20 People Who Restored Antique Items to Their Original Condition

DIY projects have always been very popular, and there are very good reasons for that. First of all, these projects reduce stress, improve your mood, and help you stay active while being at home close to your loved ones. Not only that, but you also improve your skills and feel accomplished by doing something that is maybe outside your expertise. And for many people, restoring objects that have lost their magic is a lifelong task.

1. “I was in desperate need of a dresser and bought this for cheap. 7 layers of paint later, I found this beautiful wood underneath.”

• It’s such a soul cleanser to see something like this after days of chalk paint ads. digitalgadget / Reddit

2. “Thought I’d share this $4 goodwill lamp.”

3. “Fully restored Brasilia II petite buffet.”

• Monstrosity before, stunning after. I’m so glad YOU found it, saw the potential, and returned it to its former glory. Exceptionally excellent work. PracticalAndContent / Reddit

4. “Painted antique mantle restoration transformation.”

5. “I bought this walnut nightstand for $10 and I tried bringing it back to its former glory.”

6. “Under 3 coats of white paint and 1 coat of green, was this beautiful rimu timber.”

7. “American of Martinsville dresser that I tried my best to restore.”

8. “I rescued this little footstool from ReStore and gave it a makeover.”

• Wow, great job! I wouldn’t know it was the same piece. UusiSisu / Reddit

9. “Sometimes I need to buy things at Goodwill just to fix their mistakes.”

10. “I put 2 months of my time on weekends and after work to remove the awful paint from this gorgeous Danish teak desk with floating legs.”

• What an eye for beauty! I never would have recognized the potential this had. crosemartin / Reddit

11. “I bought this coffee table in 2018 for $15 at a flea market. Finally got around to stripping it this weekend.”

12. “Picked this one up for the price of the U-Haul to haul it. I haven’t found any info on it, but refinished it anyway.”

13. “I was still nervous to attempt the tabletop because it looked okay, and I didn’t want to mess it up, but I’m glad I did.”

14. “The very first restoration I ever did. My dad helped with this one. I found it sitting next to a neighbor’s trash.”

• Awesome! What a change. How did you get that paint off the veneer without sanding through the veneer layer? Chemicals? DibDebWoah / Reddit
• I think I used soy gel on this one. And a lot of gentle sanding. RancorNativity / Reddit

15. “Before & after. Iconic vintage chairs from 1960.”

16. “I did the body work, but the mechanics of it I’m afraid to mess with myself, especially something as fragile and finicky as a pendulum.”

17. “I stripped and sanded a dresser I found earlier this summer. It was my second project and I’m really happy with the way it turned out.”

18. “Bentwood rocking chair finished.”

• Looks great! Especially considering the “before.” Now I’m all nostalgic, we had one of these when I was young, and I want my own now. Quirky_Word / Reddit

19. “I tried my best, it certainly didn’t deserve to be junked.”

• Absolutely-positively one of the most jaw-dropping pieces I have seen. Beautiful — you respected the piece very well. baumsm / Reddit

20. “Early 1900s, signed ‘Claeys Frères’ furniture”

• I did not restore it by myself because I wanted a pro to work on it to avoid any mistakes. elieden / Reddit
• Wow, what a stunning transformation! Absolutely beautiful work. mlle_lavender / Reddit

Have you ever discovered an almost destroyed treasure and decided to bring it back to its former glory? How did your project turn out?