Considerations for Refinishing Furniture

Have a piece of furniture passed down from family or one that you found at a yard sale? Maybe the foundation of the piece is there, but it is just not your style. Our paint team has some tips for how you can refinish this furniture to make it your own! Refinishing that piece of furniture can be a great way to put your own touch on it.

What is your goal with this piece of furniture?

Is this a family heirloom? Are you trying to improve this furniture for resale?

Do you want to paint it to match décor in your home or repurpose it for another use?

Depending on your purpose might change the way you refinish the furniture.

A family heirloom —  If you have an antique piece that needs refinishing, first confirm you are not altering the value of the furniture like an antique. Sometimes refinishing a piece is the wrong thing to do. Let’s assume that your antique furniture is not a $30,000 dresser made by a world-famous artist. Once we have established that and it is simply a very well-made crafted piece of furniture you admire, you can move forward.

Type of Wood

Furniture can be crafted from many different types of wood. Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany, and Oak are some well-known hardwoods that have been used and are usually worthy of refinishing. It does take a fair amount of time to remove the old finish properly. Some items to consider may include the quality of the design, the number of repairs needed to the piece, and the patience to see your project through are important considerations. That being said, you can often purchase very high-quality used furniture that needs to be refinished at a reasonable price. If you take your time, you can have a beautiful piece that you can proudly show off!

Wood Stripper

Once you have decided to refinish, you must get the old finish off, and this usually starts with a Wood Stripper. This can be a very messy job and very tedious. But again, the pay-off can be significant! A couple of weekends of hard work can yield a lifetime of enjoyment. We recommend Stripeez, Zip, or Citrus wood stripper — talk to your Cardinal Home Center specialist about what else you need. Gloves, Sandpaper, Wood Fillers, etc.

Hardware

Another key consideration is the drawer pulls. Sometimes you can save and polish existing hardware, and other times you may want a change. Cardinal Home Center has displays and specialists who can help.

Stain or Paint

The options are limitless, but there are a few things to think about. To refinish an antique piece of furniture, you need to know if you have the patience and desire to do it properly. It takes time. Another consideration is if you are refinishing to sell, is the demand there for someone to pay for the hours it may take you? Either way, taking something old and refinishing it to look new and unique is the ultimate goal of sustainability! You can also check out our line of Good Bones Paint, locally made in Charlottesville and specifically used as a chalk-based paint for furniture!

Types of Finishes

After choosing your stain or paint, you may want to top it off with a clear coat. Polyurethane coatings can add durability and different finishes to your project.

At the end of the day, refinishing furniture can be a great family project and a way to honor some of our family histories. It is also a great way to let your creativity shine! Stop by one of our Cardinal Home Center locations and talk to a specialist.

Bring in your color sample, a photo and drawer pull, or anything else you would like to consider. We have people who are excited to help you find just what you need!