How to restore furniture with peeling varnish?

Question

My whole house is Amart Furniture, which I assume is pine. The tops of almost all the drawers are peeling/damaged. It also seems like it is a either matt or a low shine varnish.

I was wondering if it's possible to just sand down and redo the tops only (not the whole unit). What will all the steps be and what colour will this be?

Please and thank you.

😊

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @odette. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about restoring cabinetry.

@Jewelleryrescue has provided some great advice. Sanding the tops to remove the peeling finish is a good first step. Matching the colour to the rest of the unit might be a bit tricky, as the existing finish may have aged or faded over time. If you prefer not to attempt a perfect match, clear-coating the timber after sanding could give a fresh and natural look, which can be a lovely touch.

For a more detailed guide, you might find this step-by-step guide on How to upcycle a bedside cabinet helpful. It outlines the preparation, finishing, and sealing process, which you can adapt to your drawers.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Jewelleryrescue · Answer

Hi @odette

Buy all means   sand the loose coating off the top so the whole area is uniform in colour

If you want, try match the existing cabinet color with a stain first. or a stain varnish combo is a bit cheaper take a photo of your draws to try match stain colours the best at the paint shop,

Or just apply a clear varnish spray from a spray can is a lower cost solution.

Spray on  Varnish

Hope this helps.