Art Deco Nightstand

Art Deco Nightstand Before

This art deco nightstand matches the dresser and vanity as part of an

Art Deco Nightstand After

art deco bedroom set restoration. This vanity had broken veneer on the top left and bottom left panels as well as noticeable amount of water damage.

To do this right, we removed the handles, drawer and door (as in the dresser) and replaced the broken veneer sections with new matching veneer, then continued the process of stripping, sanding and staining, using cherry stain and three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane to match the other two pieces in the set.

The lower portion of this nightstand opened like a door and had a single shelf on the inside which was just a piece of cardboard laid on top of two flimsy strips of wood that weren't original to the cabinet. We made a new shelf stained it to match and nailed it to the wood strips; much stronger than cardboard and allowing more options for storage on the bottom of this nightstand.

The curved bottom panel with a center notch was tricky, so instead of cutting the veneer ahead of time, it was better and more accurate to lay a wider section of veneer over the entire section then after it had adhered securely, trim the excess veneer then slightly bevel the edges with my mini dremel tool (quite handy to have!)

Once this was achieved, the rest of the process went smoothly. Luckily the veneer we chose matched almost perfectly, enough so that it looked original. Because these pieces of furniture were made sixty to seventy years ago, it's almost impossible to match the veneer perfectly, but if you find veneer close in color and stain it all the same, you can achieve amazing results. Plus, replacing broken veneer doesn't diminish the value of the item. It brings it back to its original beauty, therefore keeping the existing value as well as increasing the value because now you have a lovely old item of furniture that looks and functions better than prior to refinishing. The hardware, as in the dresser and vanity, was also cleaned polished.

While refinishing isn't the cheapest thing to do with old furniture, if you really love a piece that you are sentimentally attached to, it's worth it!