Results from Restor-A-Finish
October 18, 2011
My little sis pesters me about furniture because she’s always looking for great finds and she knows if she gets me talking about old furniture I’ll ramble on for days. Sis has been looking for a small sideboard or buffet, so when I stumbled upon this antique at a thrift store last week for $75, I quickly snatched it up for her. I liked the size and solid structure with its dovetail joints, plus it had no major damage. But it was a little sad looking and definitely in need of new stain, or perhaps even paint.
I was on the fence about whether to paint it, but thought I’d try to restore the wood first. I had heard about a product from several antique dealers that breathes new life into tired old antiques and doesn’t require the typical strip/stain/poly steps that are required to fully refurbish wood furniture. The product is Howard’s Restor-A-Finish and I thought this latest vintage piece was the perfect candidate to give it a try.
I followed the instructions and used a very fine grade steel wool (level 000) to wipe down the buffet in the direction of the wood grain, then applied two coats of the Restor-A-Finish. I also pulled off the acanthus applique attached to the back because it was bugging me, then replaced the center hardware and broken pulls with new ones lightly coated with Rub N’Buff in ‘Antique Gold’.
Here’s a peek at the easy transformation that took about an hour.
Before:
After:
Not bad!
I grabbed these three products at my local True Value Hardware to see how well they’d perform on this buffet.
I confess, I was a little surprised. I’m not a fan of gimmicky products but after using the Restor-A-Finish, I do think the surface is much improved. I followed up the Restor-A-Finish with the recommended Feed-N-Wax but before I did that, I tried out the Minwax Blend-Fil pencil to fill in a few deep scratches. My response to the Blend-Fil was mixed. From a distance, the deep scratch is minimized but up close, you can see it’s a waxy filler, and on this piece the shade is a little off.
The finish ends up being a little oily, so be sure to rub off the Restor-A-Finish as directed and don’t leave it on your wood. Also, I noticed the product seemed to enhance the underlying deteriorating layers of original varnish. This picture doesn’t show that, and it’s very subtle, but I notice it in bright light. 
The thing that impressed me the most about the Restor-A-Finish was the removal of these small water spots on the front.
Before:
After:
If there were deeper water (or heat) marks, gentle sanding and restaining would be the real solution. I do give a thumbs up to the Feed-N-Wax. I’ve used that product a few times over the years, it smells much better and gives wood a nice luster.
Here is my initial impression of Howard’s Restor-A-Finish:
Pros: Restor-A-Finish removes cosmetic surface water spots and minimizes scratches, it comes in several shades, and is great for beginners who don’t want to take on a full refinishing job.
Cons: Restor-A-Finish is really stinky but the odor dissipates quickly. It should be used only in a well ventilated area. You cannot apply poly over it, only wax, which is fine with me, but requires waxing every few months to maintain the luster. In my opinion, because of its oily nature, it enhances any imperfections that may exist in the layers of original varnish underneath.
Bottom line, this product is like plastic surgery for furniture. It won’t return your piece to the flawless finish of its youth but it will take 10 years off, and at $12 bucks a can, that’s a pretty good price for a quick facelift.
Have you ever tried Restor-A-Finish? What were your results? Were you pleased or displeased?
True Value Blog Squad legalese: “I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”
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Tags: buffet, product review, restore-a-finish, true value
So happy to read that, thank so much Kelly! I love hearing other reader’s experiences!
xo
Kate
You did such an awesome job on this! It looks like brand new. I’m debating whether I should refinish my dresser or just paint it….this makes me want to refinish it!
I have an old bookshelf that needs restoring. It’s really sad looking but has a good shape and is very practical. I’ll have to try one of the 2 methods.
FYI I finally figured out how to install the font. What’s a shame is that it will upload it to picassa but not into picnik. Thanks for the info I needed. I hadn’t installed a font before. Now the possibilities are endless. :)
As someone who did faux finishing professionally for ten years, I love your site. I would have probably ben ordering expensive products, etc. when sometimes a simple quick fix is best. Looks great.
Thanks for offering an alternative to completely refinishing a piece. I think you had wonderful results and you were able to restore a vintage piece without days of work. I wouldn’t be concerned too much about the scratch…just adds to its charm. Well done, Kate!
I used it on a few of our inherited pieces that the hubs won’t let me touch with a paint brush. It does work quite well to give an old piece a little facelift. And I agree 100% with the smell- not good!
Kate, this is great! My mom has a vintage buffet that I convinced her to hang onto. I want to use it in my home, but how do you incorporate vintage pieces with your regular decor, without making it feel like grandma’s house? Please do a post on this for those of us who are clueless!! :)
I have been using Restor-A-Finish for years and am extremely pleased with it. I’ve inherited lots of odds and ends and -so far- it’s worked on every piece that needed help. I highly recommend it!
This is absolutely INSANE, Kate! I love that the refinish just enhanced the character that was already in the piece, simply beautiful. Andrea
Kate,
I used Restor-a-finish on a wooden framed mirror and was amazed at how easy and effective the product was. I love the stuff and after seeing your antique piece restored, I’m even more of a fan.
Thanks,
Karen
Oh Stacy, what a great question and a brilliant idea for a post! The key is to be very selective. ONE vintage piece is my rule and surround it with more modern upholstered pieces for a collected and eclectic feel. I’m putting this on my list of articles to write, stay tuned!
xo
Kate
My husband and I are big fans of Restore- A-Finish. You’re right, the vapors will definitely wake you up! Howard’s Feed-N-Wax is another go to product for us. We are antique dealers and we learned years ago that RAF can work magic on pieces that otherwise would spook others from buying or repairing. It is an alternative to a timely and costly stripping and total refinish of a piece of furniture. I also use these products on all my new furniture at home. The great thing about Howard’s is I can clean & polish the furniture at the shop with it less frequently due to the staying power of the product. A little Howard’s goes along way and helps to cut down on dusting time(I’m not a big fan of dusting). I go over the furniture with a dry, soft cloth 1-2 times a week, and the finish appears as if I just applied Howard’s. Great stuff, and unlike Restore-A-Finish, the orange scent is pleasant.
I used it on a table I inherited that was sentimental. It wasn’t perfect but by the end it did look a million times better. I had gotten a quote for $500 to sand and refinish the table only, so this def. was the best option. See my post about it here: http://blog.lifeintheloop.com/?p=68
I find that the Guardsman furniture markers work better than the Minwax waxy pencils. They ususally come in a 3 pak of light to dark. Start with the lighest and work you way up. I have had good success with these.
I’ve never used this product, but I do use Old English furniture oil and get the same great results. It’s AMAZING and even cheaper! It’s also very easy to find and available at most grocery stores. I should do a blog post about it. Hmm… thanks Kate! =)
We’ve used Restor a Finish several times with great results. We did a desk with similar results to yours that can be seen here: http://lindauerdesigns.com/antique-desk-and-the-brilliance-of-howard/
It is stinky – and it does need time to dry, otherwise you get the gunk all over your fingers. I especially love this when getting a piece ready to show that may have been sitting for a while. And now that I know what it is – I see it in all the furniture/antique shops!
I love, love, love restor-a-finish. I used it on my kitchen cabinets with great success. It was my last ditch effort to avoid replacing them. They were all faded and dry and in pretty bad condition, and they look fantastic now. Recently, I used restor-a-finish to spiff up the old quarter-round trim moulding I pulled up when I replaced my powder room floor. It kept me from having to buy (and cut – hate the miter box!) new trim. Yay!
One more thing – if you buy a light-ish color (I have golden oak), you can use it on a range of wood finishes without worrying about making unwanted changes to the color of your piece. I’ve used golden oak on my oak cabinets and on my mahogany coffee table with equal success. If you have a range of wood tones in your house, you’ll get more milage out of a lighter color.
I must tell you that I bought some Restore a Finish over the wkd and just finished practically every table in my house. They look beautiful. Thank you so much for the information!