Before_After_SellItAll4U_Mid_Century_Furniture

Mid Century Furniture Restoration

June 17, 2020

Have you ever thought about giving an old piece of furniture a complete makeover? Restoring furniture can be a great hobby or even a side hustle if you are good and know what types of furniture to look for. We are especially excited to share this gem we found on YouTube from Dashner Design & Restoration. Here at Sell It All 4U, there is certainly no shortage of furniture with a little wear and tear.

This post should serve as a guide for you to conquer your own journey at restoring furniture that you find at an estate sale, thrift shop, or garage sale.

  1. Watch the video tutorial
  2. Follow the step-by-step guide
  3. Make sure you have the right tools for the job

Video Tutorial

Dashner Design & Restoration – Mid Century Furniture Restoration

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Find yourself a good piece of furniture. The specific type depends on whether you plan to use it for yourself or to resale as a side hustle. In this example, I am going to assume it’ll be for personal use. In a future blog post I will go into greater detail about how to pick out furniture for resale. Below are some samples of furniture from previous estate sales that could work out well for a restoration project. [Reference video time: 0:10 – 2:00]

  1. Remove the doors or drawers so that you have easy access to the interior and edges. Typically a Philips screwdriver will do the job. [Reference video time: 2:00 – 2:15]
  2. Apply the finish stripper to the outside of the item with a paint brush. Often times it can be a challenge to finish the inside and usually not worth it in the end unless you are hoping to demand a high resale price point. [Reference video time: 2:15 – 2:37]
  3. Scrap off the finish with a scraper and then scrub off the last bits of gunk with a dry piece of steel wool.  If you have any residual finish, then I would recommend scrubbing it off with steel wool and aided by mineral spirits. [Reference video time: 2:37 – 3:43]
  4. Clean the inside. Again, this usually should not take as much time and effort. Typically you can get the job done with normal household cleaner. If a little extra TLC is needed, then I would use mineral spirits and a utility knife blade/ scraper to gently remove the undesirable gunk. [Reference video time: 3:43 – 4:14]
  5. Smooth the finish with a sander once the wood has dried from step 4. Avoid sanding too much in one spot because it can leave a light spot. Use an orbital sander and scale from 120 grit, 150 grit, 180 grit, and finally with 220 grit sanding discs. [Reference video time: 4:15 – 5:18]
  6. Wet down the exterior with some naphtha. [Reference video time: 5:19 – 5:30]
  7. Smooth out any raised grains by hand with some 220 grit sand paper. [Reference video time: 5:31 – 5:45]
  8. Repair chips or minor broken legs with epoxy wood filler. In order to successfully do this, just knead the 2 parts together and then place by hand over the section that requires repair.  Sand lightly once dry and go over it with stain later. [Reference video time: 5:46 – 6:53]
  9. Apply the Varathane walnut oil stain. It is great to do this on pieces that are being refinished or have some spots from use over the years. This will build a more uniform look. The stain should be applied with a foam brush and then any excess wiped off after letting it sit for a few seconds. [Reference video time: 6:53 – 9:00]
  10. Gel stain the base if it is a lighter color. This will help build a darker stain, which gives it a darker tone like the rest of the furniture piece. A couple of coats is sometimes necessary for a darker color. [Reference video time: 9:01 – 10:30]
  11. Once the stain dries, apply the top coat. In this example, we used a satin lacquer. Spray on as many coats as you want… usually spray more coats on the top so it has more protection. Another impact thing to remember is to wear a face mask while using the spray. [Reference video time: 10:31 – 11:00]
  12. Enjoy your finished project and find it a good home!

Essentials for this Project

Below is a helpful supplies checklist to follow when beginning your next wood furniture refinishing project. You have the option click on the blue text for a link to grab these supplies ahead of time.

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