If you have ever wanted magazine style outdoor furniture, then you’ll want to begin by looking inside your house. Since good quality outdoor furniture can be expensive, why not repurpose what you have inside for outdoor use? With some easy modifications, you’ll see how to turn indoor furniture into outdoor. The following ideas show how you can repurpose your old and unused furniture into something beautiful for outside.
Easy Ways To Turn Indoor Furniture To Outdoor
Whether simply painting and waterproofing or getting out the saw for a bigger modification, there are several ways to transform your indoor furniture. If you like these ideas, but lack the extra indoor furniture, then you should consider shopping at thrift stores. Chances are, thrift store furniture will still be less expensive than buying new outdoor furniture.
Materials Needed For Transforming Furniture
Depending on the type of furniture that you are converting for outdoor use, you will need one or more of the following supplies.
- a good waterproofing sealer for exterior wood
- waterproofing fabric spray
- exterior paint
- outdoor fabric
- mouse sander
Convert Indoor Dining Table To Outdoor
It is so relaxing and beautiful to enjoy some outdoor dining in the nice weather. You can get a unique look or maybe a larger size by converting an indoor dining table to outdoor.
I am in love with this dining set from Holly Mathis Interiors. The rustic outdoor decor warms my heart!
How To Weatherproof Wood Furniture For Outside
Before bringing any wood dining table outside, you need to prep and seal it first. If there is an existing finish on the table, you will need to sand it so that an exterior sealer will adhere to the wood. Use an outdoor wood sealer with a clear finish. I like Roxil Wood Protection Cream. It goes on with a brush or roller and only requires one coat. This will protect and waterproof wood furniture for years before resealing is required.
If you want to paint or stain the table or any other wood furniture first, just use finishes that are made for exterior use.
Convert Kitchen Chairs To An Outdoor Patio
You can also bring your old wooden kitchen chairs outside to the patio, even if they have fabric seats!
I converted a couple of our vintage kitchen chairs to use out on the patio. To give these chairs a protective waterproof finish, I simply sprayed them with a red exterior paint. However, I also needed to take care of the seat fabric. I could have left the existing fabric on the seats and sprayed them with a waterproof sealer. But, I wanted a new look anyway so I replaced the fabric. My first thought was to purchase outdoor fabric that was already treated. However I used a more durable fabric that I already had and treated it for outside with 303 Fabric Guard.
See the before and after of this chair makeover.
Dresser Makeovers For Outside
My favorite way to reuse an old dresser outside is to make it into a beverage or serving station.
Moving a dresser outside may not be the first thing you think about when designing your outdoor space. However, with a little creativity a dresser makeover like this can be super functional as well as stylish. This is such a fun outdoor beverage station from Bliss Ranch!
Convert Indoor Couch To Outdoor
Wooden furniture seems like a more obvious choice to transform for outdoor use. But what about an old couch? I am amazed at how good a repurposed couch can look outside and so I’ve dedicated a whole post to this idea. You must check out these sofa makeovers to use as outdoor furniture!
How To Waterproof A Couch For Outdoors
For couch fabric, or any outdoor fabric for that matter, you can waterproof it easily with a good fabric sealant like 303 Fabric Guard. Not only does this spray make fabrics waterproof but it also causes the fabric to be stain resistant. I would still recommend bringing removable cushions inside during a rain storm though.
