A beautiful mid-century modern furniture makeover: a vintage credenza was refreshed while respecting the design and character of the era.
My husband moved to a new office and needed to furnish it. He was about to buy an overpriced sideboard from a furniture store when I found an interesting listing on Facebook Marketplace for a mid-century modern credenza that came from an old hotel in Milwaukee.
Using my powers of persuasion, I convinced him I could freshen it up and that it would be perfect for his office.
That was before I saw the piece. Big mistake. Obviously you should never make a promise of that type before actually knowing what you’re working with.
As is common with mid-century pieces (and any old furniture), this credenza had its flaws. Missing hardware, some gouges in the wood, and a laminate top that looked tacky compared with the original wood.
Oh, and did I mention that it smelled like a certain herbal substance that’s legal in some states but illegal in others? LOL.
So, anyway, this furniture restoration project was a little more work than I originally anticipated. But spoiler alert: it was worth it because this piece of mid-century furniture is gorgeous once again!
What is Mid-Century Modern Furniture?
Because I think it’s interesting to know what you’re working with, you might like to know a bit about what qualifies something as a mid-century modern piece.
Generally, this type of furniture has simple or clean lines and usually is made of natural materials like raw wood, leather, and/or metal. It is a really streamlined or sleek look that’s still popular today, even though it originated in the mid-20th century.
You may like these other MCM furniture makeovers, too!
With respect to the sideboard or credenza I refinished here, I don’t actually know if it is authentically mid-century. I do know it’s old though and it looks like other mid-century modern pieces, so we’re going with that.
MCM Furniture Credenza Restoration
The process I used to revitalize this MCM sideboard can be applied to any furniture piece, so it will be helpful to you the next time you’re painting furniture!
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Clean the Furniture
I can’t say it enough: make sure to clean the furniture you’re refinishing. Old furniture smells (especially if you buy it from a thrift store or pull it out of someone’s garage). It’s just a fact of life!
I started by dusting the credenza with a dry Swiffer cloth. Then I mixed a solution of warm water and dish soap, and washed the entire cabinet. I was careful not to drench it (you don’t want to get the wood too wet), and also to wipe it dry quickly after washing it.
For the laminate top, I also sprayed that with my favorite pre-paint cleaner, Krud Kutter.
Read: How to Get Odors Out of Wood Furniture
How to Revive the Wood Furniture Without Restaining
Once the credenza was dry, I got to work reviving the wood portions. Although there were some scratches and places where the wood was worn and stain was missing, I did not want to sand and strip the piece.
Because of that, I grabbed one of my favorite restoration products, Restor-a-Finish, and got to work. I applied it with a stain pad in parts, and with steel wool on other parts (parts with deep gouges and white spots), and wiped off the excess.
In minutes I had gleaming, revived wood without sanding, stripping, or staining.
Painting Mid-Century Modern Furniture
One of the trademarks of of MCM furniture is the materials used, and often, the organic look of the materials. Because of that, many will say you cannot (or should not) paint mid-century furniture.
However, sometimes painting a piece is required to cover damage. Or, maybe a color that can only be achieved with paint is necessary.
In the case of this credenza, the top of it was wood-look laminate. It looked cheap as compared to the rest of the piece, and for that reason I decided to paint it!
I applied a multi-surface adhesion primer directly to the laminate. Using this type of primer is necessary because laminate is a tricky surface to paint!
When the primer dried, I applied three coats of self-sealing black paint. This type of paint doesn’t require a topcoat (unlike with chalk paint). I have used this paint on my limewash stone fireplace hearth, my faux soapstone fireplace hearth, and my powder room vanity. It is really durable!
I used a roller to minimize brush strokes and to get as smooth a finish as I could. A paint sprayer would’ve worked well, too, but since I wasn’t painting the entire piece, I didn’t want to go to the trouble of covering the rest of the credenza.
While the paint was drying, I spray painted the chrome legs . . . in freezing cold weather . . . in my garage. That is not the best way to do it, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
I sprayed them and then quickly brought them inside (in the box I sprayed them in – I was careful not to touch them), to finish drying.
Adding New Hardware to the Mid-Century Piece
Finally, it was time for the crown jewel: new hardware! This credenza was missing knobs on the drawer fronts, so I purchased new brass knobs that were a little beat up. I like the aged look to go with the old credenza!
The new knobs looked great in the brass color (very MCM-style), so I then used gold Rub n Buff to turn the keyholes and finger holes a similar brassy color.
The Finished MCM Furniture Makeover
And with all of that, this MCM credenza was ready to go to its new home in my husband’s office!
I just love how the painted black top looks like it belongs with the piece, as opposed to the wood-look laminate.
I really think this mid-century modern furniture makeover was a success because it enhanced the beautiful features of the piece while maintaining the original style and character. Let me know what you think in the comment section below!