I am creating a unique piece of furniture every time and the end result is furniture that is as good as new. In fact, as I often upcycle solid wood vintage pieces – they are better than most of the furniture that you can buy in the shops!

It can be hard sometimes to know what you will be doing with a piece of furniture until you start working on it and discover what is possible. Very few pieces are solid wood – it is more normal to have a very thin layer of attractive wood (veneer) over less attractive wood that forms the structure of the piece. This means you need to be careful when sanding or you can “burn” through the veneer revealing pale wood beneath.

First, every piece of furniture gets a really good clean with a grease busting spray to ensure that years of fingerprints and any polishes or dirt is removed.

If a piece is to have bare wood I then remove the varnish using stripper or my carbide scraper and then sand it down to remove all trace of previous varnish. Then a paint wash can be used to lighten the wood or an oil can be used to emphasise the wood grain.

For pieces that are to be painted, a scuff sand is sufficient to remove any bumps and give the paint a rougher surface to cling on to. Wood filler is used to repair any dents or damage. Next I will apply 3 coats of primer, and then 3 coats of paint, giving a light sanding in between each layer. Several thin layers give a better result than fewer thicker layers.

The piece will then be protected with either several coats of varnish or wax that cures hard. This will ensure that it remains looking as beautiful years down the line as it does that day.