Whether you’ve found an old piece of furniture at a thrift shop or need to clean up some family heirlooms, there are a few simple steps you should follow in furniture restoration.

Tools of the Trade

Make sure you have all tools necessary for your project. This can include screwdrivers, sandpaper, and protective gear as well as paint, stain, or fabric. Plan everything out before you start to make sure you have all the needed tools.

Keep Safe

After ensuring that you have all the right tools, including safety tools, you will want to make sure you have a safe place to work. A well-ventilated area is ideal because you will likely be working with harsh chemicals. Working outdoors on a project like this would be ideal.

Know What You’re Working With

Determining the finish on a piece of furniture will be instrumental in knowing how to remove it, if you take that route.

Clean It

You never know—an old piece of furniture might just be covered in dirt and grime. It’s always a good idea to start with a good cleaning before you start to sand or stain old furniture. Use warm water, a sponge, and mild soap. You can use a toothbrush to clean out any detail work on a piece of furniture.

Fix the Damages

Are there breaks in the wood, or is a chair leg loose? You’ll want to fix these issues next. Fill any gaps with putty that either matches in color or is stainable, if you’re staining the piece later, and check for loose screws before replacing legs entirely.

Refinish or Paint

If you’re refinishing or painting, you’ll need to strip the finish or paint that is on the furniture. Using both sanding and chemicals to strip the paint will likely be needed, as well as a lot of patience. When finished, be sure to clean the piece one more before staining or painting.

Reupholster

To reupholster, make sure you have a workable, strain-resistant, quality material. You will likely need a few upholstery tools including: needle-nose pliers, foam padding, springs, and more.

When you cut the old fabric from the piece, use it as a guide when measuring and cutting the new upholstery. Make sure to add a few inches to the new fabric and pat attention to the way the fabric was attached.

Examine padding and springs to determine if any need to be replaced, then reupholster the chair in a similar fashion to the way it was originally upholstered.

Enjoy!

You’ve worked hard to improve a piece of furniture and now you can enjoy it! Be proud of the work you did. This is often a more difficult project to tackle.