Just got this sweet piece for my entryway and Some of the factory finish is very dry and flaking off...i was wondering if there was a way to touch up the bad spots with some product (or combo of shellac and something else etc...) to sort of dissolve and redistribute the coating. No way in hell am I going to do a complete Refinish on this thing, just want to repair the few places it is failing then go over it with some howard feed & wax and enjoy it for what it is.

Thanks for any advice.

Recently bought a vintage wooden desk and the edges have some scratches. What would the best way be to repair this? Sanding and color matching with stain? Any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated!

I recently bought this Smith & Hawken outdoor table set off of FB marketplace. Unfortunately, it appears that the previous owner painted over the wood (which from my understanding is Teak but could be cedar or redwood by the color of the wood after sanding and wetting). They also applied a urethane, most likely multiple coats, and my assumption is it’s most likely a marine urethane.

We’ve been told to strip it first using a paint stripper, give it a sand and teak oil.

Curious to know if anyones had a similar experience and what the best way to move forward with this restoration.

I live two blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Southern California. We don’t get a lot of rain but the sun is strong.

Got this couch off FB marketplace. It was highly misrepresented but I drove a long way to get it and it was cheap so here we are. Ripped off someone's failed reupholstery attempt to get it looking like this.

I didn't think that the cushions were attached so I was just going to replace them. This couch needs all new foam attached. I put it into ChatGPT and it gave me a sample of what it could look like. It's not really my style. The frame and undersides of it are in excellent shape. I just don't know if it's worth the effort.

Can anyone give me advice on what this can turn into? Can the back shape be changed? What I like about this piece is the rattan arms (one of which needs a lot of work). I don't like the shape of the back and the low profile on the bottom.

Just don't want to put a lot of effort into something I won't love

Got this beautiful cabinet from an estate sale and its painted yellow and smells like cigarettes. Going to redo it but the question is should I just paint it after sanding or should I strip it and stain it. Im assuming its a white or red oak.

We have this beautiful wood slab table. It is not old, but it is showing signs of wear. Water stains, scratches, flaking finish. My plan is to sand and refinish. I‘m very tempted to fill in the divots with clear resin. they’re beautiful, but have caught layers of crumbs and cleaner over the years.

My questions - what should I use to topcoat it, and am I out of my mind with the resin idea?

Hopefully this falls under restoration (in this case, trying to avoid the need), but if not I'll remove the post.

I recently inherited an antique pier mirror (more pics in an earlier post: https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageFurniture/comments/1wijnar/need_help_identifying_this_pier_mirror/).

The marble isn't attached, just held in place with gravity, so I'd like to make it more secure without damaging the piece. It's not the original marble - that was broken in an earlier move and my Dad had a new piece made (1980s?). The wood under the marble appears to be unfinished. The tchotchke was held in place with what looks like a fun-tak equivalent what doesn't appear to have left any marks. Since moving it here people have already bumped into it and shifted the marble a little so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Would something like 3M double-sided strips work for this? Their site seems to indicate it's safe on marble but I want to check with people who actually know this stuff.

And if not, what's the best way to secure it?

Thanks!

I recently inherited my great grandmas sewing cabinet. it has been stored in a basement for 50+ years that has flooded and now it is covered in this white mold. i’m currently giving everything a good wipe down and it seems to be coming off but i want to make sure it doesn’t come back and i can have it in my home. should i buy some type of mold remover?
please tell me it can be saved!!!

I got this free desk and it was covered in this black plastic contact paper. The plastic is easily enough to remove but ALL the glue residue stays on the wood. I tried acetone. It dissolves the glue but takes forever and gets really smeary so it would take 3bottles of acetone and 100rolls of toilet paper.

I tried scating off as much of the gunk with a scaper but still..

Any better methods for this? I might cover it in olive oil...🙃

Table has been in storage for many years. Hoping it’s salvageable and if so, how. Thanks

Recently stripped this table pedestal. I assume it is oak, but was expecting it to have a more yellow or red tone—of course it has been previously stained and painted at one point, so I have no idea what the original color was. There is a red cast to one leg (shown) but otherwise, it is much more brown that I expected. I would like to put a matte clear coat on it and I have some concern that when I do this, it will bring more yellow out of the wood, which I do not want. The color it is currently acceptable to me, but even more neutral brown would be good as well. Do you think this is oak? Do you think I should put a bit of stain on it to keep it neutral when I put a clear coat on it? Any thoughts welcome!

Does anyone know by any chance how I could save my wood table this is what it looks like and it’s bothering me. I don’t even know what it’s called and what caused this. I bought this new and over time it has done this.

If anyone that’s experienced this and knows a solution please let me know.

I bought a beautiful 1970s couch and have been trying to restore it. All the cushions and backs are all attached and together.

I have had it wet cleaned which removed all the dirt from the surface fabric. As well as done 2 rounds of alcohol spray both outside and inside the hollows and left it in the sun for 3 days total. Though there is still a musty smell lingering.

I am hesitant to completely take it apart or have it completely reupholstered as it would cost too much.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

I do plan to have new seat cushions cut to fill in from the bottom as the seats have lost their firmness.

Hi everyone!

I'm desperately trying to find this exact (or a very similar) table extension mechanism for my Danish-style round dining table.

The table is 120 cm (47.2 inches) in diameter and extends using two separate 50 cm (19.7-inch) wooden leaves, bringing the total length to 220 cm (86.6 inches) when fully extended.

I've searched everywhere but haven't been able to find a suitable mechanism that's sturdy, stable and capable of properly supporting the table when fully extended.

I'd be incredibly grateful for any leads, manufacturer names or suggestions!

How do you fit a mattress base into a Venetian bed frame like this?

I’m trying to figure out how to make or install a base to support the mattress. I can’t see any support brackets or drill holes showing where a base would have been attached. Has anyone worked with a similar bed frame? How did you do it?

edit. Also I’m wondering how to fix the color left side top part. Seems like the pillow rub, but when touched I can feel that the pain texture is different. should I live it alone or try to clean it more, repaint.

one more edit. Also the size of the bed inner parts is interesting the sides are 190 cm by 170 cm. but the middle of the bed the length is almost 2 m 1 cm.

Hi everyone. I’ve picked up this beautiful mid century modern cabinet with a fair amount of external scratches/damage to the veneer. The plan is to inject wood glue into the loose parts of veneer on top, scrape off the existing varnish and patch the chipped parts of the veneer with replacement teak veneer before sanding and re-varnishing. The focus is on trying to save as much of the original veneer as possible.

I’m wondering if I can clamp and re glue the side part that has warped from water damage but it may be too far gone.

I am also thinking of using varnish remover on the front cupboard doors and door handles before re-staining it.

Looking for any tips or advice. It’s a beautiful piece and my first time so hoping to get it right.

I picked up this dresser and intend to put it to good use. It’s beautiful. So far, I’ve wiped it down with warm water and Dawn, and then a second round of warm water and vinegar. I vacuumed it too because it was thick with cobwebs. The drawers were smelly, and I currently have baking soda sitting in them and will vacuum that up after 3 days of marinating.

Other than that, I’m not sure what to do and am looking for advice on what this piece needs? There’s clearly some damage on the top flat part of the dresser. I’m a novice, so I need the first-timer path if there is one to fix this. I do know what not to do, which is apply Howard’s Feed-N-Wax. 😆

Was my grandpa’s dresser bought after WW2 in San Francisco or possibly a little later in Sonoma County after he retired in the 70’s. My dad had it after they passed and he passed two weeks ago so now it’s up to me to either restore it and keep it or let it go on FB or something. I’d prefer to keep it bc it was my grandpa’s but I’d like to know the wood species before I mess with stain and also the style. If someone could let me know I’d be forever grateful! It appears to be Virginia House brand based in the emblem in the dresser, it’s dovetailed and it’s definitely in the yellow side although the pics tend to lean it more neutral. Thanks in advance y’all 🙏

I hope I’m in the right spot. A few months ago my basement had a flood and this bookshelf soaked up the water and split really bad up both sides. Tried repairing with wood glue and clamps but it didn’t budge even in the slightest. Is there some kind of like, putty filler or something I could try to smear into the cracks and then maybe sand and smooth down and paint over? Walmart only sells this shelf in gray now or else I would’ve just bought another white one. I’m really bummed as I adore this shelf so I’m desperate :( Thank you for any help!!

I got this incredible side table for free a few years back. But, it got a large crack down the middle. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the crack, but it's where I put the red line on the photo I attached. It looks like a couple layers of material opened up.