This page contains tips and advice on furniture refinishing.
Homemade Varnish RemoverThis is a page about homemade varnish remover. Varnish is used to protect wood furniture and make it shine. Making your own varnish remove allows you to use a product that is less toxic than store bought versions.
Recipe for Homemade Paint Remover?I just found an old claw foot table and chairs that was painted with flat interior paint and want to revamp it to its original glory. So I need a recipe for paint remover please.
Restoring a Cedar Chest?This is a page about restoring a cedar chest. Cedar chests were very popular for a long period of time, meaning that there are many either still being used or in storage. If you are lucky enough to inherit one or find one at an antique shop, it may need some work.
Refinishing the Inside of an Old TrunkMany old trunks were paper lined. If you are thinking of refinishing the inside as part of your restoration, consider repapering or perhaps paint or stain. This is a page about refinishing the inside of an old trunk.
Old Engish Scratch Cover to Stain FurnitureInstead of using stain, I use Old English Scratch Cover for dark wood. It seals the wood and looks like it has been refinished. I did this on a set of dowel rods that I am using for curtain rods.
Making Faux Granite Furniture Tops?This is a page about making faux granite furniture tops. There is a lot of information available about painting laminate countertops to resemble granite. Now you are thinking of attempting a similar treatment on furniture tops.
Painting Sauder Furniture?Can you paint Sauder furniture? I know you "can" paint it, but will it look OK?
Restoring a Leather Trunk?The leather on antique and vintage trunks can become dry and brittle with age. This is a page about restoring a leather trunk.
Looking For Cherry Wood Colored Paint?Hello. I want to paint my Rattan headboard from white to cherry finish? My headboard is Rattan and finished in a white gloss. I want to paint it to match my Cherry bedroom furniture.
Upgrading Old FurnitureAfter 47 years of marriage and 22 years in this house, I'd love to be able to buy new furniture, but we just can't afford to right now. Our red floral couch had gotten really worn in spots, so I put a leather-look slipcover on it, but never really liked that look. However, my son and daughter-in-law just bought new furniture, so they gave us their leather couch.
Restoring an Antique Teak Dresser?What is the best way to restore this item? It's not in great condition. I have sanded the top a bit and it looks like this will be the best option for the majority of it. I would like to stick to the techniques they used when it was built. It's Victorian and made of teak.
New Life for an Old CabinetUsing your imagination, some paint and doilies, you can turn an old end table or small cabinet into a cute decorative piece. This is a page about a new life for an old cabinet.
Salvaging Over Sanded Furniture?Over sanding when refinishing furniture typically results in low spots or divots where you tried to remove a stain or other imperfection. The resulting damage can be lessened. However, sometimes differences in wood color and texture on a piece of furniture may be due to the use of multiple types of wood. This is a page about salvaging over sanded furniture.
Painting Press Board FurnitureThis is a page about painting press board furniture. Prepping the furniture with a light sanding to remove any glossy finish, followed by a good primer, and finished with enamel paint seems to be the key to a good finish.
Formby's Furniture Refinisher Left Wood Table Sticky?Formby's is formulated to dissolve old varnish, lacquer, and shellac. If your piece is sticky after using the refinisher, a call to the company may be the best way to fix the problem.
Varnishing a Table Top?Why does the stain in the varnish separate when sprayed onto table top?
Sanding Wood With CardboardA light sanding can help smooth out wood for finishing. This is a page about sanding wood with cardboard.
Removing Excess Wood StainThis is a page about removing excess wood stain. When working with wood stain, if the excess is not wiped off quickly you may need to resort to other methods.
Refurbishing a DresserThis is a page about refurbishing a dresser. Save money on furniture with some time and paint, by giving an old chest of drawers a new look.
Painting Furniture to Match Your Decor?This is a page about painting furniture to match your decor. A great way to save money on furniture is to give it a new look with paint to match your furnishings.
Dyeing Upholstery FabricThis is a page about painting upholstery fabric. One way to give new life to your upholstered furniture it to paint it.
Stripping Painted Furniture?This is a page about stripping painted furniture. You can save money and give new life to an older piece of furniture by refinishing it.
Painting FurnitureThis is a page about furniture painting tips. You can save money by painting furniture that has become a bit damaged or outdated.
Painting Wood Furniture Without Sanding or...This is a page about painting wood furniture without sanding or priming. Refinishing wood furniture is a common homeowner project. However, many people hope to find ways to avoid sanding before painting.
Finishing an Oak Table?I have an unvarnished oak table which has marks on it. Can I finish with a tinted varnish?
Refinishing Wood Veneer Furniture?This is a page about refinishing wood veneer furniture. Refinishing wood veneer furniture can be done, keeping in mind the care needed to prevent damage to the thin wood veneer.
Painting Laminate FurnitureThis is a page about painting laminate furniture. Painting laminate furniture while requiring a different process than real wood, can easily be done. This is a great way to update and refurbish older furniture.
Refinishing Wood FurnitureThis is a page about refinishing wood furniture. Refinishing wood furniture is a great way to recycle an older piece or repair damage to the surface finish of furniture.
Refinishing an End TableThis is a page about refinishing an end table. Refinishing a piece of furniture is a good solution for either an antique or a dated piece, needing a modernizing face lift.
Refinishing Oak Furniture?This is a page about refinishing oak furniture. Oak furniture has been popular for years, particularly in years past. If your furniture has seen better days, you don't need to buy new when you can refinish what you already own.
Refinishing Mahogany Furniture?This is a page about refinishing mahogany furniture. Refinishing mahogany furniture that you already own or that you picked up at a sale is absolutely doable. You will need to have patience and follow some simple steps to achieve a beautiful finished piece.
Painting Veneer Furniture?This is a page about painting veneer furniture. Care should be taken when prepping veneer furniture for painting.
Giving Furniture a Distressed Look?This is a page about giving furniture a distressed look. Distressing newer furniture gives it an older look that might be just want you need to complete your decor.
Refinishing a Teak Table Top?I have a teak dining table that is over 20 years old. I have always "oiled" it with teak oil and olive oil. It is beginning to look like the finish is coming off. How do I refurbish it?
Staining Wood FurnitureThis is a page about painting wood furniture. Staining new or used wood furniture can create a whole new look.
Putting Self Stick Shelf Paper on Furniture?Is it possible to use shelf paper on a desk, if it's wood with like a plastic feel to it? Will the paper stick? I want to resurface my desk shelves and also paint the desk.
Refurbishing FurnitureThis is a page about refurbishing furniture. Give your home or apartment a new look by refurbishing your furniture.
Finish on Oak Table Turning Orange?I have a solid oak dining table and sideboard that has gone a bit orangey. How do I get rid of this orangey colour and get a more natural brown colour?
Making Old Furniture Look NewThis is a page about making old furniture look new. Restoring the beauty of your older furniture or yard sale finds can be a fun and economical past time.
Repairing Lacquer Finish on Furniture?I recently bought a used table and chairs that have a white lacquer finish on them. The extra leaf for it has yellowed and I'm wanting to know if anyone knows how I can get it white again.
Polyurethane is Not Drying on Dining Table?I have sanded, stained, and put the first coat of polyurethane on it my dining room table. It is the fast drying type. It doesn't want to dry and is tacky after a whole day of drying time. Why is this? The leaves of the table dried, but not the table itself. I don't get it.
Refinishing a China Hutch?I have a very old antique hutch like piece if furniture that used to be my mom and dad's when I was a child. It was given to me by my aunt many years ago. My problem is this, when we got it, it was all stained but a nice honey color.
Painting Teak Wood Rocking Chairs?Are you able to paint teak wood once it has oil on it? I do not like the oil look. What can I do?
Stripping a Pickle Wash from Cabinets?How do you strip a pickle wash from cabinets?
Preparing a Varnished Piece of Furniture for Painting?I have an old shoe cupboard which is stained and varnished, but could do with a new lease of life. I was thinking of changing it to a cream "distressed" look, slightly shabby chic? How easy is this to do? Any tips appreciated.
Best Protective Finish for Outdoor Wood Furniture?I'm planning on splitting a oak log to build a outdoor garden bench; what should I use for a finish? Would polyurethane be a good choice?
Improving Particle Board Furniture?We have cabinets with lattice work and the boards inside are particle board. They are extremely dusty. I would rather not use contact paper to cover the them because it doesn't stick very well. What could I do to make them look better?
Using Painter's Wax to Refinish Furniture?I am interested in painting my bedroom furniture to give it a new look. I was reading about a product called Painter's Wax. How do you use it and where can I find it? What type of results can I expect to get? Thank you!
Scratches On A Glass Tabletop?I need a homemade way to remove scratches in a glass table top.
Staining Kitchen Cabinet Door Inserts?How do you finish kitchen cabinet doors, the inset only? I don't want to paint, but use stain, etc. Thanks.
Fixing an Acetone Spill on Laminate?How can I fix an acetone spill on a shiny laminate bench top? Please help.
Refinishing the Outside of a Steamer Trunk?I am repairing an old steamer truck. I removed the rust, so now I want to know what to use to prime and seal it. It has a shiny, gloss finish. I tried paint, but it's not what I want.
Refinishing Furniture?How do I remove varnish quickly from tables, to refinish quickly?
Removing Decoupage Photos from Wood?How do you remove decoupage photos from wood?
Refinishing a Black Ash Table?I have a black ash dinning room table that has a few scratches and white marks. How do I renovate it ?
Spray Paint for Fabric Furniture?Has anyone tried spray fabric paint made for furniture? I think it's made by Sunshine.
Staining a Painted Surface?I have a painted surface and want to satin it. Is there a product that will let me do this without a lot of prep?
Changing the Color of a Couch?I would like to change the color of an old couch we have. I know there is a product called Simply Spray, but they don't have any colors that I can use. I am looking for a taupe or moss green.
Painting a Metal Bench?I am painting a metal bench with oil-based paint and the paint is bubbling. Any suggestions on why this is happening and what I should do?
Stripping and Re-staining a Table?I am needing directions on how to strip the old stain off a table and then re-stain it. Thank you.
Cleaning Attached Sofa Pillows?I've had a sofa/bed for over 20 years. It's still in very good shape, but the color is a little outdated. I'm shopping for slipcovers, but have a dilemma with the pillows. They're large, and there's a lot of them (they're part of the backing of the sofa and love seat).
Using Polyurethane On Outdoor Furniture?I want to know if anyone has ever put polyurethane on a table for the outside. I am worried about run off and it becoming sticky in the summer heat. Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks.
Upholstering Metal Chairs?I need to reupholster my metal frame kitchen chairs. I'd like to add extra cushion to the seat and would like to add upholstery to the backs of the chairs. They currently have a metal frame back with an "X" shaped design in the middle.
Painting Dark Wood White?I am trying to paint two dark wood antique chairs white. I sanded the chairs, primed them and have applied 3 coats of semi-gloss latex paint with a sponge brush. You can still see the original color of the wood peeking through. Any suggestions how I can finish this project?
Putting Finish on a Cabinet?I have painted a new cabinet top with an undercoat and two coats of black semi-gloss. I want to get a harder finish and wondered if I can use MinWax semi gloss polycrylic over the paint?
Reducing Stickiness from Plastic Paint?I painted 2 vinyl chairs with the new Krylon Fusion for Plastic. They look amazing, but they feel sticky. Do you know of anything to remove the stickiness?
Painting a Space Saver Cabinet?I bought a bathroom space saver a couple of months ago and couldn't figure just why I was not so pleased with it after a couple of weeks. I finally figured out that the dark color (dark brown) made my bathroom appear smaller. It's not that large in the first place. I would like to paint it white, but do not know if I need to prime it first and what kind of paint should I use?
Paint Not Sticking To Particle Board Cabinets?I painted the sides of our island -- over the laminate/particle board that is made to look like the cabinets. First I tried sanding it and painting and it would not work -- the paint wasn't holding in some places. Then I tried liquid sander. That seemed to work, but some spots of paint are still wiping right off. Is there any hope to fix this? I put more liquid sander on and painted over it again but I don't know what else to do. I looks great, but I'm afraid one scuff of a shoe is going to take the paint right off. Thanks!
Wallpapering Panels of Old Wardrobe?I want to wallpaper the panels of an old wardrobe, it is varnished. Do I have to put primer on it or can i just sand then use enamel paint? I would appreciate any help!
Upholstery Nails Keep Bending?I am upholstering a footstool I am now putting a small skirt on it. I am using upholstery nails and a tack hammer. The nails are bending on me, what am i doing wrong.
How to Distress Oak Butcher Block Table?I am going to distress an oak butcher block table, It is solid and strong. I don't want to buy a book to learn how. Can anyone give me advice? Thanks
How do you upholster the back of dining room chair?How do you upholster the back of dining room chair?
Removing Paint from an Antique Trunk?I am trying to remove old paint from a antique trunk. Any ideas? I do not want to ruin the canvas. Some of it flakes off, but it is covering the canvas and wood. I am not sure how long it has been on there.
Reupholstering Furniture?I am wanting to reupholster my sofa and love seat. I need new ones, but I can't afford the ones I like. Does anyone know how to do this?
Staining an Old Piano?I have a really old church piano that has been painted. I want to stain the piano with a dark stain and have no idea what is under the paint. Do I have to strip the paint that is there now in order to stain the piano?
Painting a Glass Table?I have a glass-topped table which is a funny color green. I would like to paint it, perhaps high gloss black, so it looks like black laquer. Is this possible? How do I do it or where can I get it done?
Paint Still Sticky Long After Painting?I recently painted a bookcase for my daughters bedroom. I allowed plenty of time for the paint to dry but I'm finding that items seem to be "sticking" to the surface. Any suggestions?
Toning Down a Glossy Polyurethane Finish?I applied four coats of oil, satin polyurethane, to a wood desk. I sanded between each coat of poly. The finish is too glossy. How can I tone down the gloss to a satin finish? Has anyone ever used a flat polyurethane?
Reupholstering Wicker Furniture?I found a nice old wicker couch someone had thrown out. It needs new cushion covers. It also only has the arms and back in wicker while the whole base is also upholstered. I will need to remove the cloth from the body of the couch but never have done this before.
Antique Desk With a Leather Top?I just purchased a really cute, antique desk. I want to repaint it, to update the look, but the problem is, it has a green leather top. I had thought about covering the top with fabric, covered board, than placing a piece of glass on top of it, but I was informed the cost of glass would be more expensive than the desk I bought (ugh).
Adding Padding to Antique Chairs?I need some advice. Somehow I have been talked into recovering the seats of antique chairs. The woman wants to add padding and pick out the fabric which she would like to be easy to clean. I've never done this but seen it done on TV all the time. Can anyone help me? She somehow thinks I am an expert on this and I am not!
Stripping Paint Off Oak Cabinets?Our house is 33 years old. Our dark oak kitchen cabinets were painted white many years ago. I'm tired of the dirty white color. Is is possible to strip the cabinets down bare and then restain them? What products would you recommend to do this?
Quick ReupholsteryI "reupholstered" an old office chair I FOUND on the street by putting on tapestry panels I got at the dollar store - I pinned on the bottom seat section with push pins and I laced the top back section on using matching yarn.
Making Laminate White Wash Furniture Darker?I have a laminate whitewash entertainment center. I woould like to change color and make it darker -- any
suggestions?
Removing Paint From a Woven Reed Chair Seat?I was given an old rocker. The seat is made of reed i believe, wider than cane and just woven. The whole chair has been painted brown. Could someone tell me how to get the paint off the seat. I can just repaint the chair but would like the seat natural.
Need To Change The Top and Bottom of a Display Cabinet?I recently bought a beautiful all glass display cabinet unseen it was all crated up. I was told it had wood on the top and bottom. However, the top and the bottom are WHITE kinda like a heavy white acrylic high gloss finish. Does anyone have any ideas how I could re-do the top and bottom to a color where it would go with my Oak pieces of furniture.
Covering Scuffs on LeatherPaste wax shoe polish works great to cover scuffs on leather accessories or furniture.
Taking Apart Glued Furniture Joins?What can I use to de-glue (remove glue) from furniture joints? I would like to restore some dining room cloth fabric covered chairs, including the wood and recovering them.
poppop1968
Removing Decoupage From Table?I recently bought a wooden farm type kitchen table. The previous owner started a decoupage project on the base and quit 1/2 way through. Is there a simple way to remove this? Susan O
Zebra Furniture MakeoverI'm the type that likes to use what I got. In this case what I got was two side chairs that didn't match my living room. I decided to make it match with my carpet.
Repainting Outdoor FurnitureI decided to repaint my outdoor furniture this summer! They were a charcoal grey originally. I decided to go black, making matching new chair covers easier. I used Walmart's ColorPlace exterior paint in satin black. This paint can be used on all kinds of surfaces.
Removing Excess Wood StainI recently stained my son's wood play kitchen, but didn't remember to wipe off the excess stain. The surface never fully dried and remained sticky, so I needed to remove the stain and start over. I tried numerous things to remove the stain and finally tried Paint Erase Stripper Gel, which worked really well!
Refinishing a Sun Damaged Dining Table?I have a dining room table, with inlaid wood, that is sun damaged on one end and the leaves are much darker than the rest of the table. I want to fix this so that the entire table is the same.
Finding an Original Photo of a Lane Cedar Chest?I am refinishing an old Lane cedar chest, style 610115-E. I need an original photo or ad so I can see what it looks like.
Cleaning and Restoring a Chinese Cabinet?I have this gorgeous red lacquered and painted Chinese cabinet that is in dire need of cleaning and re-lacquering. Some of the lacquer is in tact, but a lot is now almost matte. So I'm guessing I have to clean it off wiithout damaging the artwork.
Refinishing Wood Trim on Sofa?I have a new sofa. The wood trim was much darker than my other furniture. I decided to paint and glaze it to match. The match is very close, but the new color isn't complementary with the upholstery. I want to get back to original color. Is it best to repaint and glaze or strip and restain?
Refinishing Furniture Without Sanding?How do I refinish areas of a kitchen table or end tables (solid wood) that have worn thin. I believe the current finish is not varnish, but a polyurethane finish. I would like to do this without sanding as I have only local areas that show (arms, small areas on tops) distress.
Formby's Furniture Refinisher Left Table Sticky?I found an old end table that I think is oak. I used Formby's Refinisher to strip some of the old finish and fill in some scratches. It looks great, but the surface is still sticky. I'm not sure what to try, a light sand?
