Refinishing a piece of vintage or antique furniture that is in good condition is, in my opinion, akin to replacing original mouldings or marble fireplace mantles in a historic home. It’s just sad. That said, there are times when a piece (like my rocking chair, above) is crying out for a little love and attention. So, how do you know when it's ok to refinish an antique?
There are differing opinions on the subject but when it comes to refinishing a vintage or antique find, I live by simple two rules…
1. If the original finish is in reasonably good condition, leave it alone!
In most cases, retaining the original finish will add to, or preserve, the value of the piece. Refinishing a vintage chair or table can be tempting, but even if it doesn’t match the other pieces in your home, consider preserving the existing finish. Think of yourself a conservator protecting a small piece of design history.
2. You cannot destroy something that has already been destroyed.
The corollary to the argument for preservation is that if the finish is already totally destroyed by the time you find it, you can feel pretty confident that refinishing will not be detrimental to the value or integrity of the furniture--things can only getter better!
At this point the choice of finish is up to you, but I usually tell my refinisher to try to bring the wood back to its original finish (which may still be visible in places like beneath the seat of a chair). This ensures that the refinished piece still looks “correct” for the time period and style in which it was designed.
For example: a black lacquer finish would look great on an Art Deco arm chair, but would be out of place on a Gustav Stickley rocker.
For more information on refinishing antiques, visit Antiques Roadshow on PBS.
Image credit: Bethany Adams
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Nice work!
So glad that they opted NOT to paint the wood! Looks great!
where was the refinishing and upholstery done on this re-born chair?
Gorgeous makeover!
Lovely, and a very eco-friendly practice.
I agree you shouldn't mess with a healthy finish, but if it's already ruined, I don't care about picking something historically accurate. If I want it glossy yellow, I'll paint it glossy yellow.
Stunning! :)
I used to watch "Furniture To Go" in the early 1990's with those two funny guys Joe and Ed. I learned a lot from them and got so into upholstery, I now have a side business. But I always advise against treating the wood with anything other than a little lemon oil, because today's trash could be tomorrow's valuable antique.
I've never been one for purple, but that chair is marvelous.
This chair looks so pretty! I love velvet furniture (I cut my old couch's arms off and recovered it in grey velvet). I do also love painted furniture, so I purposely look for trashed furniture so I can paint it. But I do have a few pieces that are wood because I've read all the posts about destroying value. So thanks, AT, I hope it will earn me $10,000 when I take my stuff to Antiques Roadshow.
Wait, what? It looks like this classic Danish Modern walnut rocker was stained a dark brown. If that's so, how is that not altering the original? The finish may have been in poor condition before, but staining it dark alters it for good. I know from experience that these chairs can be restored, not altered.
The lavender velvet isn't true to the style at all but at least it can be easily changed. And I'm sure it looks good with whatever your decor is.
hmmm I'm one of those people that doesn't care if people think I "butchered" a vintage piece of furniture. I bought it, it's in my house for my comfort/pleasure so I'd paint it, stain it or upholster it what colors I like. ;) These people that owned the vintage piece to begin with owned it as brand new sparkling furniture, why would I not have the right to make a piece fit my home. It's only furniture after all. It's just a THING.
Good tips. Products like Formby's or Restore-a-Finish help too.
I have a nearly identical rocker, found in near-perfect condition. Love your finish and fabric choices. They aren't necessarily era-accurate, but it's a beautiful update. I do prefer the lower back cushion, like the original. Keeps the lines cleaner.
Well said wand3rlust.
And i loooove the lavender.
I found two great armchairs on ebay that are remarkably similar to this rocker. I had each refinished and reupholsterd @ $175 per and they are magnificent!
I absolutely hate the color lavender, but to each to their own.
I think I'd have to see that lavender in the context of the room to "get it", but the wood condition and treatments look supreme. Nicely done.
I agree with Spanky on this one. Although I think the chair looks great, it is indeed altered from the original state by staining the wood a darker color.
Looks like a Selig rocker. Great job!
I'm with Wand3rlust! This chair was one more lazy owner away from a landfill. Well done, Adams! What's $10K "loss" to a chair that was almost trashed? You purists should just be trying harder to find these things before us troublemakers (I say affectionately). Again, we're talking about furniture that's one more owner away from the landfill.
Pureevil, do you have a photo online of that couch you decapitated? I'd love to see.
What a great makeover. Love the velvet. Hate the purple. Grey or green would have been great
designer or the name of the maker (of the rocker pl)...pl.
I love the lavender....it would look fantastic in my grey living room! ; )
Very well done....isn't saving a treasure from the trash personally rewarding!! When a piece is in this condition, your options are wide open. You can't harm the value at this point (if there was any to begin with). Restore it, refinish it, whatever will give you joy. Who wants to be surrounded by ugly furniture in their home...seriously? I'm a professional restorer who and I now teach refinishing online and I love seeing people succeed with such projects.
Rod Keyser
www.furniturerefinishingstudio.com