How to modernise mahogany furniture, without paint. See how I transformed this FREE sideboard, to make it a favourite in my home.
How to modernise Mahogany furniture is a question I asked myself, after finding many pieces, needing a facelift. Maybe you inherited outdated mahogany from relatives, maybe you found it for a steal at a charity shop or on facebook marketplace. Or, if you’re like me, someone was going to take it to the skip, but instead you brought it into your home to give it some new life.
How to Modernise Mahogany | Step 1 Choose the Right Piece
In many furniture makeovers, it begins with seeing the potential. Is the furniture built well? Will it serve a purpose in your home or someone else’s? Do you like the shape that the piece has?
The piece that I received from a family friend is a keeper because it provides a lot of storage, I love its curved edges and, equally important, it suits the style of my home. So ask yourself, is this piece worth putting the time and effort into?
Step 2 | Remove the Existing Finish
There are numerous ways to remove varnish and stain from a piece. My favourite is sanding. You can use chemical paint strippers too, but i prefer to use these on painted surfaces rather than varnished ones.
An orbital sander will be your best friend for flat surfaces like the top, drawer fronts and sides. I sanded the smaller details like legs, and decorative edging by hand. Yes it is time consuming, but so worth it in the end.
NB. Watch out for thin wood veneer. I accidentally went through the edge of the veneer on the edge of one of the drawers when sanding. This doesn’t bother me as when it’s bleached you can’t really tell – but just a heads up!
Step 3 | Bleach the Wood
My one gripe with raw mahogany furniture is its red undertones. Therefore, to counteract this, I used bleach. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t permit me to do this outside, so I worked from the garage with the door open.
NB. It’s best to bleach furniture outdoors, with gloves, and you’ll get faster results if it’s a sunny day, as the sun will work with the bleach to lighten your wood.
How to bleach Mahogany Furniture:
- Gather supplies: Old paintbrush, household bleach, container or (spray bottle, water)
- Clean off your furniture from any dirt/dust.
- Apply bleach in even layer with paint brush. (Be very careful of any drip marks on dry areas as these will show.)
- Allow to dry and repeat steps until you have desired colour on your piece.
- Alternatively add bleach and water to spray bottle with fine spray and spritz piece in an even layer with solution.
- Wash piece thoroughly with water to remove any bleach residue and stop bleaching process.
Step 4 on How to Modernise Mahogany | Seal the Wood
Finally, the last step but, full transparency here, I haven’t yet sealed this modernised mahogany piece. I just love the result and colour of the wood that I don’t want to risk changing it with a sealer.
However, if your piece will go through a lot of wear and tear then seal with a clear wax or a water based varnish as this is less likely to darken the mahogany. After all, you don’t want to undo all the hard work you did to achieve this modernised mahogany finish.
The Result: A Modern Mahogany Sideboard
While it is hard work, the results are amazing and I genuinely love this piece. I can’t imagine ever getting rid of it.
So, thank you for reading to the end and I hope that this post was helpful for you. Check out another makeover I did to transform our fireplace here.
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