When you have a wander around charity shops and car boot sales, you will often find some old pieces of wooden furniture for sale, typically at very reasonable or even ridiculously low prices.
You would expect to see wooden furniture for sale attracting high prices, but the problem is that a lot of these items for sale look like they have been through the wars due to constant use and abuse by their owners, or by previous owners.
Ultimately, these items of furniture often end up being sold at low prices designed to get rid of them as quickly as possible, and some, unfortunately, even end up headed for the local waste recycling centre!
One person’s rubbish is another person’s treasure
OK so you might be thinking to yourself “Why would I want some wooden furniture that someone else was just going to bin?” but you might be surprised to learn that even the most disheveled-looking of furniture can be brought back to its former glory with a little bit of tender loving care.
Some people actually make a very good living out of restoring wooden furniture, and to many of those folks, it’s more of a hobby that pays the bills rather than a particular career path! So if this has peaked your interest, then carry on reading to find out how to restore wooden furniture, the DIY way!
Scouting for furniture to restore
The first step on your journey to wooden furniture restoration success is to see what is out there for you to get your hands on. If you are looking to restore wooden furniture and sell them on for a profit, then the key thing here is to buy the items of furniture very cheaply (or even obtain them for free if you can).
Some of the best places to scout for furniture to restore include local newspapers (the classifieds sections), charity shops, car boot sales, online auction websites and even in people’s skips! Sometimes your neighbours might have old wooden furniture they want to shift, or you might even know of people like family members and friends that have some they want to get rid of.
It is best to stick with solid wood furniture such as oak, walnut, pine, maple, and birch, and avoid furniture made out of veneer (i.e. thin slices of wood pressed and glued together) such as plywood and MDF. Solid wood furniture also attracts higher prices too.
Location, and tools of the trade
The next thing to consider is where you are going to restore furniture (such as a shed, workshop or garage in your home), and what tools you need to restore wooden furniture.
Tools you may typically need include:
- Safety glasses;
- Dust masks;
- Gloves;
- Brushes;
- A broom, dustpan and brush;
- Sandpaper and/or sanders;
- Glue guns
- Hammers and nails;
- Screwdrivers and screws;
- Wood varnish;
- Steel wool, scrapers, planers.
Restoring wooden furniture
There is no set method for restoring wooden furniture, as it depends on the condition of the furniture you want to restore and the work that needs doing to it.
For example, some furniture might just need a clean, others might have old varnish that needs to be stripped back, and you might even come across furniture that requires some minor repair work with your glue guns or hammer and nails.
The key here is to be sympathetic when you are restoring any wooden furniture back to its former glory, and making those items of furniture an attractive buy for people. Many people prefer to buy unstained furniture, as it offers a natural look for their homes.