In recent years, an increasing number of DIY enthusiasts have been ruining beautiful coffee tables, dressers, and other furniture with poorly done paint jobs.
However, a group of people has emerged to fight against these crimes and restore these pieces to their original beauty. These individuals can be found on the subreddit ‘Reverse Pinterest,’ which is dedicated to “showcasing handcrafted wood pieces that have been rescued from Pinterest-paint hell and restored to their original glory,” according to the subreddit’s ‘About’ page.
Here are 50 of the best Reverse Pinterest projects shared in the group.
1. “Restored This Beauty To Original Glory. $20 Goodwill Cedar Chest Returned From Crackled Paint Torture”
2. “Behold, The Most Satisfying Reverse Pinterest”
3. “I Don’t Know If I Can Top This One! Fully Restored Brasilia II Petite Buffet”
6. “Lane Acclaim Side Table Hidden Under Pea Green Paint!”
7. “Heard You Guys Like A Good Before And After”
8. “Thought Y’all Might Appreciate My Efforts”
9. “Vintage Console I Stripped A While Ago”
10. “Thinking My Recent Rehab Of This Pre-Pinterest Paint Job Would Be Enjoyed Here”
11. “I Put Two Months Of My Time On Weekends And After Work To Remove The Awful Paint From This Gorgeous Danish Teak Desk With Floating Legs!”
12. “The Abuse Is Finally Over”
13. “A Ridiculous Amount Of Love, Patience, And Skill Went Into Reversing These Mid-Century Modern Pieces! I Restore For A Living, And Although I Really Hate Dealing With Painted Stuff, It Makes Me That Much Prouder Of My Craft”
14. “Under 3 Coats Of White Paint And 1 Coat Of Green, Was This Beautiful Rimu Timber”
15. “Before And After”
16. “Was Told To Post Here. Before And After De-Pinteresting”
17. “Thonet Dining Chairs, Redeemed”
18. “Restoration Process, Finished!”
19. “Before And After”
20. “Stripping Paint Is The Absolute Worst. Three Weeks After Staring I’ve Finally Made It, Boys. Just Picked Up Another Similar Dresser Painted Brown. Why Do I Do This To Myself”
21. “My First Furniture Unflip”
22. “American Of Martinsville Dresser That I Tried My Best To Restore”
23. “60s/70s Wine Bar Restoration”
24. “I Saw This Desk On Cl For $50 And Drove From San Antonio To College Station To Pick It Up. Restored It In American Oak And Black Lacquer”
25. “I Bought This Coffee Table In 2018 For $15 At A Flea Market Because It Was Cheap And I Needed Something For My Living Room. Finally Got Around To Stripping It This Weekend”
26. “The ‘Distressed’ Console That Caused Me Such Distress”
27. “Facebook Marketplace Makeover”
28. “Pair Of Lane Acclaim Round Tables”
29. “Johnson Carper Ronda Saved From Teal Spray Paint”
30. “Final Update On My Mcm Nightstands! Before, Fully Stripped, And After! They Are My Pride And Joy”
31. “Reverse Pinterest That A Friend Did”
32. “Forgot To Take A Pic Of The Finished Product Without Stuff On It But! My First Reverse Pintrest On This $10 Genuine Mahogany Dresser That Had Been Spray Painted”
33. “It Had To Be Done. I Hope You’ll Enjoy The Result”
34. “Beautiful Restoration Job”
35. “Stripped And Sanded This Mission Oak Coffee Table. Happy To See The Tiger Oak Back Out In The Open”
36. “Reversed This $10 Fb Marketplace Kroehler Side Table”
37. “I Found This Painted Broyhill Brasilia On Craigslist And My Husband Fixed It”
38. “Restored This Johnson Carper Fashion Trend Desk. This Paint Did Not Want To Come Off”
39. “My Refinished Bassett Dresser, It Was Pink!”
40. “Stripped The Paint And Transformed It Into A Tilt Out Storage Cabinet”
41. “I Was In Desperate Need Of A Dresser And Bought This Cheap. 7 Layers Of Paint Later I Found This Beautiful Wood Underneath”
42. “Lane Acclaim End Table For $50 On Facebook Marketplace, Before And After”
44. “First Time Rehabbing A Piece. Broyhill Sculptra Dresser. Few Mistakes With The Finish Due To Impatience. But I’m Happy With It For A $30 Thrift! All Thanks To Dashner Restoration Youtube Channel”
45. “My Crusade Upon Painted Antique Furniture”
46. “Thrift Store ‘Rescue'”
47. “Beautiful Wood Grain Revealed”
48. “Reversed It”
49. “First Major Restoration”
50. “I Wish I Could Pay $170 To Purchase This Piece Off Of Fb Marketplace And Restore It…literally Should Be A Crime To Do This”
When he's not doomscrolling Twitter or writing for Pleated-Jeans, Nate Armbruster writes jokes—and then tells them on stage as a stand-up comedian, where he can watch audiences (hopefully) laugh in real-time.