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Antique Furniture Repairs And Painting

Just about all the antique furniture I buy needs to be repaired. It may be the drawers fronts, drawer bodies, runners, body casing, or something else.

antique dresser project makeover Petticoat Jnktion

…a gorgeous piece that belongs to a client. The JTS is really good at putting things back together and making repairs to the shabby pieces I bring into the workshop. I knew he could fix this one up too.

furniture repairs Petticoat Junktion

In the photo above you can see how the joints have separated on the bottom of the dresser.

 

making repairs to antique furniture Petticoat Junktion

It doesn’t look like much of a gap but that little bit can sure make a difference in how the drawers fit. The integrity of the piece depends on the casing being stable.

 

antique furnitue repair Petticoat Junktion

The JTS pulled it all together with these straps…

repairing furniture Petticoat Junktion

…then added wood glue around the joints.

 

furniture details Petticoat Junktion

The detail on the middle drawer was pulling away from the drawer front so he added a few nails…

 

how to repair antique furniture Petticoat Junktion

… I didn’t get a pic but he also glued wood blocks to the slats behind the drawers for drawer stops. When the piece came into the shop the drawers pushed about an inch too far into the dresser casing. That’s it for the repairs.

The dresser after painting…

Painting Antique Furniture {Before and After} Petticoat Junktion

 

You might want to paint furniture and make the paint look antique. That is my favorite special paint technique. See how I do it in the video below…

How To Antique Paint

gray paint finish for antique dresser Petticoat Junktion

The paint color is Behr paint color Porpoise mixed in Behr Marquee paint! What do you think? My client was happy with the results. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

I’m always sharing things on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest that don’t show up on the blog.

Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com

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17 Comments

  1. I do not like the painted dresser. However, I think it does not matter what I think about the owner’s choice. Let the owner do whatever they please with their furniture.

  2. Kathy, I LOVE IT!!! don’t let those nasty comments get you down. Personally, I love painted old furniture. I probably would have not painted the hardware, but that’s a personal choice. I LOVE IT!!

  3. I love the dresser. The great thing about decorating is that we’re all free to create an environment we enjoy living in!

  4. The wood finish, while attractive, would NEVER find a home in my house. I sell my painted items in an antique boutique in Massachusetts that draws over 500 people on a Saturday alone, and an unpainted piece like this would sit, sit, sit unless it was priced very low. Wood furniture is a dime a dozen at local auctions – it’s just not “in” right now. I imagine the appeal will spring back someday, but for now, paint away my dear, it looks fabulous 🙂

  5. Those details are really interesting. I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it. And, the paint really brought it out. It’s funny how paint does that.

  6. Dolores,
    Perhaps you shouldn’t be on this blog. If you can’t appreciate the work that went into this piece and all you can do is criticize then move on, as this is not the blog for you. Your mother obviously never taught you “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.

  7. Oh, absolutely~you have to please the client.
    I happen to be an oak girl.

    Looking forward to the next finished piece.

  8. My motto on to paint or not is this…do what you want. Pretty simple really, and if it’s a custom order, you do what the client wants. Period, end of story!
    Some pieces in my home are natural, some painted. There is no right or wrong in this. Remember, you can’t please everyone. Good job. I’m not a fan of oak and the details really show now. If it had been walnut I may have shed a tear..lol

  9. Dolores, If the piece was mine I would not have painted it but the client commissioned me to paint the piece, selected the paint color and told me to change the hardware. Yes, pieces like this bring out emotion in people and I definitely respect your opinion on the matter. Thanks for your comment.

  10. I like the original finish too Karen but the piece belonged to the client and she wanted it painted.

  11. This makes my heart ache!! That was a gorgeous piece…with original hardware that has been totally ruined…and is not at all beautiful….all the beauty is under the paint…with ‘made in china’ hardware…how very sad….

  12. kathy she turned out beautiful…love the color and how the details pop now…and i guess it’s ok for the jts to get his swag on for a bit lol xx

  13. I love how the dresser turned out, it is gorgeous. You do such beautiful work. Tell the JTS not to get the big head just because he is Mr. Wonderful LOL.

    I can meet any day, Monday through Thursday. H a great day.