Hello World! Welcome Friends! Although thrift store art has a reputation for being cheesy, a well-restored piece can really tie the room together. Sometimes, your living room, bedroom, or dining room needs more than a paint refresh; it needs vintage, distressed, or kitschy decorations that bring personality to the space.
How to Restore a Thrift Store Painting
If you’ve ever stumbled across an incredible thrift store painting and you’ve regretted leaving it, this article is for you.
Here are 5 steps you need to take if you want to restore some thrifted art.
Step 1: Choose your Painting
At thrift stores, you’ll find hundreds of pieces of art, so how do you choose the right one? Firstly, be persistent. Go through every piece of art until you find a painting that suits your home and your style. When you’ve secured a piece, transport it in a dry, safe, and dust-free vehicle.
This step is the most involved, and you may start to feel overwhelmed or fatigued. That’s normal. If you can get past it, you’ll have an incredible piece of art on your hands. But if you want a shortcut, you can browse Singulart’s Gallery for professionally made paintings.
Step 2: Clean It Up
Once you’ve got your painting home, you’ll need to start cleaning it. Start by removing any loose paint, dirt, or dust with a damp cloth or soft brush. Olive oil soap is the most effective because it has a low pH level and won’t interact negatively with the paint. Don’t use starch or baby oil.
During this process, you may remove bits of loose paint or texture. When this happens, it could mean the art wasn’t stored properly (by the previous owner) or that something was knocked loose during transportation. But don’t worry; you can fix these issues in most old paintings.
Step 3: Give It a Makeover
Restoring a painting is a lot like painting a house: you need to prepare the space, find the right supplies, and keep a very steady hand. However, re-painting an old piece requires more skills and technique. These botched art repairs are clear examples of how bad things can get.
If you’re not a painter, stick to touch-ups. Try to avoid faces (large portraits are fine) and fine details in the piece. Use a small paintbrush and go slow. If you don’t want to touch the art at all but you still need it to be restored, contact a professional restorer with decent samples.
Step 4: Add a Special Touch
Adding that special touch to thrift store art is a necessary step if you want to transform an outdated piece. Consider replacing the canvas with a fancier one (a gold Victorian frame is always in style) or adding some extra embellishments to give it some more character.
For example, you could add some vintage keychains, jewelry, or a string of lights to create a truly unique piece. You could also replace some of the basic colors with more vibrant or shimmery hues to draw your eye to certain details. Don’t be afraid to inject some creativity!
Step 5: Hang The Reworked Painting
The last step is to hang the piece and admire your handiwork. Placement is key here. Opt for spots that have natural light and won’t cause direct sun damage. Dark areas are best, but if you still want to bring attention to the piece, consider installing museum lighting or pot lights.
There’s no hard and fast rule for art placement, so do what feels natural. With that said, interior designers will place the center of the art object at 60” to 63” above the floor. Once you’ve found the perfect spot, hang it up, sit back, and enjoy your transformed thrift store art for yourself!
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Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day/night depending on where you are in the world! Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!
Toodles,
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