Jessica writes with a question we all likely ask at one time or another in our collecting (and dumpster-diving) lives:
Hi there! It goes without saying that I love your blog or I wouldn’t be reaching out.
So, I have this little set. It’s a Heywood Wakefield table — missing its leaves — and two chairs. One with arms and one without. We found it free on the side of the road. The original labels and paperwork are still stapled under one of the chairs. Anyway, the poor set has been badly abused. The Champagne finish has seen better days, and obviously parts of the set have been lost along the way — the other chairs as well as the leaves. The table top has some spreading between the pieces of wood likely because it was left in the rain or somewhere moist. And lots of rings. *sigh*
So, my question is this. Do I pay to have this refinished in the right stain, and see if they can do anything about the spreading and stains. OR, do I have it done in something fun like a black lacquer? Its role is likely going to be an art table for the kids in their super cool retro playroom. At most, it could end up being my desk in my office.
The chairs are cat eye style. I’m not sure on the table. Trying to look that up now.
Any thoughts?
Jessica
Hi there back, Jessica! Thank you, and good girl, dumpster diver! Excellent question — and a great one for our team of smarty readers weigh in on.
What do you think, readers?
Is it righteous to restore wrecked vintage furniture back to its original finish?
Or, can we get creative?
I definitely have an opinion, but family hold back.
Kristi Osborn says
I have lots of rescued pieces that I have restored and acquired many pieces that I love from my Grandmother who painted EVERYTHING, so I go both ways. Your find would be gorgeous restored and doesn’t look like it would be that hard, but if it is loved that’s what is important!
Laura says
The ongoing trend of spray painting vintage lamps and light fixtures neon colors has always bugged me, but even I have broken with that opinion in one instance (though I didn’t choose neon). And for some reason with furniture I’ve always been a little more flexible. You have “name” pieces for nothing. Great score! I tend to agree with people that trying to see if you can restain the piece would be the way to proceed at first, just because of that name. The wood is so pretty it seems a shame not to at least try. There are some things you can try to get rid of the rings. But I also don’t think it’s a sin, if the piece really is in rough shape and the stain doesn’t work, to go with paint. Sadly, sometimes we can’t undo the neglect of previous owners, but if you can give the pieces a new lease on life that it wouldn’t have otherwise gotten? I think that it’s okay in this case.
Eric says
I would attempt to clean the top as best as possible first. Nothing to lose there but tons to gain if it works. However, if that fails I would consider just painting the top and leaving the legs. They seem to be in decent shape and the two-tone may be a nice effect. Then again a rustic look isn’t that bad if you can deal with it.
Eartha Kitsch says
Ooh! I love this question as I have my owner inner battle in answering it. First, I say that if you think that you might like it unpainted, get some Howard’s restore-a-finish and see what it looks like afterward. You might be really surprised! We’ve brought home some pretty dried out and mistreated pieces around here and even just a simple wipe down with orange oil has yielded results that have amazed us.
I mean, it’s not ever going to be showroom new looking unless it’s completely refinished but who says that every piece has to be that way? A little conditioning of the wood might make that set very pretty again. I definitely wouldn’t completely restore it if you’re going to use it as a desk or art table for the kids. Don’t feel like you *have* to restore it because it’s a Heywood Wakefield set.
As far as painting, if you think that painting the set would yield something that you’d definitely want to keep forever and enjoy, than by all means paint away. You found it. It’s yours and that’s how it goes. : )
Just another Pam says
Jessica, listen to Eartha, she is wise. Everything old is not capable of being what it was again and even if it could be close it’s quite simply not worth the effort in time, money and chemicals. More mid-century stuff is coming on the market every day so the degree of rare is becoming less all the time.
I wish I’d read this before I bored you with the post above. Sorry, blush.
Jessica says
Hi Everyone!
It’s me! So, I think it’s important to note a few things. The table actually has a chunk taken out of the edge and the planks that make up the top are separating and a bit warped. The chairs also have some pretty deep grooves in the backs in various spots. I don’t know what the previous owners did to this set, but it wasn’t nice. 🙂
I think that is hard to tell with the photos that are posted how poorly treated they were.
Also, with three children and a full time gig, I do not have time to refinish myself. I’m going to have to rely on a local refinisher.
So, do you still feel the same?
Jessica
Cathleen says
Well – yes. I have little kids too and they are tough on furniture. However, paint will look all scratched up and dinged very quickly and be more noticeable than wood.
Jennifer says
I recently found 2 Heywood Wakefield chairs that had been painted, were missing the seat cushions and were thrown in the dumpster. on a whim I took them to my refinisher and and asked him to strip and stain them for me. luckily he was careful when he stripped the chairs and found both the HW stamp and the date that the chairs were manufactured. what a find! we restored the chairs to as near their original finish as possible and also created new seat cushions. no, they are not worth nearly what they would be if they were in original condition but I now have 2 Heywood Wakefield chairs that are solid maple and that I will keep forever. Total cost to me: $170 per chair which, I think, is a steal considering I could never afford these chairs in their original condition.
bottom line, restore this to their original charm and luster and have a piece of iconic american history!
best of luck!!!
JKaye says
You could do a little of both — paint only the top, and do the rest in a light stain. That way you would get to enjoy some of the lovely lines of the piece in its original appearance, and the worst of the wear on top would be covered over. Great find.
clampers says
I would try to work with the original finish, using a product such as Restore-a-Finish or Formby’s. I have watched too many Antiques Roadshow episodes where people are so disappointed to hear their furniture is worth next to nothing because they stripped and refinished! Anyway, I’ve used those products on several furniture projects and they are a dream to work with…very easy and the results are fantastic…and some of my salvaged furniture was pretty nasty and beat-up.
Also I am digging your “family hold back” comment, Pam…brought me right back! 🙂
Kate says
Since you rescued it from the dumpster, and it’s condition is poor at the moment, I think you need to do whatever will work best for your family, house and style. If it were in pristine condition and you wanted to paint it, I would yell NOOOO! but since it needs to be reworked anyway, I think you need to do whatever will make you the happiest. If it were me, I would refinish it with stain, but I was not the lucky one to find it!
Carrie aka MIFroggies says
In the past, I found Airstream trailers and worked on them. If the trailer was in decent condition to begin with, I believed it should be restored. If it was missing most of it’s original features, I changed it and gave it a new life. Both ways are respectful and keep things from adding to our landfill problem. It is very rare to find an Airstream that is pristine from the past, there is always things that need to be updated for safety (like the old furnaces in them).
I think this table is the same. If the condition was better, then the expense and time would be worth it to bring it back. You also have to figure in whether you are going to LOVE the process, time and money it will take to restore it. Will it bring you more joy to restore it and have to keep it pristine….or to repurpose it to the way you can actually use it for your kids to do happy crafts on?
Again, I think both ways are respectful. The table managed in this whole world to find its’ way to you. You own it now, it is your decision. William Morris said “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. Choose to make the table both useful and beautiful to your family and you will be happy with your decision.