1940s Bedroom Refinishing Project

Low Dresser After

Low Dresser Before

This was one of several pieces of a 1940s vintage bedroom set which Jim recently refinished. It had seen some wear because it had been used for a few generations and needed some revitalizing and love. 

We were excited to take on this project which had two dressers as seen in this post. This bedroom set also had a mirror, bed with headboard and footboard and side rails (not pictured). It’s difficult to get photos of the items when they are delivered in sections. This furniture was in pretty good condition, had great bones, but the exterior had seen some wear and scratching, not uncommon for a vintage bedroom set. Luckily there was no structural or water damage which can be harder to rectify. 

Jim had blended two different stains to obtain a unique color that best suited the furniture. It turned out to be a perfect color for the dressers, resulting in a rich tone which best shows the woodgrain which was hidden prior to the refinishing. That’s one of the many perks of working with stains; custom blending which results in a unique color. It’s quite noticeable in the tall dresser (below) what a variation in color can be in the “before” photo. When furniture is made in a factory, the staining process is quite different from refinishing by hand. They use a spray stain that has a different look, more opaque so the woodgrain is not as visible as it is once it is stripped and refinished. One of the benefits of the hand stripping/refinishing process is that it exposes the natural beauty of the wood.

The scratches on the tops of the dressers were superficial, so they were easily sanded down once the dressers were stripped. Dressers require a great deal of work because each drawer is an individual section that requires removal of hardware and is treated one at a time while stripping, sanding and staining before finishing with polyurethane to protect the finishes. The low dresser (as seen in photos above) had six drawers with general depths. These older dresser have much more space than their newer counterparts and are made very well, so they are usually worth refinishing. It truly is an investment worth doing to preserve a piece of your family’s history.

Tall Dresser After

Tall Dresser Before

The taller dresser (shown left) had four large drawers and two smaller ones at the top. The oval hardware was original in the Federal style. Some customers prefer the original hardware and others like to give their furniture an updated look and replace it, but either way, refinishing a bedroom set is always worth doing because you already have made the investment in the furniture, so why not keep it for generations to come? It’s a wonderful way to honor your family’s history. 

Antique Dresser with Mirror

 

Dresser Before

Dressers are important pieces of furniture with the important purpose of keeping your sweaters and other items handy and at your fingertips. Nobody said a dresser needs to be boring, so why not take a look at that old dresser in your grandmother’s attic and examined it with a critical eye and imagine it refinished. 

Dresser After

This dresser had been a family heirloom that had seen some wear. The mirror was original and had some marking on the back side, but was still serviceable. A fun aspect of obtaining and refinishing antiques is finding something that dates an item. This dresser had old newspapers on the back that dated back to November of 1913. Made of solid oak, this dresser was a lovely piece of furniture worthy of restoration.

As with most mirrored pieces, they are refinished separately, which requires a great deal of care. Especially with a mirror (because who wants seven years of bad luck?) The lovely curves of the side bars of the mirror really added character to the overall look of the dresser. It was indeed a special element that makes these antiques so special and individually unique. Two top drawers with a single larger drawer and a front curve mimics the curve of the mirror frame as well as the top, which had the most damage. After stripping, sanding and staining, we protected this dresser with two coats of polyurethane. 

Luckily, we are usually able to remove most surface scratches on furniture, so this piece had a great finish. The exception to that rule is when an item has veneer with deep scratches. You can only sand veneer so far before you remove it completely and end up with what appears to be a large patch where the plywood shows through. That’s why we love working with solid wood. It’s much more durable and sturdy and refinishes well, with a better final result. Anything made of particle board isn’t even worth refinishing because it’s not “real” wood. You can’t beat solid wood for furniture, that’s why antiques are always worth refinishing so they can be kept for another few centuries. 

Maple Rocking Chair Refinished With New Caning

Rocking Chair Before

This antique rocking chair had seen many years of use, unfortunately had gotten a knee through the seat and broke the original caning. The chair is well over 100 years old and likely a host to many relaxing moments, conversations and stories while gently rocking and listening to the many tales told.

Caning Process With Pegs

The chair had aged, the wood darkened, hiding the beautiful wood grain beneath. Since my customer had wanted the chair refinished as well as replace all the caning.

If you are unfamiliar with the chair caning process, there are two types of cane; "strand" cane and "pressed" cane. This chair had “strand” caning, which means you create the weave by measuring the holes and finding center, then string very long strands of cane back and forth through the holes, first vertically, then horizontally and both ways diagonally. While you are weaving, you keep the cane in place by using “caning pegs,” which fit into the holes, keeping the cane tight as you carefully move across and down the chair. If you’ve done all the steps right, you will have the “holes” as a result of the weave.

Rocking Chair After

Because this chair needed refinishing as well as new cane, it was necessary to snip away all the old caning first. This in itself was a time-consuming process because the original cane had been lacquered over so it was stiff and difficult to snip and remove. Once that was complete, the old cane comes easily through the holes, which vary in size. This chair had 1/4” holes and required size 3 medium cane.

After all caning was removed, I began the tedious process of stripping the old finish and revealing the true beauty of the wood, which was maple. Considering the age of this chair, it was in remarkably beautiful condition with no breaks in the structure. Indeed, it was as sturdy as it was the day it was made.

Once I had removed all the old stain using a variety of tools, including a toothbrush, brass brush and lots of in between sanding, I chose chestnut gel stain and finished it with semi-gloss polyurethane. I allowed the chair to dry for two days prior to caning it. It was a fairly large chair and had ultimately required three bundles (called hanks) of caning. I had originally ordered only two hanks, so I had to wait a few days while the third hank was on its way, catching up on other projects in the meantime.

The caning process for this chair took ten days, five days for the bottom and five days for the upper portion of the chair. I spent an average of four hours per day on caning this chair. It can be a strenuous activity, so taking frequent breaks is essential to avoid lower back pain. While caning isn’t super difficult, it does require patience, time and a skill set similar to weaving a basket. It is intensly  gratifying to see the final product after a few hundred feet of caning has been woven through it. Here’s to another one-hundred years and many more stories to share...

Antique Mahogany Table Makeover

Mahogany Table Before

We've done plenty of tables since we started restoring furniture, but this by far was one of the most unique antique tables. This was a lovely "sewing table" with fluted edges on the top shelf and beading on the edge of the lower shelf. Unfortunately its structure was quite wobbly, because the points of

Mahogany Table After

attachment were very delicate and the legs were spindly and thin, which affected the overall stability. The only thing we could do to shore then up was add a few pin nails on the back side of the legs at the attachment point between the two shelves.

This table was in great overall condition, but the row of beading on the bottom shelf had beads missing, which needed to be replaced. I searched online for the right size replacement beads and discovered a few things. The first, beads such as the ones on this table are difficult to find, plus I was not able to get furniture beads in a dark

Two-Tier Antique Mahogany Table

Table Before Repair

Table After Repair & Refinishing

This table came to me as you see in the photo on the right, with three legs that were broken, the center piece which held them together was missing on two out of the three legs.

These missing sections had to be reconstructed using a template, traced from the legs themselves. This was an lovely antique two-tier table commonly seen during the 1920's and 1930s. Many people remember these tables in their grandparents homes, so they now hold a special place in our hearts along with all those memories. Commonly used for knick-knacks, plants, collectibles and many other

Hand Carved Glass Top Table

Table Before

Table After

I'm always impressed with hand carved wood such as this gorgeous Bavarian style table, a unique piece with lots of charm.

The table had a removal glass top which was also encased in matching wood with a lovely curved edge. The glass was quite scratched, a clear sign that whoever had owned this table had put it to use, which is wonderful because furniture is meant to be used and shown off.

Caned Parlor Chair

Caned Chair Before

Caned Chair After

This little parlor chair had broken cane on the seat, but was otherwise in good condition, albeit a bit scratched up. I had never done caning, but I knew that with a little research, the right tools and a bit of determination I could figure it out, so I began reading about caning and found plenty of videos on YouTube and other "how tos" in various sites on the world wide web.

The concept was simple enough. First step is to remove the spline, then pull out the damaged caning. Once that is removed, you chisel away any remaining glue and debris and clean out the spine groove so that the new spline can be installed. Since the spline comes in various sizes, you need to know what size it is before you purchase new spline, otherwise it may not fit. I didn't realize there were so many sizes!

Decorative Walnut Antique Cedar Chest

Walnut Cedar Chest Before

Having refinished several cedar chests, this was definitely the most decorative and detailed ones I'd ever seen. I had no clue as to its age, as it had no markings on it, but judging by the way it was made and the materials used, I estimated it to be well over one hundred years old. It had no shelf on the inside, as many cedar chests do, but it was roomy enough to store many blankets, quilts and sets of sheets.

In order to properly restore this cedar chest in the best way possible, I removed the back decorative scroll, which had veneer damage, as well as the side scroll features, which were solid walnut, no veneer. The bottom of the chest was missing a back leg post and the veneer was damaged or missing. I knew this would be a major

Walnut Cedar Chest After

project, but to do it justice, it needed to be done right.

After removing the scrollwork, I began the tedious task of stripping the old finish with my choice gel stripper. Stripping is extremely messy work and requires several applications of stripper and many passes with a putty knife. The method I use is slow and steady, but gives excellent results. After liberally applying the stripper, I leave it on a bit, then slowly pull the putty knife toward myself (as to avoid gouging the wood) bringing a thick, gooey layer of the old finish and the now brown stripping compound with it, then swipe the entire mess into a plastic margarine container. (Never underestimate the use of these handy containers!) 

For the hard to reach areas of the cedar chest I used a wide selection of wood carving tools which are quite handy to get into the nooks and crannies, such as the front panel and beaded detail. I scraped as much old finish off as I could with the tool of choice, then used a small brass brush to remove residue I was unable to scrape off. I then used a steel wool pad to remove the rest of the residue prior to sanding. For this cedar chest I chose not to use my orbital sander, instead opting for hand sanding because of the beading and panel detail on the front.

Artistic End Table

End Table Before

Leather on an end table such as this was commonly used for furniture as a decorative effect for the top. It worked nicely when new, but over the years these tables' leather got pretty beat up. Scratches, gouges, tears and discoloration became more common than shiny new leather and it no longer looked pretty, just old and worn out.

End Table After

While I wasn't quite sure what I would do to replace the leather which was peeling up on one side, it needed to be completely removed, which had proven to be quite a task, as the non-lifted portion adhered quite well. I had to use a small heat gun to soften the adhesive enough to carefully slip my putty knife under the leather and slowly peel it off the wood. It took about 30 minutes, but I was successfully able to lift the last corner of the leather and tear it off. Goodbye old leather, hello new design.

I used a chisel to scrape remaining paper left by the leather section, then sanded the surface smooth. While I was unsure exactly what I would do to replace the leather, I knew that when the time came, I'd have exactly the right treatment, so I got to work on the rest of it. I stripped, sanded and stained the end table using cherry stain, which brought out the gorgeous tones in the cherry wood the table was made from. Making a decision on stain can be tricky, since you don't really know how it will look until you apply it. A darker stain would have hidden much of the wood grain, so cherry was the perfect choice for this end table.


Once stained, I put this table aside while working on other furniture items for this project, (while my I left my subconscious work on the creative side of how to make the top stand out). Eventually I had formulated an idea which involved my trusty carpenter, my husband Jim. I had asked him to make custom veneer sections out of oak and mahogany, so he sliced up sixteen 1-1/2" sections of veneer, more than enough to experiment with a workable design for the tabletop.

End Table After

Using the freshly cut veneer sections, I laid out the pieces and worked up a design, much like one would put together a puzzle, only you create the design as you go. It took a while as I played around with the length of each piece, layout and design, but eventually I had created a random pattern I was satisfied with, then applied adhesive to the table and each veneer section, then let everything dry for fifteen minutes before I carefully positioned each section into place. There's no forgiveness when you work with adhesive cement on both sides of the wood. Once they're down, they're down, so it's a good idea to "dry fit" them before you apply the adhesive.

After sanding the tabletop to get all the veneer sections level, I applied golden pecan stain. Because of the two distinct woods, each wood had taken on a different tone, which created an interesting, artistic and contemporary tabletop. Once the stain was dry, I applied two coats of polyurethane to the lower areas and legs of the table and three coats to the top for added protection. It looked fabulous! This was definitely one of my favorite projects as I was able to blend the craft of refinishing, with the art of creating a custom made veneer design that gave this old beauty a modern, updated look.

This table was one of four pieces of furniture we did at the same time. Click on the links below to see the others:

http://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2017/04/antique-secretary.html
http://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2017/04/antique-writing-desk.html
http://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2017/04/antique-piano-bench.html

Antique Piano Bench

Bench Before

Made of gorgeous walnut, this antique piano bench had seen many years of use and had the scratches to show for it. The wood was in pretty good shape, considering how old this bench was. The seat itself had been covered with fabric at least 2 times, each time adding a layer to the old instead of tearing off the fabric beneath.

The top fabric layer had a 1980's look, when mauves and pale

Bench After

blue and peach were frequently used together. The fabric beneath that had been a stained off white with bluish flowers, probably dating back to 1966. Yet beneath that layer of fabric was the "original," yellow, which was so deteriorated it crumbled as it was stuck to the rotted foam cushion it was stuck to.

Once I had removed the fabric, I realized that even though this bench seat cushion had been recovered three times, the very original seat had actually been caning, the splines still in place but the caning completely removed. The tell tale signs of caning were the holes that permanently left shadows on top of the wood. This was exciting because I instantly knew how I wanted this bench to look...back to the original caning, but first I had to tedious task of stripping the old finish from this lovely old piece to bring back the glorious wood hidden beneath a century of old stain, scratches and grime.

Solid Cedar Chest

Cedar Chest Before

Cedar Chest After

A good friend had contacted me about refinishing an antique cedar chest that had belonged to his wife's grandmother. Up for the challenge, I took on the job with anxious enthusiasm. When he'd brought it over, it had one broken leg, the lower left front had been knocked off. Luckily, someone had kept that original leg, therefore it was easily fixable. I talked him into keeping the wheels, which added character and made the petite chest easy to relocate once it was refinished. After the repairs were made, it was ready to refinish.

Oak Mantel Stained Darker

Mantel Before

This beautiful oak mantel was quite challenging because of the intricate design with fluted sides and so much detail in the top. There was also a hearth, which I took no photos. (Unfortunately, I didn't get a vertical photo of the mantel before I began stripping it.) My customer wanted a darker finish, so the first step was to completely strip the wood surface of its coating, which proved to be time-consuming and labor intensive work.

Mantel After

The process was to first completely remove the old polyurethane with a strong gel stripper, first using a large brass brush, then going into the grooves with a smaller brass brush, then finally gently scrubbing the surface with a #0 steel wool before the final coat of sanding with a 200 grit piece of sandpaper.

It was a couple of days before I was ready to apply the stain, which was "General Stain Java Gel," the customer's choice. I had not worked with a gel stain before and found that not only was the stain spectacular to use, it had a "cherry" fragrance,  not the typical "chemical" odor you expect from a chemical stain. It was thick and easy to work with and left a deep, rich finish after two applications. The end result was an elegant, rich darker mantel which the customer loved!

Tiny Antique Chair

Antique Chair Before

Antique Chair After

A nice woman had contacted about a small chair she had wanted refinished. The chair had been caned at one time, but had since been reupholstered, a seat had replaced the caning. The replaced seat cushion had been done a very long time ago. She said the chair was very old, but didn't know how old. I told her I guessed it was from the 19th Century because of its structure and the way it was put together.

She simply wanted the seat cushion fabric replaced and the wood refreshed. I removed the old seat and replaced the fabric with a lovely paisley tapestry fabric I had left over from a previous job. It was the perfect color and texture for this chair. I completely sanded and stripped the wood and made minor repairs to the bottom rails (they were a bit wobbly) and then stained the chair with red mahogany. Once complete, this little chair became a real beauty.

My customer was thrilled! She also purchased another chair from me and I supplied her with additional fabric so that the two chairs, while different in design, had the same seat so they could be used as a pair. This was a fun project as I'm always pleased to make my customers smile.


Antique Chair Seat Before

Antique Chair Seat After

Stripping Tips

Partially stripped spindle

Stripping furniture presents many unique challenges. It can be very simple, or it can be very difficult, but it's always rewarding to see the final product. It doesn't have to be a daunting task since there are techniques you can use to make it easier, so I've written this article to share with you the tricks of the trade that I've found work best for me, with excellent results. I hope this helps you overcome your fear of refinishing because it's worth it!

When stripping, it's important to protect your skin, since a good quality stripper not only removes the paint or stain from furniture, it can irritate your skin and burn when it makes contact. I recommend you use gloves especially crafted for working with chemicals. If you use the thinner, flexible Nitrile gloves commonly used for painting or staining, the stripper will disolve the rubber and expose your hand to the harsh chemical, causing it to burn. (If it doesn't burn your skin, it's not strong enough to remove the old finish!) To avoid this, use good quality gloves, and if you accidentally get stripping solution on your skin, wash and rinse it immediately! 

If you plan on stripping a large, flat surface, have plenty of stripper on hand, because you're going to need it. I prefer to pour the stripper into a smaller container, then apply it with an inexpensive paint brush. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how long to leave the stripper on. Depending on how many layers you're removing, it could be from 15 to 30 minutes. The more layers you have to remove, the longer it takes and the more times you'll have to apply new stripper. In warm or hot weather, the chemical dries very fast, so don't try to cover an entire table. Choose a 12" x 12" section and finish that before moving on. Use the correct stripper for your project, since they are not created equally. Buy the best one you can afford, as this will save you time and give you better results. There are strippers specifically created for paint or stain, or both. I prefer the one that does it all. 

Once you have applied the stripper, you will see the paint or varnish bubble and crinkle on the surface. Take a putty knife and gently remove the stripper, going in one direction. You can use a plastic putty knife if you use a good quality stripper. A metal putty knife works well too, but be careful not to scratch the surface as you remove the old finishes. The layers of paint or stain will roll back away from the furniture as you swipe the putty knife across the surface, so you'll also have to use something to wipe the excess stripper/paint onto. I prefer a stiff piece of cardboard, or a thin piece of wood. Scrap off the debris, then swipe it into an empty coffee can. (You cannot reuse this, so dispose of it properly when your project is complete).

After you've removed as much paint/varnish as possible with the stripper, you can then use steel wool, #0, on flat surfaces, or a brass wire brush on curved surfaces, (sold at most home centers or hardware stores) to scrape off the residue left behind. Once you're satisfied that the residue is removed, you're ready to sand. The photo (above left) shows the arm of the chair after the old stain and varnish were removed and the spindle with the original finish. The old finish was so dark, you couldn't see any wood grain. Once the old finish was removed, the wood's natural beauty was revealed.

While working on this chair I also used paint thinner to "loosen" up and moisten the wood prior to applying the stripper, thus I discovered a solution to a dilemma that I'd been having since I first began furniture restoration; easily removing old finish from spindles! By applying the thinner shortly after applying the stripper, these two strong chemicals worked as a team to break through years and years of finish. As you can see in the photo below, together, they "melted" the old varnish right off the chair's leg so that it could easily be wiped away with a rag. Once this task was accomplished, I gently used the brass brush and steel wool to remove the old residue.
Then it was ready to sand and stain. I chose a red mahogany stain and semi-gloss polyurethane, and reupholstered the seat cushion with a traditional floral print. The hard work paid off since the chair is great!

Removing old finish

Finished Chair