Refreshing Your Inherited Furniture

People don’t always know what to do with inherited furniture from loved ones. Family heirlooms, despite their high sentimental value, often look too dull to stand out in your home—but inherited pieces don’t have to take a back seat. Read on for tips on redesigning and refinishing antique furniture to your liking, making it a conversation piece that does your family proud.

Repurpose Your Piece

An old piece of furniture doesn’t have to serve the same purpose it did 20 or 30 years ago. If you inherit a beloved dining room table, for example, but don’t want to gather around its worn surface for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, use it for something else. There’s room to get creative here, so don’t be afraid to change your furniture’s design, stain, or paint.

An old dining table can be refashioned into a chic antique desk. Add a hutch to its surface and apply a new coat of paint to match the color palette in your office. Formal family dinners aren’t the nightly event they used to be, but working from home is common—a clean, spacious desk is bound to get more use than your uncle’s dining table would today.

Refinishing and Painting

Refinish your inherited furniture to restore it to its original vitality—or give it a brand new look. If the wood is no longer shiny and seems prone to further wear and tear, refinishing is your best bet. Sand your piece down to get rid of scratches and marks and choose a stain that either complements or stands out against other pieces in the room, depending on the aesthetic you’re going for. The smooth, polished surfaces that come from refinishing can make and old piece look newer. You’ll be able to show off Grandma’s old dresser instead of hiding it away in the basement.

If you can’t stain your piece, paint it. You can give your inherited furniture a bold new appearance, especially if you opt for a bright color like red or yellow. Once painted and placed in your room of choice, your furniture will attract plenty of attention.

How to Refinish Antique Furniture

Refinishing techniques are tricky to master, which is why we recommend leaving it to the professionals if you aren’t prepared to apply stains properly. Our team has more than 10 years of experience with refinishing antique furniture, and we’re confident we can transform your piece to your liking without taking away its historical significance. We can also detect if your furniture needs more than just a new stain, and we’ll help clean or repair it if necessary.

Whether you want your inherited piece to make a statement or subtly blend in with the back of the room, you can rely on our team to meet your expectations. A little work and creativity will turn your old family heirloom into a dynamic piece you and your guests can’t help but admire.