
2. Saves space due to the absence of swing doors.
3. Such models tend to fit well into any type of interior design.
4. The internal volume of the cabinet allows you to store many different things.
5. Eliminates the need to install separate mirrors.
6. A variety of shades makes it possible to choose a product to suit every taste and embody original design ideas.
7. The interior item has a long service life with proper care.
8. Mirror facades are considered relatively inexpensive.
9. Thanks to mirror surfaces that reflect light, the room becomes brighter.

The safety of the furniture is ensured by a special protective film. Even if the mirror falls out, it will not fall into pieces.

Mirrored wardrobes also have disadvantages:

• the sliding door opening system can quickly fail if plastic or a low-quality metal alloy was used for its manufacture;
• additional light sources will be required if the piece of furniture is placed in a dark room;
• mirror surfaces of the facade require more careful maintenance.

Regardless of the pros and cons, sliding wardrobes with mirrored doors are very popular. The versatility of furniture and the ability to save space attracts special attention from consumers to this model.

Manufacturing materials

As already noted, interior stickers are made in two versions - vinyl and paper. Vinyl stickers have better performance than their paper counterparts. Let's consider each option separately:

• vinyl based stickers. They are produced in the form of stickers, stencils, luminous products, which are beneficial for use in a children's room. Vinyl options have a long service life, a wide color palette, are quickly installed and removed from the surface, and are also completely harmless to human health;
• paper based stickers. Such products can only be used once. They are difficult to remove from planes, however, they have a wide range of patterns and are cheaper than vinyl counterparts.

Paper based Vinyl based

Beginning of work

Do-it-yourself cabinet decoupage should begin with a thorough inspection of it. Be sure to pay attention to defects; they will need to be worked on separately and removed from the surface. The most convenient way would be to disassemble it, remove the doors and install updated fasteners. The inside of the cabinet is also inspected and processed. For fun, you can take photos before and after work, which you can later show to your friends and family.

Before decorating the cabinet, you need to sand off the old paintwork. This will help avoid detachment and unevenness in the future. A master class from famous carpenters advises covering the entire wooden surface with varnish so that subsequent shades of paint do not change their color as they are absorbed into the wood.

Artscape self-adhesive films for glass decoration

Stained glass, of course, is beautiful, but they have one drawback - their high cost. But don’t worry, there is an inexpensive and simple alternative to stained glass – these are Artscape stained glass films.

Stained glass film is a translucent material that is glued to ordinary glass in a wardrobe, and the whole thing looks like stained glass painting.

Stained glass films are divided into two types: adhesive and self-adhesive. The first ones are attached to glass treated with glue, the second ones are simply attached to wet glass.

Decorative stained glass films from the American company Artscape are of the adhesive-free type. They give ordinary glass the appearance of spectacular artistic stained glass.

Artscape stained glass films attach to surfaces easily and simply. It is enough to clean and degrease the glass, moisten it with water with the addition of liquid soap, separate the film from its paper base, transfer it to the surface and smooth it out properly.

After drying, the film is completely ready for use. By the way, it is possible to reuse the film after removal.

Choice

Depending on the purpose of covering the room and the level of air humidity, different options can be used. Before choosing a product, you need to think about how and where the panels will be located, what threats will constantly exist.

If there are children or pets in the house, wear-resistant raw materials are recommended. Panels for the living room, bedroom, cannot be used in the bathroom, kitchen - there is a strong difference in humidity, the likelihood of mechanical damage.

PVC panels

Plastic-based products have stiffening ribs, on which the strength of the created facing layer depends. You need to select blanks based on requirements.

The ribs should not be visible from the front side; you need to ensure that the surface is even and smooth.

PVC film

If you need a stable option, consider models with an increased number of ribs. The main indicator of quality is the thickness of the front surface (the thicker the better).

They immediately check how well the joining groove is made and the integrity of the packaging.

Acrylic blanks

Acrylic plastic is often used for wardrobe doors – compartments, advertising, and signs on facades.

Suitable for use in damp areas, but not for exterior use.

Acrylate panels

When the temperature in the room changes, the panels shrink and increase in size, and the layers of raw materials inside one sheet acquire different thicknesses.

Material with a self-adhesive coating is allowed for use in areas with direct sunlight.

Polystyrene panels

Polystyrene tiles are used only for interior decoration or advertising decorations placed inside the building.

Mirror polystyrene can be actively used inside very humid rooms, thanks to the rubber component.

Self-adhesive polystyrene

The finished elements are only 1 - 3 mm thick to maintain the stated flexibility. As the indicator increases, there is a decrease in flexibility, an increase in rigidity, and the panels become more fragile. But sufficiently thin raw materials will retain the declared strength.