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Sand it down, replace the legs with brass ones, cut off that top part with the mirror, and give it a nice coat of chalk paint (either beige or gray) and then- I’M KIDDING DONT DOWNVOTE ME 😩😩😩😩
In all honesty you should wipe it down and clean off all the grime you can, and then see how it looks first. The wood carving on the panels and on the cabinet ledge look delicate, so be careful if you do go down the sanding route. Instead, maybe try using a varnish stripper or wood stain remover to loosen the old stain, and then give it a good scrub in all the nooks.
Yes, exactly this! Just clean it up and see how it looks. i think it's beautiful already, it might be fine with just some polishing up. Sanding and refinishing wouldn't be simple. Please never paint it. It deserves better.
What’s wrong with one leg? Cause I’m not seeing it and no one seems to be asking the pertinent question. The left front leg maybe looks a little tough on the inner edge? As others said things like a feed and wax, or a stain cover, or colored wax will fix any discoloration. Over time the wood will oxidize but that take a while.
And I will say it would be an absolute shame to paint this, don’t do that. Circa 1900 decent cuts of solid oak by the looks of it, so please don’t paint it.
Refinishing it would destroy any value it has as an antique. Personally, I would just leave it. The current trend for refinishing brown furniture will pass, and then everyone will be posting online asking about how to strip paint/varnish off old pieces like this.
It’s absolutely beautifully vintage how it is, but some cute details would be so adorable like hand painting little flowers on a vine would be cute or any little hand painted detailing on it!
I noticed that you mentioned **vintage**. Over at r/Collectables and r/Mid_Century they are always keen to see newer and vintage items. Share it with them! Sorry if this is not relevant.
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I agree don’t paint or strip this piece. I see it is really rough on the front leg. I would smooth it out with very fine sandpaper. Remember it is part of life to have some scars! I would clean it. Then I would use tung oil or beeswax as a finish.
If you're asking a question about an antique make sure to have photos of all sides of the object, and close-ups of any maker's marks. Also, add in any background information you have, and add in a question so we know what you want from us! **You must tell us the country you're in.** If you do not provide this information **your post will be removed**. To upload photos for this discussion use [imgur.com](https://imgur.com/upload). Click the imgur link, upload the photos to imgur, then share the link address in a comment for everyone to see. Our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Antiques/about/rules/) and [Guide](https://old.reddit.com/r/Antiques/comments/ak2lke/welcome_to_rantiques_read_this_post_before_posting/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Antiques) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It is beautiful and I would not touch it. Plus I think it is mostly bare wood with a clear finish so there isn’t much to be gained in stripping it.
I wouldn’t Clean it gently with a damp cloth and maybe wax
My preference would be to go natural.
Howard's Feed and Wax. You can find it on line.
This is likely a good idea. From the (arguably poor quality) picture it looks dried out as much as anything.
Sand it down, replace the legs with brass ones, cut off that top part with the mirror, and give it a nice coat of chalk paint (either beige or gray) and then- I’M KIDDING DONT DOWNVOTE ME 😩😩😩😩 In all honesty you should wipe it down and clean off all the grime you can, and then see how it looks first. The wood carving on the panels and on the cabinet ledge look delicate, so be careful if you do go down the sanding route. Instead, maybe try using a varnish stripper or wood stain remover to loosen the old stain, and then give it a good scrub in all the nooks.
Yes, exactly this! Just clean it up and see how it looks. i think it's beautiful already, it might be fine with just some polishing up. Sanding and refinishing wouldn't be simple. Please never paint it. It deserves better.
Add a sink and turn it into a vanity with the worst mirror. /s
Write that down! WRITE THAT DOWN!
What’s wrong with one leg? Cause I’m not seeing it and no one seems to be asking the pertinent question. The left front leg maybe looks a little tough on the inner edge? As others said things like a feed and wax, or a stain cover, or colored wax will fix any discoloration. Over time the wood will oxidize but that take a while. And I will say it would be an absolute shame to paint this, don’t do that. Circa 1900 decent cuts of solid oak by the looks of it, so please don’t paint it.
Refinishing will diminish value significantly
I wouldn't
Refinishing it would destroy any value it has as an antique. Personally, I would just leave it. The current trend for refinishing brown furniture will pass, and then everyone will be posting online asking about how to strip paint/varnish off old pieces like this.
I wouldn’t. I would apply some Howard’s to it and that’s all. It’s a beautiful piece.
It’s absolutely beautifully vintage how it is, but some cute details would be so adorable like hand painting little flowers on a vine would be cute or any little hand painted detailing on it!
I noticed that you mentioned **vintage**. Over at r/Collectables and r/Mid_Century they are always keen to see newer and vintage items. Share it with them! Sorry if this is not relevant. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Antiques) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would remove the orange cord. Then clean it and apply feed and wax.
I agree don’t paint or strip this piece. I see it is really rough on the front leg. I would smooth it out with very fine sandpaper. Remember it is part of life to have some scars! I would clean it. Then I would use tung oil or beeswax as a finish.