Make an Heirloom Fit Your Room

You love Grandma Betty’s china hutch. She kept all of her dishes in it and took them out for big Sunday family dinners. You felt so grown up when she finally let you help put them out on the table. Those memories keep you going on rough days. But loving something isn’t the same as liking it. 

*Please note the hutch in the photo is NOT Grandma Betty's cabinet! It is a very nice piece that simply shows how heirlooms can be customized.

If we’re being honest, that china hutch is the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen. It’s hideous. That’s why Mom and Aunt Liz didn’t want it after Grandma Betty passed. The wood is too dark, the carvings are clumsy-looking, and it doesn’t match ANYTHING you own. Still, you would NEVER part with that cabinet. It would be like losing Grandma Betty all over again. So, you figure you’re stuck with that hulking cabinet just the way it is. Right? 

Not at all! There’s hope! 

Am I Hurting My Heirloom’s Character or Value?

Furniture restoration can feel complicated when it comes to heirlooms. That’s because heirlooms aren’t just furniture–they’re emotional connections to your past. 

We often hesitate to change these pieces. If Grandma told you how long she saved up to buy her dining room set, you might wonder if you’re ruining the value. Or maybe you know it isn’t a valuable piece these days, but you feel guilty for disliking something that Grandma thought was beautiful.

Most pieces of heirloom furniture aren’t museum-grade works of art. They were mass-produced pieces that were meant to reflect the fashion of the time and to be useful. Fulfill both purposes by refinishing your cherished pieces and making them work FOR YOU. 

Maybe it could just use a lighter stain. Or do you want  to do something completely different? Would Grandma’s hutch look better with a coat of paint? 

A good antique refinisher can help you choose the right option and then give your furniture the perfect finish. When it’s done, your well-loved antique can feel like a piece of custom furniture. 

How do you decide on the right finish?

An antique restoration consultant will look at your piece of furniture and tell you how old it is and what kind of wood it’s made from. 

If your furniture has a show-stopping veneer like flame mahogany or burled walnut, refinishing will bring that bright and almost holographic woodgrain back out. Old varnish can darken over time and obscure a gorgeous grain pattern. Remove the old finish, put on fresh lacquer, and that wood will glow.

Even common 1930s waterfall furniture can regain its feeling of depth and movement once it gets new lacquer. 

However, if you prefer to paint over mahogany or 20th century veneers, you can request that the refinisher sprays sealer before they paint. Sealer will prevent paint from getting into the pores of the wood. In the event that your grandchildren want to go back to the original wood, future refinishers will not have to sand harshly to remove all traces of paint. 

If your furniture is a more modern, mass-produced piece from the 60s or 70s, it may not be built from a beautifully grained wood. These pieces’ dark finishes often disguised sturdy but less elegant wood. If you aren’t meant to see the grain clearly, does it really matter whether it’s due to new paint or the original dark stain? 

Working Through Complicated Feelings

It’s hard to stop calling an heirloom “Aunt Carol’s chair” or “Grandpa’s reading lamp.” But remember:  it’s theirs, but now it’s yours, too. It’s YOUR chair. It’s YOUR lamp. You look at it and use it every day.

Enjoy your furniture and dress it up without feeling guilty.  Your grandma wouldn’t be upset that you’re painting her china hutch. She’d be thrilled that you’re putting effort into keeping it in your life.

That hutch means so much to you that you’re foregoing that new TV or declining to buy tickets to that concert everyone’s talking about. All so you can make a place in your home for that heirloom–that connection to someone who meant everything to you.

That’s a tribute to them. That’s love.