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How To Refresh Antique Furniture

Modified: Mar 17, 2023 by Kathy Owen
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Refreshing antique furniture to its original finish can sometimes be a simple process depending on the age and condition of the furniture.

You can refresh antique furniture if the original stained finish isn't too scuffed or marred. The project piece I refreshed today had been stored for quite a while. It was dingy and dirty and dinged up just a bit. I have to say as much as I love painting furniture I enjoyed every minute of bringing this vintage oak chest of drawers back to life. It is stunning now.

The oak chest belongs to a friend of mine. She inherited the chest from her grandmother. Don't you know it brings back sweet memories of her grandmother every time she looks at the piece? I happened to know the grandmother and she was a dear lady.

I'll show you how I cleaned the chest inside and out using wax, stain markers, WD-40, wood glue, and more to bring it back to life.

The chest has been sitting in a garage for a number of years. It's kind of a mess but nothing a bit of cleanup and a few minor repairs won't fix. There was no mold or mildew which is always a good thing.

The veneer was peeling up in places and the original drawer pulls were loose and had rubbed big circles in the veneer around the screw holes. I wasn't sure if I could take care of those damaged areas around the drawer pulls but I was going to work hard at it.

The chest was dirty and dusty and there were spider eggs, lint, and cobwebs in the drawers and the dresser casing. The sticky contact paper covered all the drawer bottoms.

I decided the best plan of action was to make all of the repairs before cleaning the chest. The first order of business was to remove the contact paper/drawer liner. Most of it pulled up easily. For the really sticky stuff, I used a paint scraper, very gently.

Once I removed the paper I noticed one of the drawer bottoms had slipped out of the grooves in the front of the drawer. I gently hammered the drawer bottom into the grooves again by lifting the bottom with one hand (level with the grooves) and hammering the back of it into place with the other hand.

After the drawer bottom was fitted back into the grooves I used a nail gun to attach it to the drawer back. The bottom of the drawer will not be slipping out of the grooves and out the back of the drawer anymore.

There was loose veneer on several of the drawers. At one time a few repairs were made to the veneer and there were just a couple of tiny spots on the drawers where the veneer was missing. Hardly noticeable.

I used a small wood pick/thingie to slip the wood glue between the veneer and the drawer front and was really gentle with the veneer because I didn't want it to crack or break. I used clamps to hold the veneer tight to the drawer until the glue dried.

I removed a few nails where prior drawer repairs had been made. Then I had to remove a couple of nails where I missed the side of the drawer when shooting the nails to hold the drawer bottom in place. At least I fessed up to it.

Once I made all the repairs I used a shop vac to get the worst of the dirt. Next, I wiped down the inside of the chest and the drawers with Simple Green. Yes, making all the repairs and cleaning the chest is time-consuming but you don't want to move furniture into your home unless it is in good condition.

I dusted the drawer fronts and the outside of the chest with a dry rag. I did not use any water or cleaning solution on the veneer or the stained wood.

Now comes the fun part, making the chest of drawers pretty again. See the dramatic difference between the two drawers in the photo above? The bottom drawer has been wiped down with Howard's Feed-N-Wax and the top one hasn't been touched up yet.

I used a couple of stain pens to cover the scratches and the worn area around the knob screw hole. The pens are like magic. That's all it took to make the finish shine.

The stain pens were two different brands and two different colors. One was dark walnut and the other was dark cherry. I kind of used them together. When using stain pens I always dot the stain on the wood then wait just a bit and rub it off. The raw area or dull area of the finish should pick up the stain and the scratched-up area will blend with the surrounding stained finish.

I used a small stencil brush to push the Feed-N-Wax into the corners, any tight spaces, and around the wood applique on the mirror and mirror holder. I discovered this trick a few projects ago. The bristles of stencil brushes are firm and they work well for mushing fresh stain, cleaning solutions, etc. into tight places.

A rag wrapped around a flat-tip screwdriver is great for getting into little grooves like those on the feet. I cleaned the casters/wheels with Simple Green and sprayed them with WD40 when dry.

To freshen the drawers I sprayed the inside with Febreze and let them air out for a few days. The Febreze eliminated the musty odor and the smell of the Febreze dissipated after a few days. Febreze doesn't just mask odors it gets rid of them.

The last piece of the puzzle is the mirror. I cleaned the mirror and then used a heavy-duty stapler to re-attach the back of the mirror in the areas where the nails were missing. Stapling was so much easier than nailing the backing into place. You should have a heavy-duty stapler in your tool drawer because it comes in handy for all kinds of projects. Heavy-duty staplers are really great for re-covering chair seats.

I attached the mirror holder to the chest then the JTS and I fitted the mirror to the holder using the original hardware. Sorry, no free hands to take photos of that piece of the puzzle. The metal attachments on the mirror and holder needed a couple of minor adjustments to make the mirror hang straight. Easy enough to do but works better with 4 hands.

Isn't the wood gorgeous? I really wasn't sure I could refresh the finish to its original condition but I needn't have worried. The finish is beautiful. I like oak wood but much prefer the darker stained oak over the golden yellow.

You guys might recognize those knobs. The ones on the top drawers are new and the others I used on the wardrobe in our den. I couldn't find any knobs that worked well with the chest so I put the glittery gold ones on. The owner of the chest was out of town and not available to select new knobs when I was finishing up the makeover.

She came by the workshop yesterday with these. Aren't they lovely? They really fit the style and the time period of the chest. I believe she got them at Hobby Lobby.

The chest was made by the Showers Brothers Company in Bloomington, Indiana. I think it was manufactured in the 1930s but I'm not sure.

A close look at those curvy feet and beautiful wood. It's always nice to have wheels or casters on furniture.

One more close-up look at the knobs and the curved edge of the chest top. On furniture of this age oftentimes the top has water rings or scars from years of use but not this piece. It was well taken care of. If you need help with water stains there is a good tutorial here at This Old House.

I'm so pleased with this restoration.....and there is no paint involved! You can find another piece I restored and it is from the 1800s here.... Saving Antique Furniture From The Paint Brush

I always prefer to save the original look of antique or vintage furniture if I can. This vintage porcelain top table is one of my favorite saves. Did you know you can wet sand the porcelain top and remove the worst scratches and imperfections? Watch my video below....

See the project here....How To Clean A Porcelain Enamel Table Top

What do you guys think? Leave me a note if you have the time and as always, thanks for being here, Kathy

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen (Petticoat Junktion)
Kathy is the founder of PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, old hardware, rusty stuff, and thrifty finds into unique home décor. Kathy’s projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Read more about Kathy here.

Kathy Owen

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