Restoring and Refinishing Furniture An Illustrated Guide to

Revitalizing Your Home

Visit the link below to download the full version of this book:

https://homemader.com/shop/restoring-and-refinishing-furniture-an-illustrated-gu
ide-to-revitalizing-your-home/

Click Download Now

We would like to thank Barnices Valentine for giving us his products to aid in the restoration process
of the furniture in this book (www.valentine.es)

We would also like to thank Albert Fuentes, Haider Cano, Carole Montaigne, and Othilia Chaboche
for their assistance

as well as the “Natura” shops (gear and materials)

Copyright © 2007 by Virginie Manuel

English language translation © 2015 by Skyhorse Publishing

Original Title: VAMOS A RECUPERAR MUEBLES

© Virginie Manuel
© Editorial Océano, S.L.
(Barcelona, Spain)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express
written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All
inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY
10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion,
corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to
specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th
Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected].

Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a
Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Manuel, Virginie.
[Vamos a recuperar muebles. English]
Restoring and refinishing furniture: an illustrated guide to revitalizing
your home / Virginie Manuel.
pages cm
 ISBN 978-1-63450-455-3 (paperback)—ISBN 978-1-63450-473-7 (ebook)
1. Furniture finishing. 2. Furniture—Repairing. I. Title.
TT199.4.M3613 2015
684.1’043—dc23
2015017386

Cover design by Rain Saukas

Cover photos by Bob Masters (www.bobmastersphotography.com) and Virginie Manuel
(www.virginimanuel.com)

Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-455-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-473-7
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Restoring a Piece of Furniture
Free Your Imagination
Where to Look
Before Acquiring a Piece of Furniture
General Assessment
Assessing Damages and Alterations
Used Furniture’s Enemies
Biological Agents
Environmental Factors
Mechanical Damage

THE THREE STAGES OF RESTORATION

1. Refurbishing
Safety and Useful Tips
Dismantling Furniture
Cleaning Time
Stripping
Sanding
Fighting Rot
Treating and Protecting against Xylophagous Insects
Repairing Parts

2. Small and Original Changes

Practical Examples
3. The Best Finish
Preparing Bases
Finishing with Paint
Finishing with Stains
Finishing with Decoupage
Protective Finishes for Exposed Wood
Proper Maintenance
Basic Gear
GETTING TO WORK
Plain Colors
Multipurpose, Movable File Cabinet
A Great Small Complement
A Desk for the Kids
A Stylish Couch

Aging Effects
From the Workshop to Your Home
Magical Transformation
A Charming Desk
Table with Metal Feet
 A Chest of Drawers from the Fifties

Motifs
The New Trunk of Memories
An Art Deco Touch
Seventies-Style Stool
A Small Table with Motifs
A Virtual Tablecloth
An Inspired Spice Rack

Decoupage
Pop Table
A Day at the Market
Attractive Bathroom Cupboard
 Introduction

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sure, showing off something new is enjoyable. A cell phone, a pair of shoes,
a car, a couch, a kitchen … We live in a consumer’s society that causes us to
accumulate tons of objects, gadgets, and other junk. But as soon as an item
breaks, or even just “goes out of style,” we stash it away or, even worse,
discard it. Aggressive marketing campaigns and publicity make sure we are
not tempted to repair or reuse something we already own. The slogan
becomes: use, toss, and buy again.
An object’s lifespan becomes shorter and shorter, purchases increase and,
consequently, so does the waste generated by this endless pattern. More
“advanced” societies have developed some noticeable linear production and
consumption processes in which the excess of waste is the final result.
With this book, we would like to bring a little balance to these forces and
promote the three famous Rs: Reduce consumption and its waste, Reuse
(refinish) objects, and Recycle materials. These three words are the key to
preserving the planet we live on.
Taking into consideration the need to adopt an individual behavior that is
more respectful towards nature, the goal of this book is to show that it is
very easy and cost effective to reuse and refinish used furniture that we have
around the house. This way, we can break the damaging cycle of using and
discarding by making small repairs and alterations inspired by imagination
and creativity.
See for yourself: go to your local recycling center and look at the number
of old computers, keyboards, freezers, washers, furniture, and other
household items that pile up in the containers. Sure, some of them could be
reused. In the case of furniture, many pieces could fulfill their purpose for
many years to come with just a couple of paint touch-ups.
 That is exactly what this book is about. Through a series of practical
examples, we will show you, step by step, the restoration and surprising
transformation of several pieces of furniture and other accessories.
Restoring a Piece of Furniture
Until recently, restoring furniture was considered to be typical of the lower
social classes or eccentric idealists (like the first ecologists of the ’60s), as
well as fans of antiques. Nowadays, the stigma against restoring is slowly
disappearing, paving the way for practices that show off aesthetic qualities
and variations that new furniture simply no longer possess.
Furniture lends character and style to our nearest living spaces. As
products of our daily lives, they can acquire their own personality and even
feelings (a child’s crib, Grandma’s old sofa, Dad’s desk …) that can affect us
in more ways than we realize. Our ancestors, who passed their furniture
down from generation to generation as a precious legacy, understood this.
But current price reductions and the aggressive marketing campaigns of
determined warehouses have started a new trend: “Redecorate your lives,”
they say. Using cheap, practical, and impressive designs, they tell us to buy
new furniture whenever it strikes our fancy, seasonally, just like we see in the
fashion world. There is a downside to this attitude. We are given the short-
lived pleasure of change, briefly alleviating the heaviness of daily life. The
materials, the place, the production, and method of commercialization all
result in the object being a cheap product that has a short lifespan. This is
the core throwaway attitude.
In contrast to this extravagant option, there is a more sustainable one
based on the restoration of used furniture. Take note of its two fundamental
aspects:

1. Restoration. This means returning a piece of furniture to its original state.

Having to do with old and valuable furniture, restoration requires an expert
hand well-versed in old or modern techniques, with a knowledge of and
ability to use tools, products, and special finishes.
In this book we will tackle restoration in a superficial way in order to
concentrate on a more routine and affordable method: restoration through
transformation, with a mindset of promoting ecological conscientiousness
and developing inventive and useful skills.

2. Transformation, or the art of changing the shape, use, or appearance of

a piece of furniture. As opposed to restoring, this is about reinterpreting a
piece of furniture, using its qualities and defects to create a different piece,
whether the change is formal (composition), utilitarian (with regards to
function), or decorative (color and texture). The transformation, as well as
being practical, allows for the use of imaginative resources that will give the
piece of furniture its own unique personality.

Free Your Imagination

While restoration attempts to imbue the deteriorated object with its original
splendor (as closely as possible), the transformation of furniture frees the
imagination and makes use of creative abilities. Through structural or
decorative transformation, the goal is to breathe new life into a piece, taking
advantage of its qualities and peculiarities, and by playing with forms and
details that are no longer found in production.

This is also considered an act of remembrance, since we are opting to

reuse and enjoy older shapes and structures. Ultimately, it is also fun
considering that this type of restoration stimulates our imagination and
allows us to freely express ourselves and experiment with each piece of
furniture that falls in our hands. This way, we may restructure on older
object into a modern one. We may even customize a modern piece of
furniture so that it looks like a more original, unique, and special piece. It’s
all just a matter of creativity.

The things you can find …

One can find absolutely anything while searching for used furniture,
although these smaller discoveries may have undesirable qualities, for
which they were most likely tossed in the first place.
For example, we can find:

• Furniture that has outlived its purpose. For example, children’s

furnishings, storage file cabinets, card organizers, closet backs, barber
chairs … pieces that are no longer used because of their owners’ change in
habits.

• Degraded furniture.
• Because of the material: broken or deteriorated furniture.
• Due to mistreatment: broken, wasted, or furniture that is falling apart,
etc.
• Because of superficial faults: scratches, ruptures, etc.

• Outdated furniture. It is old-fashioned and, as a result, hard to place

alongside the rest of the decorations.