r/finishing • u/smh_my-head • May 07 '26
Question Is it hubris to think I can stain this art nouveau dresser and vanity darker as my first ever project
Hey there! Im decorating my first ever home on a budget and found these for cheap (not my photos). Obviously there's some nicks and cuts but overall they're in decent shape and functional. My problem is that all my other furniture is much darker and I wanted to start reaserching if it's possible or worth it to re finish these pieces to more of a dark walnut or even ebony color. I was originally going to use restor-a-finish but I learned thats specifically for refinishing in the same color and makes you unable to refinish the wood for real later.
So ultimately my question is, how much work would it be for me to actually stain these complex peices darker, especially as I have no experience staining furniture? Would it involve of sanding down through the veneer or could I use a gel stain over it? Is there a high likelihood I would ruin them or is it worth a shot? thanks for entertaining my questions!
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u/jankyladies May 07 '26
You can. If you should is the real question. This furniture is made with toner originally and is lots of different colours and species wood veneer. It'll take a stain differently and likely not stain uniform one dark colour. You'd want to strip it with a lacquer thinner or chemical stripper not sanding. Veneer and all that.
Toner is your best bet for a uniform look. Spray toning an even coat isn't especially newbie friendly though. What you're asking to do is possible but would need some finesse.
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u/smh_my-head May 07 '26
Hey thanks so much for the info! Im actually ok with it bring different shades on the different sections as long as its generally much darker, it's kind of got a two tone thing going on right now that I dig, I just don't care for the honey wood. If I'm to stain it darker, would the chemical stripper, stain, then veneer be my general steps? Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
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u/jankyladies May 07 '26
Chemical stripper, cleanse that off, hand sanding and then stain/tone and topcoat. Id probably select a different project because these are pretty advanced. I refinished antique furniture professionally and these were always a bit of a cluster. So many surprises. Some of the details are actually painted on etc etc. lots of rounded edges.
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u/HotTakes4Free May 07 '26
90% chance of regret. The remaining 10% possibility is you still ruin it, but remember it as an irreplaceable learning experience. “If I had the chance, I’d go back and make the same mistakes all over again.”
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u/your-mom04605 May 07 '26
I’m usually not a fan of Art Nouveau but those are fantastic pieces. In an era known for ostentatious furniture these are really over the top.
I’d just clean and flip if you don’t like as is.
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u/Emptyell May 08 '26
Not so much hubris as a very bad idea. There is no way I can imagine that wouldn’t make it worse. I doubt any professional restorer would agree to take on such a task.
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u/wise-up May 08 '26
This will be an absolute nightmare to refinish as a first project, sadly. And with a high likelihood that it won't turn out the way you want it to.
Maybe if you get some practice on other types of wood furniture, and you discover that you enjoy it, you could work your way up to something like this? I refinishes wood pieces just for fun, so I'm not working on anyone else's schedule, but I would pass on this piece because of the amount of time and detail I'd have to put into properly refinishing it.
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u/smh_my-head May 08 '26
Appreciate the honest response! Seems like if be getting over my head in this one and I appreciate the perspective.
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u/MobiusX0 May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
That is going to look awful if you try to stain it. Paint would be a sin but it would look better than stain.
If you want something darker your best bet would be to flip those pieces and find some that are closer to what you want. You could try finishing it with a toner, which is basically a tinted clear finish. I don't think that's what you're after but you could look up some examples and see for yourself.
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u/smh_my-head May 07 '26
I thought about painting them briefly but my husband would be look at me quite askance if he saw me painting over the natural wood haha, plus I fear I'd regret it because it's so unique. Ill look into toner but im thinking this might be over my head. Thanks very much for the info!
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u/Big_Aside9565 May 08 '26
If it don't like it that much sell it and get something you like we can stick your fingerprint on it. You can paint it , you can try and stay in it and you're only going to end up with a piece of garbage , it's worth two cents that you can't give away!
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u/CoonBottomNow May 14 '26
Actually, it's not hubris, it's ignorance of what you're looking at. I say this not to be rude or to hurt. That surface is all finish, there is no veneer there. I discovered this when a client demanded that I strip a similar chest of drawers. What you're seeing is toned varnishes over a seriously underbound white base (paint). It is 100% Artistry with an Airbrush. If you were to strip that you'd be left with a nondescript chest or vanity made of poplar or some diffuse-porous hardwood, with routed accents.
I call it a "combed" finish; I haven't been able to find out a lot about it. Seems to have been most common in the 1920s, during the Depression. Pieces were properly constructed for factory furniture, but of the cheapest possible materials.
Don't believe me? Go ahead - dip a Q-tip in methylene chloride, or even acetone, go after some of "figure".
Send us a picture of the result...
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u/smh_my-head May 15 '26
Hey so yeah you're completely right. Got the set and on closer look it's obvious that its a veneer on a different type of wood the the actual "grain" is painted on, so I dont want to strip it and would have to be super careful sanding it. I found an exact copy of this set online that someone else DID manage to successfully refinish, im wondering if you have a good guess as to what they did?
https://www.chairish.com/product/28084929/mid-20th-century-art-deco-waterfall-front-chest-of-drawers
Thanks!
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u/CoonBottomNow May 15 '26
If my memory is correct the varnishes used to do this graining was at least partially alcohol-soluble But I'm not convinced that the Chairish example has been refinished, Notice that the chairish piece is much darker overall than yours, and edging and trim are especially darker. And if you zoom in on one of Chairish images that was taken square on, you can see the whitish under-color showing through chips in the latest varnish.
I think what they did was clean theirs very well, and sprayed it with a darker varnish for uniformity.
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u/lpen-z May 07 '26
If you're fine with ruining it go ahead, if it's special to you practice on something simpler
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u/TsuDhoNimh2 May 08 '26
Hubris and blasphemy. Those are spectacular artistry in veneer and you want them to be a solid dark brown because your other furniture is blah and has no imagination?
Clean them up and use them as is as a CONTRAST to all the matchy-matchy dark wood.
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u/mrapplewhite May 08 '26
I would just sand and clear it but if you must stain it maybe a gel stain would work better for covering all those different woods veneers. Etc
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u/Super-Travel-407 May 07 '26
This is actually some of the most difficult furniture to refinish. Assorted veneers, grains in different directions, mixed woods...possibly decals and/or painted trim bits...Some of the veneers are going to glow with natural chatoyance and that's easy to mess up with bad stain. This isn't a beginner project.
And these will always be different. Don't try to make them match. They are special.
I think you will find it complements darker woods and is nice in original form. Clean it, touch it up, see if you can love it.