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If the appraised value is that high, and you really care about the piece (it's lovely!), I would not attempt an at-home restoration job without experience. I'm assuming this is a veneered piece, and veneer restoration is much more tricky than working with solid wood.

I have to start by saying that sometimes these questions baffle me - don't people buy vintage for the character, i.e. the knicks and scratches and 'story' of a piece???

Anyway, do some very careful research (google, the library) on safe veneer furniture restoration (not refinishing). Taking it to a pro is a good idea. At least get a few estimates. If you think you can live with the character of the piece, there are probably some safe wax products that will help spiff it up.

I agree it is a lovely piece.

Colellis - Ha! You sound exactly like my husband. :) I agree that markings can give character and a lived-and-loved feeling to a piece, but I'm worried that the damage up close on this bureau evokes "crummy" rather than "I-have-a-rich-history" But I appreciate your advice, as well as the advice from Anna, and will do research on veneer furniture restoration. Thanks!

$1000.00 my ass. The complete bedroom set in mint condition wouldn't be worth that much.

Which isn't to say it's a valueless piece, or that you shouldn't have bought it. I'm just sick of antiques dealers who try to scam buyers by inflating the value or significance of a piece.

I agree with Bruised. I've seen this stuff go quite cheaply. $1k is way too high an appraisal.

Try butcher's wax for the scratches.

Bruised and Bostonista- I wondered myself if she was telling me the truth about the $1000 appraisal. I didn't buy it for that much (thankfully). Just makes me wonder now if it'd be worth the money to get it professionally fixed...

I just did my own restoration work on a veneer piece and it was relatively easy. What you need to do is get a stripper and brush it on the surface. I would do it one side at a time. Once all the shiny stuff (technical term) is off the wood, sand it down like crazy, I mean until you also get carpal tunnel. Then wipe it down first with a rag, then a tac cloth. Then get some poly and brush it over the exposed wood. apply the poly thickly then go back with a brush at least twice to redistribute. let it dry overnight unless you live in a well vented area. i would recommend using a china bristle and make sure that you do it in a well ventilated area because the stripping stuff and the poly are really smelly.

Good luck. My two tables took me about about 4 hours work time, not including drying.

Sorry Wwoolsey, but I'm going to have to caution the original poster against following your advice. Stripping and refinishing shellac-finished furniture will destroy its patina and render it virtually worthless (at least in terms of its monetary value). What's needed here is, as Colellis said, restoration--not refinishing.

If this is indeed a shellac finish, a GOOD furniture restorer will NOT sand it or apply polyurethane!! S/he will apply a new shellac coat over the existing layers (after removing any waxes, etc.). Shellac is not the same thing as polyurethane or varnish. It behaves very differently--fresh shellac will dissolve the older coats, leaving the patina intact. The piece can then be waxed as needed to maintain the new finish.

Cambria, if you decide to have the piece restored, be sure you're dealing with someone who can (a) determine whether the finish is shellac, and (b) deal with the restoration of shellac-finish furniture in the proper way (i.e. with shellac, not with sandpaper and polyurethane). Otherwise, spiff it up with some paste wax and call it a day!

I have several modern/deco pieces, some painted (I bought them that way) that I would like to have stripped and restored. I don't know what's underneath, but I assume its veneer since that's typical of the period. Does anyone know a good refinisher in Brooklyn that they trust and isn't wildly expensive? I heard there was someone decent on Atlantic Ave.

The pieces in question are a Heywood-Wakefield dining set and 4 chairs, a painted vanity with a huge mirror, a matching painted bedside table, and a large bureau with lots of chipped veneer (though I think it looks fine this way and will probably keep it).

Thanks!

I forgot to mention that the dining table has this really crappy polyurethane on top of its original finish, so it would be great to work with someone who could removed the peeling shiny stuff without ruining the original patina. Thanks!

Anna at D16 - can you ballpark a figure for how much it might cost to get the piece professionally restored? I wouldn't even know where to start...

And ditto on nynative's post...recommendations would be helpful.

I recently had an art deco chair repaired by Richard Auber (www.rueauber.com), and he did an excellent job. He's restoring, French polishing, some things for me now (so I can't report on that yet). The prices don't seem outlandish, and although the shop is in CT, he does pick-up/delivery in the city.

You might be surprised at what a coat of paste wax can do for the appearance though. I'd give that a shot first.

As a woodfinisher i would agree with Anna- you have 2 routes- DIY or pro. For DYI- first take warm damp cloth and clean piece(there is often surgary left overs from unclean hands left on furniture-only water gets it off!) then use naptha on a rag to clean off old wax and old glue, tape or oil residue. The use a paste wax(butcher's is fine) - apply wax with 0000steel wool or a grey 3M pad in the direction of the grain- wipe off soon if you like a lower sheen- or let dry and get ready to work for a higher sheen. Buffing dry wax is harder- you have to put some muscle in it and it can take a while to get a nice even sheen- the results can be lovely though. i use cheesecloth for all of this- I buy in bulk- you can usually get a measley little pack from the hardware store though- the weave gives a nice grip for buffing... back to the piece- you can buff off in any direction but always finish with the grain. Try a drawer and see if you like the results. Briwax makes a dark wax which can color in nicks and scratches on darker furniture- amber is good for your piece. This process is a good practice for maintaining all wood furniture- done yearly it keeps pieces from drying out and leaves them looking fresh. Stay away from pledge and other such silicone based things-they make things worse over time. if your results are still not satisfactory- then go to a pro- most restoration shops will charge $70ish and up hour- seems high but the costs of running a shop are also high- they will clean off the wax, fix veneer issues and reshellac and rewax - shellac is a beautiful thing- it can be redesolved and refreshed relatively easily- not as tough as poly but infinately more attractive and repairable- plus it's made by bugs! It is very tricky to work with though- not for the novice. (I know I said it was easy earlier- easier than dealing with old poly which can only be stripped)
your piece looks in pretty good shape- im guessing the wax will do wonders- and it's a good practice to learn to keep the good stuff in good repair... hope this helps!

Erianthe - THANK YOU. Extremely helpful post! I have learned alot from all of the posts - exactly what I was hoping for! I think I will try the paste wax first, as recommended, and see what that does.

Erianthe, one other question: should the wax be applied to the whole piece or just to the areas that have scratches?

I think I'm going to copy and save this whole thread. Tons of good practical advice.

Cambria: Put the wax all over. It's amazing what wax can do, really! I wax my wood furniture regularly, and it only gets more beautiful with each application.

Nynative: Heywood Wakefield furniture is a whole other animal. The finish is colored and semi-translucent, showing less grain than a clear shellac or poly would. It takes a refinisher experienced specifically in Heywood Wakefield to do the job properly. Also, for what it's worth, Heywood Wakefield furniture is completely solid -- no veneers, ever.