How to DIY refinishing mid-century modern furniture

When it’s possible to DIY

Get rid of watermarks

If watermarks are your only problem, Gendron suggests Mohawk’s Super Blush Retarder aerosol spray as a quick fix, calling it “the industry secret everyone who owns wood furniture needs to know.”

Move your piece to a well-ventilated space, such as the garage, and apply a few light coats of the spray to remove the white moisture marks — no additional finishing required. While there are many tricks and hacks out there for taking care of water rings, Kennedy advises avoiding “home remedies.”

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Revive a tired finish

If you have a piece with a slightly failing finish (think dull coloring and only the lightest scuffs and scratches), you might not need a full refinishing. Instead, try the “scuff and spray” method: Sand lightly with a high-grit sandpaper (at least 400 grit) or a green Scotch-Brite scour pad, then spray on a layer of professional-grade lacquer. The pros I spoke to recommend the aerosol products sold by Mohawk — more on those below. Remember to always work in a well-ventilated space. “See how it looks,” Duffy said. “If it comes out looking cleaner, it’s perfectly acceptable to stop there.”

Tackle a full refinish

If you can see bare wood or your piece has deep scratches, many water stains or ink marks, you’ll need a full refinish. You’ll strip, sand and potentially address color with stain, glaze, toner or a combination of all three, before finishing with multiple coats of lacquer.

Because both the stripping products and the finishes are harsh, you’ll need a well-ventilated space for your project — not just a room with the windows open, Duffy said. “When I say ‘well ventilated,’ I really mean well ventilated, like with a powerful fan,” she said. “And you still need a 3M respirator mask with P100 cartridges.” A garage is ideal, but a covered porch or pop-up tent can work. You’ll also need this space for a while: Kennedy estimates that a standard dresser will take a beginner about 20 hours to refinish.

To strip off the old finish, Duffy recommends a product called Stripwell QCS. Strippers by the Klean Strip brand, she says, are also cheap and effective. After allowing the stripper to do its work, use a putty knife to scrape away the residue. (In its how-to videos, Stripwell recommends using a plastic version instead of metal as a precaution against damaging the veneer.)

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Once you’ve removed the finish, follow the product’s directions for cleaning the stripper from the wood, then let it dry completely before sanding. Kennedy and Duffy both recommend investing in a random orbital sander, a tool designed for ultra-smooth sanding that costs less than $100. One of the most common mistakes beginners make is sanding through veneer, so go slowly, the pros say.

Now you’ll apply the new finish to your piece. People often assume that all mid-century furniture was finished with teak oil, Kennedy said, but most was finished with sprayed, toned lacquer. Therefore, you likely won’t want to use teak or Danish oil. “It’s like putting olive oil on a car finish,” Duffy said, adding that if you strip and sand a piece, then put teak oil on it, you haven’t really established a surface durable enough for everyday use. When trying to achieve a certain color with your new finish, she recommends practicing first on a spare piece of wood. (If you’re unsure which products are right for your item, Kennedy offers free advice in his Facebook group the Mid Century Modern Furniture Refinishing Resource.)

The pros I spoke to advised avoiding the finishes available at hardware and big-box stores in favor of professional-grade options. There are many brands, but for beginners, they recommend those by Mohawk, which offers many of its products in aerosol format, so you won’t need to invest in a sprayer.

When applying the finish, Duffy said, “you need to build up five or six coats to create a really beautiful surface that is strong enough for daily use and will preserve the furniture for another 50 or 60 years.” Let each application dry according to the package directions; in between coats, you’ll need to lightly scuff the surface with high-grit sandpaper.

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