Restored Shelves: Where A little love Goes a Long way

As a commissioned piece, this was the smallest project I’ve done. However, small does not mean insignificant. With love and attention, worn and outdated pieces find second chances.

The major problems were dark and light stains on all 3 of the solid wood shelves. The metal frame was in good condition, requiring a clean, some paint removal, likely a result from being pressed against a wall, and a nutritious hemp oil coat to improve lustre with a small protective element.

I started the shelf restoration process by cleaning them. Then, using a carbide scraper, I removed the old finish, including a general buildup of any furniture cleaner used over the years.

Next I applied wood bleach front and back and then left to dry overnight. I then washed off the bleach and again let them dry. After sanding them smooth using a 180 grit sandpaper, 2 of the shelves had visible stains remaining. I applied 2 more coats of the bleach (rinse and repeat) before concluding that the process was finished. In between, I carefully sanded the surfaces, keeping even pressure and covering the entire surface. To be honest here, I tried to hurry the process, using a heat gun to quicken the visible drying time. This reduced the effectiveness of the bleaching process, forcing me to slow things down, and adding an extra bleaching step to gain better results.

I planned to use hemp oil to seal the wood, but after doing a test on the underside of the most damaged of the boards, decided against this option. Hemp oil does an amazing job of highlighting details in wood, but in this case, it also highlighted the imperfections that remained. The final finish was Oli Natura’s hard wax oil. After applying a thin layer, I used a white pad to rub the oil into the wood, ensuring an even distribution over the entire surface. I wiped off any excess and after 8 hours of drying time, applied a second coat using the same process.

This restoration has brought back the wood’s beautiful golden tones. Any remaining signs of staining on this piece are a reminder of an already long and rich life. Forget the curb side dump. The many advantages of bringing new life to old things include: keeping landfills emptier, saving natural resources, enhancing the life span of older pieces of furniture, providing opportunities to local artisans and creating individual style statements. Just to name a few.