Follow These Steps To Give Your Black Vintage Furniture New Life

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you're looking to spice up your space or simply need new furniture, you might turn to thrifting to save a few dollars. Thrift stores and consignment shops can be a great source for furniture, but sometimes the pieces you find might not fit your taste. If you like the bones, don't pass up on a great piece because of its color — with a simple hack, you can turn it into a great complement to any home design.

Say you've stumbled upon the perfect chair, table, or ottoman, but it happens to be painted or stained black, and you're looking for something warmer and lighter. Take your perfect find home anyway, because with a few beginner-friendly steps, you can transform the color and style to fit your ideal look. If you're not quite sure what you want and need inspiration, look around for repurposed furniture transformations other people have completed.

In any transformation process, you want to begin by cleaning and disassembling the piece, separating things like legs and chair backs. Make sure to keep any screws, even if they're damaged and need replacing, as you can bring them to a nearby Ace Hardware or Home Depot to find a similarly sized replacement screw. Any residue left by price stickers can be loosened with a popular ingredient you probably have on hand.

With the furniture piece in parts, start sanding away the black color. If the furniture is painted and you want to reveal the wood beneath, start with a coarse, 80-grit sandpaper and gradually move up to 220-grit. If the furniture is stained, start with a less abrasive 120-grit. You might be able to start staining at this point, but most likely you'll be left with a gray wood tone and stubborn black streaks embedded in the wood grain. To remove anything stuck in the wood's pores, gently scrub with a wire brush followed by one more pass with the sander. A detail sander like the BLACK+DECKER Detail Sander can be especially useful for getting into awkward corners. Color correct any gray cast with a yellow toner to achieve a rich, natural stain.

Choosing the right stain color is an important part of furniture refinishing. A dark walnut or teak stain is perfect for those who prefer a mid-century modern look, whereas a warm, blond stain lends itself to Scandinavian style. Once you're ready for staining, follow up the toner with a wood conditioner to avoid an uneven color application. Using a bristle brush, foam brush, or even an old sock, apply your stain, allowing it time to sink in before adding another coat. After the stain has fully dried, either oil the wood or seal it with polyurethane. 

If the furniture has any fabric elements, you can reupholster it by stretching a thick, durable fabric over the preexisting upholstery and stapling it down in a concealable spot either on the bottom or an area that will be covered during reassembly. There are a few tricks to achieving the perfect upholstery corner if you're new to the process. Now, put your piece back together, and enjoy a completely customized furniture item at an affordable price.