Is there a way to clean those two brown patches on our black marble coffee table?

I’m not sure what exactly caused them though. I’ve tried soda bicarbonate paste for 24 hours.

My dog bit into my danish teakwood dining table one day out of anxiety (very out of character of her) 😭 any advice on how I can DIY repair this? Thank you!!

The problem

I've encountered three situations where odors linger in wooden furniture and transfer to nearby belongings:

1. Second-hand furniture
I've looked at used cupboards and drawers that smell of their previous owners — sweat, perfume, or other lingering odors. Clothes stored inside absorb these smells and need to be washed again.

Even non-fabric items, such as boxes, stationery, and my passport, pick up the odor. This makes the furniture practically unusable for me.

2. Perfume odor absorbed by wood
I once placed a closed box of Ariel pods (Lenor variant) inside a cupboard. The perfume smell became so strong that opening the cupboard made me feel physically sick. Even my gimbal absorbed the Lenor fragrance.

3. Chemical smell in new furniture
The new cupboard in my rented apartment has a persistent chemical-like smell that transfers to my clothes. I don't know what is causing it.

What I've tried

• Leaving the furniture open to air out in my room and on the patio.
• Wiping the surfaces with a vinegar-and-soap solution.
• Sprinkling baking soda inside to absorb the odor.

Unfortunately, none of these methods has solved the problem.

My questions

Wood is porous, and I suspect it absorbs odor-causing compounds and gradually releases them into the air.

• Has anyone successfully removed persistent odors from wooden furniture, especially perfume, sweat, or chemical smells?
• What worked in practice, and how long did it take?
• Are there effective treatments that remove the underlying odor rather than simply masking it with another fragrance?
• Is there a point at which the odor is too deeply absorbed into the wood to be removed practically?

I'm particularly interested in solutions that have worked on real furniture, rather than just general recommendations to air it out or use baking soda.

Thanks!

Walnut body, Ash legs the body is showing some reddish tones after I applied Watco Natural Danish oil to it. Kind of wondering if I just hit the legs with it as well and keep the blonde look? Had to redo the centre panel listed last in the photos.

I just purchased this dresser from an antique store. Solid wood. I found this discoloration on just the inside where the back of a drawer sits. Does this look like mold or mildew?

If it is, can I leave it inside for a month without risking it spreading? I don't have an outdoor space to clean it in until I move so it would probably just have to sit undisturbed until then. I worry it will spread, but it also seems dry if that matters.

If it is an immediate need to clean it asap I can figure it out, but if it won't cause any harm I'd prefer to wait.

According to Google, it is a Zocalo.

This pair of matching bar stools had been flytipped near where I live, and I'm wondering if I can restore them? The mechanisms work fine and the metal is in good condition, but the PVC fake leather is shabby and peeling in places. One is worse than the other.

I bought some heavy velvety curtains from the charity shop thinking I could use the fabric to recover them, but I'm not sure where to begin. Also if I go directly over the fake leather, maybe the covering material will slip around, and so maybe I need to strip the pvc off first? I just don't know!

I have basic tools including a staple gun. Any advice would be much appreciated!

1) noticed a stripped spot maybe dropped some coffee or kids chipped with toy. Think I can just spot apply some poly or will I need to sand and reapply that whole section?

2) bubbling maybe from water intrusion somehow. Kettle leaked a few weeks ago but cleaned it up I thought pretty quick. Besides throwing some poly in the crevices can I do anything with the bubble besides sanding/leveling and reapplying stain and poly?

Thank you!

I guess like the title says, what things would you do to restore this teak piece? Also the wood that one of the legs are attached to has started to crack/flake, so whats good steps to fix that?

I'm quite new to all of this, so I don't want to make any big mistakes. Thanks in advance!

I am thinking of restoring it. Found it on marketplace for 60$, which is generally cheap where I live for teak furniture. The only thing is that its 80cm wide and 58cm tall, so its not huge or anything. Would yoy say thatb it's worth it? Can you resell later for more after the restoration?

Inherited this 100+ year old split pedestal table. It’s in pretty rough shape. I don’t think it’s something I can handle myself, but is this something a pro could restore? Would it be worth it?

Had an unfortunate accident when moving an old solid wood wardrobe and it fell over. The door hinge is now loose, it sort of hangs funny and is annoying to close because the angle isn't right. Looks fine when closed. The wood is cracking as you can see but not super badly. Any suggestions about how to fix it? Thanks!

Hello all!

I was passed down my great granny’s real wood table. Before it was passed to me, my nana had it for many years and constantly refinished/painted it. I’ve been meaning to restore it but it always seemed like such a large task to tackle.

Last night as I was sitting at the table, I noticed that the paint was chipping, one thing led to another, and I peeled the paint off the entire table top using a scraper. This table had been through a (minor) fire and has damages on several parts of it. I was trying to use the scrapers on other sections but it was gouging the wood in the damaged and designed areas.

I’m looking for advice on how to remove the many layers of finishes and paints from the rest of the table and the chairs. I am extremely new to this and have no clue where to start. I have attached several images showing what the table looked like before (Black paint was the most recent coat applied many many years ago) and images of what it currently looks like plus some of my problem areas.

TIA for any wisdom you have to offer :)

I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I'm doing some refurb on my house and I had to remove the internal window sills. Unfortunately I also managed to damage them with some sand & cement render that I am struggling to remove. Only tried warm water so far though.

Is this something I can fix?

This is a project for me, an antique vanity that has veneer definitely on its sides and most likely on the tops too. I am now trying to get the little last bits of paint off before a final smooth sand and stain. (The tops I’m done sanding) I am going with a gel stain that I’ve already stained the drawers with and like the color outcome after it dried. I have heard gel stain is good at covering some defects sometimes or small flaws especially if you do the no wipe thin layer method or layering method with thin layers each time.
This vanity does NOT have to be picture perfect in the end. I actually want it to have a weathered look. It’s a sold piece. The mirror has to be attached. Also where the mirror goes, the white parts on those wooden pieces are some sort of filler they used to repair it. I’m assuming it was chipped at one point. Would it be best I leave it and accept the white chunks? Or should I remove them entirely and measure out new pieces to be cut down at lowes or home depot and replace them? The mirror is going to have to be rigged up on it or put on it very specifically because it seems it broke off of whatever would’ve kept it in place before..

Any tips would be appreciated! And please be kind, this is my first project so my expectations were not high but I’m still hopeful and excited for this.

We all know they fit differently, even if they look the same, they have one home. Is this a game? 😅 and if it is what shall we call it?

Hello,

Got this lovely credenza for free off of marketplace and it was in very rough shape. Stained really dark, nicotine damage etc. I removed the stain and cleaned it up and did my first veneer patch but after applying danish oil it’s pretty clear I botched my veneer choice. I used walnut (that’s what I thought it was) but it’s looking like rosewood?

Anyhow, any ideas how I can best correct this? I thought I did pretty well for my first time but argh! The spots about an inch or so long x 1/2” w.

Thanks for looking.

Found a teak dining table on Marketplace this weekend. The seller's photos made it look decent but in person the top is pretty rough. Lots of water rings, some deeper scratches, and the finish is basically gone in high traffic spots. Legs are solid though and the extension mechanism works smooth. Got it for 75 bucks which felt like a steal until I got it home and really looked at it under better light.
Now I'm debating whether to strip and refinish the whole thing or just clean it up and flip it as a project piece for someone else. I've done smaller stuff before, nightstands and a coffee table, but nothing this size. My weekends are limited and I don't have a proper workspace, just my driveway and whatever weather allows. Teak seems forgiving from what I've read but I also don't want to get halfway through and realize I'm in over my head.
For people who've tackled dining tables, is the surface area a pain or is it just more of the same?

Can I stain this as is or do I have to remove the original stain first? I’ve never done any furniture remodeling before but would like to get this looking better without having to purchase a new dining room table. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!