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How To Refinish Wood Furniture Without Sanding or Stripping

This post is sponsored by Velvet Finishes, however all opinions are 100% mine. Affiliate links may be contained in this post.

There once lived a man.

He was a farmer who wore Liberty overalls.

And he was a wood worker too.

He made lamps and a baby cradle when his first granddaughter was born.

The granddaughter slept in the cradle and her daughter slept in the cradle.

And the granddaughter doesn’t remember a time when a lamp her pap made wasn’t in her grandparent’s den.

They were floor lamps with a small table halfway up – nothing anyone would probably consider in style.

Except her.

A few months ago when the granddaughter went back home, she found her grandfather’s lamps in an outbuilding.

And that just wouldn’t do.

So along with a huge gold mirror and some old farm equipment that she just couldn’t let get thrown away, she brought the lamps home.
How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

The base and the poles were ok, but the table part, it was rough.

But she was ready to make them shine again….

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding or Stripping

Supplies & Materials Needed:

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

Step 1: 

If the piece you are working on has a glossy or shiny finish, spray it down with Ready, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe the piece down with paper towels until its no longer shiny.

Whether you used Ready or not, use a tack cloth to clean up any dust or dirt that might be on the piece.

Step 2: 

Put on the gloves (this will stain your hands if you don’t!) and pour a little Stain Restore onto a paper plate.

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

Use the stain pad (it comes with the Stain Restore) and soak up some stain restore.

Spread it onto the surface you are restoring.

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

You can spread it around however you want to, but make sure your final swipes are in the direction of the wood grain.

Step 3:

Let the Stain Restore dry and repeat as many times as needed or to get the color you want. I did four coats of the Stain Restore to cover my lamp.

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

You can just barely see the rings that were there in the beginning. I could have done another coat or two and covered them completely, but I didn’t want to go any darker with the lamp.

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

Stain Restore dries to a shiny, polyurethane type finish. You can add on a topcoat of Protect for more protection.

How to Refinish Wood Furniture and Cover Stains without Sanding - must read if you want to keep something stained, but don't want to strip and sand it!

It may be considered out of style, but this girl is happy to have her Pap’s lamp in her living room.

And she thinks it looks just right.

Do you have any family heirlooms that need to be restored?

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How to Refinish Wood Furniture | How to Refinish Old Furniture | Restaining Wood Furniture | Restaining Furniture | Furniture Makeover DIY

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Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Velvet Finishes. However, all opinions and love of my Pap’s lamps are 100% mine.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says

      hahaha, Christina! Seriously, you should have seen my truck. I brought home a HUGE gold mirror that was my grandparents, a grain scale from the barn, another one of these lamps, and a random red thing from the barn as well which my uncle explained to me what it was, but I would never be able to tell you. #hoarderrighthere

      Reply

  4. Tammy says

    I love that lamp, and wish I had several. Partly because I miss my own sweet grandad so much and partly because they are darling and so practical! Table lamps never really go out of fashion.

    Reply

  5. Susan the Farm Quilter says

    Knowing the hours of patient toil that went into creating the lamp, I am so glad you saved it!! No, it isn’t modern or necessarily in style, but it was made with love by the hands of a man you loved, which makes it a priceless heirloom!! I have a bedside table my father made in the late 40s when my parents were first married and I cherish it. He still has the lamps he made on his headboard. NOTHING can replace them, ever!! Awesome save and I love how you have restored it. Your daughter will love it as well because you will teach her to see the love from her great Pap still visible in it.

    Reply

  6. Samm says

    My grandfather made lamps like that too. I have his old one hanging out in my garage (just moved) and was wondering how to finish it lazily. This is perfect. Thank you so much for this!

    Reply

  7. Pam Scott says

    Hi Jenna ~ Pap’s lamp looks great! And I’m glad you didn’t cover all of the rings….that’s not just any old “new” lamp. You might just be remembering that glass of ice tea he was enjoying 🙂

    Reply

  9. Ann C says

    Thanks for the info on Stain Restore. Never heard of it but definitely will look for it. Love easy. Love the old lamp, wonder what ever happened to ours…

    Reply

  10. Terri Hughes says

    So glad you found the lamp and restored it. Looks great. And I don’t think it is out of style at all. Gotta keep great memories alive. Your grandpa would be happy that you restored it and have it in your home!!!!

    Reply

  11. Debra says

    Don’t you just smile every time you pass that lamp. I have many treasured “old things” in my home. They make me fill close to loved ones no longer here. I’m sure your Pap is smiling too.

    Reply

  14. Denise says

    I have my grandparents’ 1945 stereo, a radio with a built in turn-table. The water marks on top tell the story of the plants my Grandma watered and scuffs on the edge explain that the radio was too close to an opening door. I treasure this piece of history.

    Reply

  15. julie Spear says

    I love that lamp – I would totally buy that if I saw it, and put it in my house!! I think it looks kind of like that one kind of furniture with the turned wood legs (which I can’t think of the name of, lol!). And with your Gramps making it – that make it an invaluable family heirloom!! You’re SO lucky to have those, Can’t wait to see your farm implements, LOL!!!

    Reply

  16. Liz says

    Love the table lamp! Anything that is part of our history is our style. I have so many of my MeMe’s (grandmother) treasures. She was a hard working lady that raised 2 boys alone when single parenting was not so popular. She worked in the mill all her life and instilled so many values in my daddy and me. When I started redoing furniture and selling it I named my business after her. In this crazy world we have to remember where we came from to know where we wanna be.

    Reply

    • Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says

      Liz, I could not have said it any better myself. That last sentence – “We have to remember where we came from to know where we wanna be.” – that should be on a wall, on a few thousand walls to remind people!! Your MeMe sounds like an extraordinary woman. And I love that you named your business after her – such a great way to remember and honor her!

      Reply

  17. Brigitte says

    Looks awesome! I, too, am a lover of old things like this. My grandmother’s house (back when I was little and she still lived on the farm) was filled with this kind of stuff. Sadly, I haven’t been to that house in years, no idea what happened to any of that stuff! 🙁

    Reply

    • Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says

      Oh no, Brigitte. Things just get lost over time. I know there are many things I vividly remember of my grandparents, but have no idea what happened to them. Anytime I see something like that in an antique store, I always buy it. I know its not theirs and not the same, but its nice to have it and be reminded of them. I have a little cow planter that I found at a yard sale and it was just like one my grandparent’s had, but theirs wasn’t a planter, so I immediately snatched it up.

      Reply

      • Brigitte says

        I do that, too! My grandma grew up during the Depression, and as a consequence was very er…um….frugal. 😉 Getting something new was a rare treat, so she (and my uncles and aunt) didn’t have the same reverence I have for old things. One of my uncles now lives in the farmhouse, and who knows what he has in there, ha! One of the things I’ve been on the hunt for is a creamer shaped like a cow….the tail formed the handle and the cream or milk came out of the mouth. SO CUTE. I know they still make them, but the one my grandma had was old. 🙂

        Reply

  18. jan says

    Jenna – I love a girl that loves her Pap the way you do! And his lamp not only looks great where you have it, I know it’s getting more smiles than some brand new cheapo place holder. Good for you!

    Reply

  19. Robin says

    You did such a great job saving that lamp. I love reading all of your posts about restoring and working with wood, I think I’m going to start calling you Woody from now on! LOL
    Thank you for sharing at the Creative Muster Party! Pinned
    Robin | Fluster Buster

    Reply

  20. Christine says

    That turned out great, you did a great job. Love how you don’t have to sand anything! Thanks for sharing this at the Dishing it & Digging it Link Party. We loved reading it

    Reply

  21. Jeannee Taylor says

    Jenna,
    Such a wonderfully sentimental tutorial! The lamps are very nice and I love the pearly look the Stain restore product creates! Such an easy way to breath new life into a cherished family heirloom! Thanks for sharing with us @ #HomeMattersParty
    Jeannee

    Reply

  23. Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond says

    The end result looks beautiful and such a beautiful story about your grandfather. Thanks for linking up and sharing with us at #overthemoon. I’m sharing on social media. Have a lovely week and hope to see you at the next OTM link up.
    Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond

    Reply

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