Restore or replace?

How do you decide whether to restore a piece of furniture? Money is not the best, or even the primary reason, for most people deciding to restore furniture. While you can save money by restoring furniture instead of replacing it, that reason alone will not make it worth the time you spend on the project. Some people find that the time spent stripping and refinishing a piece of furniture is peaceful and soothing; others consider it a form of mild torture. At the end of the day, you can have something that is truly one of a kind, as well as the satisfaction of knowing that you did it.

First, realistically look at what you will have to do. You do not have to be an experienced carpenter to turn something that looked like rubbish into something you can be proud of. See how sound the wood is and whether you need to make repairs as well as restore (or improve) the appearance of the item. How much of the appearance problem is going to be resolved by a thorough cleaning? Sometimes, removing years of accumulated polish, grease, dirt, or other things we would prefer not to think about can make an amazing difference in how wood looks. It also will make any finish changes more effective and more uniform.

Replacing functional or decorative drawer pulls, hinges, or other hardware is usually fairly simple and relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a new piece of furniture. It can also dramatically change the appearance of the furniture and add new life to the look of a room. Some hardware stores have a large selection of these; when you see what is available, it will help you decide what look you want to go for. Most tables have hardware holding the legs or pedestal to the top; make sure that the bolts and nuts are snug and do not move. Most legs have caps or felt on the bottom to save the floor; make sure these are secure.

Painting or refinishing a wooden piece of furniture is more time consuming, but really is not that technically difficult. Scratch cover, wood filler, and other products can make it even easier to revive a piece of wooden furniture and take years off the appearance (almost like plastic surgery for wood!) Depending on what look you are going for, you may have to strip or sand down the wood prior to staining or painting. Matching the finish to the other pieces of the set is not as easy as it might seem; when the instructions advise you to test a product on a less noticeable place on the wood, they are trying to help you avoid a costly mistake.

Finally, compare what you think the furniture will require to your motivation and skill level. How comfortable are you with doing the work? Most hardware stores do have sales people that will also advise you in how to use the products you are purchasing; manufacturers also offer more detailed information and instruction online. You can even find videos telling you how to do many restoration projects online, which will also help your confidence level. Are you looking forward to doing the project or are you looking for reasons to put it off? If you want to do it, set aside the time so you can.

 Do not assume that you will get the project done in the shortest amount of time. Trying to work to a short deadline is almost a guarantee that something will go wrong. Check what you are going to need to do the project and get your materials together before you start. Having to stop in the middle of a project because you need to run off to buy tape, or a screw, or cotton will not just add to the time; it will take away from your enjoyment too.