Secondhand Style

Hand-Me-Down Help

While it's wonderful to move into a larger living space, sometimes you can find yourself a little short on furniture to fill those additional rooms. Leftover family furniture is often the natural place to locate additional pieces. Although the phrase "hand-me-down" doesn't exactly conjure up visions of great beauty, it does possess one superior attribute: the implication of the word "free." Don't be tempted to throw it away--breathe new life into secondhand furniture with these surprising transformations.

Armed with some sandpaper, paint, furniture stripper, fabric, and the help of a few experts, we set out to give a set of hand-me-down furniture, a thorough makeover. So, for those of you with do-it-yourself deficiencies, the following tips may help if you attempt some makeovers of your own.