Give your furniture the tender care it needs to last a lifetime
You’ve lusted over it in-store or online and finally it’s in your home and all yours. Far from an impulse purchase, furniture is an investment and for the sake of the environment and your hip pocket, you want it to last forever and remain looking as lovely as the day you brought it home. We’ve asked the experts for their top tips on extending the life of your furniture, plus DIY fixes for when life collides with your interiors.
Prevention
From kids and pets to sunlight and spills, we share the experts’ tips for helping your fave furniture survive the rough-and-tumble environment of your home.
Wooden furniture
Face value Timber veneer is common in modern furniture but can be complicated to restore. Dan Eagle of vintage design store Mr Bigglesworthy says his best advice is to buy well in the first place. “The big factor when it comes to veneer is the quality of the furniture, which is usually dictated by the original sell price. Cheaper furniture uses thinner, lower quality veneer, which is easier to damage, harder to restore and doesn’t wear well,” he says.
Coast to coaster
This solid piece of advice comes straight from your nan – use a coaster. “Preventative maintenance is the best form of care,” says Dan. “Ninety five percent of the restoration we do is removing water damage, cup marks and burn marks.” Also watch out for leaky vases and plant pots.
Hot or not
Light and heat are kryptonite to timber, so plan the placement of your furniture accordingly. “Light is the enemy of finishes and can also lighten the colour of the wood itself,” says Auckland-based restoration specialist Jonathan Maze (@antiquerestorationnz). “If a table is partially in the sun, one end might get discoloured and mismatch the rest of the piece.” The heat from the sun – or from a nearby heater or fireplace – can cause timber to dry out, change shape or even crack. “Wood absorbs moisture and will swell or shrink slightly depending on the humidity level,” says Jonathan. “Anything that has a wide, flat surface is at risk because there is more shrinkage liable to happen over a wider surface so cracks can occur. This is quite a common problem in tabletops and sides of cabinets.”
Wax on
Polish timber to keep its good looks. Oil-based polishes can be sticky and attract dust – instead, the experts suggest maintaining wooden furniture with a liquid wax, such as Maxwax, which nourishes the timber and gives it a subtle glow.
Upholstered furniture
Dust buster What makes fabric wear is the constant friction from sitting bodies. Add dust, dirt and whatever else your kids or dogs drag in, and it’s like rubbing sandpaper over your couch cushion. Regular vacuuming is your best defence, but keeping pets off the furniture or spreading out a blanket for them to sleep on will also make life easier.
Solar power
Stretching out on the sofa in a pool of sunlight is a blissful way to spend an afternoon, but the price of warmth is wear, as the sun’s UV rays deteriorate the fabric. Move furniture out of the sun, or add sheer curtains or UV treatments to your windows. Or if you simply must have your vitamin D fix, consider adding a slipcover or a throw to your favourite sunbathing seat.
Flip it and reverse it
Whether it’s dust, sun or bums on seats, some pieces of furniture suffer more wear and tear than others. Share the wear by moving furniture around so other chairs get their turn as favourite perch, and periodically flipping over any loose cushions.
Guard duty
If you’ve splurged on pale or precious fabrics, give them the best chance of survival with a fabric protection treatment. This is usually available as an optional extra when you buy new, or can be bought as a DIY spray. It helps repel dirt and, while it’s not miraculous, it will make your fabrics hardier.
Choose wisely
For a long life, choose fabric that will go the distance. Kate Abbott of upholstery workshop Living Room is an advocate for wool. “It is inherently stain-resistant, fire-retardant and biodegradable,” she says. “It’s a New Zealand-sourced fibre, better for the environment and always makes up beautifully. Wool is the future.”
Outdoor furniture
Woodwork Timber outdoor furniture is tough stuff and a good wood, such as teak, can last for decades with minimal maintenance. Help it resist the elements by using a timber cleaner to scrub off dirt, mould and mildew, which can damage the surface if not removed. Timber will fade to an attractive grey when exposed to the elements, but a regular application of wood oil can restore the original colour, as well as penetrating and nourishing the wood to prevent it becoming brittle.
Metal head
A gentle scrub with soapy water is usually all that’s needed to keep metal furniture looking great, but keep an eye out for rust. Most furniture is painted or treated to prevent rust forming, but if you notice any blooming patches of rust, get onto it quickly to stop it spreading. Scour with steel wool or fine sandpaper and treat with a lubricant such as WD-40.
Cover up
Just because it’s designed for outdoors, doesn’t mean your furniture is happy outside all the time. Store cushions undercover at the first sight of rain and bring furniture inside or cover with it waterproof covers over winter. Tilt any garden furniture that remains outside and uncovered, so water doesn’t pool on seats and table surfaces.
Minor surgery
As carefully as you might look after your furniture, life happens. Before you trade in your bashed-around bedsides or scruffy sofa, check out these quick-fix tips – plus advice on when to call the experts.
Timber TLC
Water marks Restoration specialist Jonathan Maze says white marks are caused by water trapped in the finish. “They can be removed by applying heat with a hair dryer to expel the water molecules,” he says. “But pay attention. There is a fine line between a water mark disappearing like magic and the finish cracking and being ruined.” Rubbing gently with fine steel wool and turpentine or wax can also fix water marks.
Minor scratches
These are not serious problems, but rather irritating visual distractions, says Jonathan, who suggests fixing the issue with some careful colouring in. “A ‘scratch fix’ pen can eliminate little scratches – these are simply special coloured marker pens that you can buy online or from a hardware shop. Otherwise a scratched finish might be repaired with a very careful brushing of something – I always use shellac – into the area.” Crayons or ‘filler sticks’ can also be used – simply rub them on the scratch and buff off the residue.
Call in the pros… Serious problems might require a full restoration, but Jonathan suggests calling on a restorer for anything antique, high quality or of sentimental value. “Old wooden objects are enormously complex,” he says. “They have hundreds of years of light damage and a patina of everyday use built into their surfaces and it’s very easy to destroy that.”
Scarred veneer is also a tricky issue, says Dan Eagle. “If the surface of the veneer timber is looking scruffy it’s usually just the lacquer or surface finish that has aged and worn. It’s a super thin application on top of the veneer so going straight in with sandpaper is basically a death sentence for the veneer as it can easily be damaged,” he says. It’s not impossible to strip the lacquer at home, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s best to leave it to the experts.
Acrylic fix
Scratch repair
Acrylic furniture scratches easily and these light scratches can make your furniture look cloudy and hold onto dirt and grime. It is possible to buff them out, using very fine wet-and-dry sandpaper and finishing with a specialised acrylic polish. Follow the instructions carefully, testing on an inconspicuous spot to make sure you’re happy with the results.
Call in the pros… Before you charge in gung ho, Dan warns that plastic scratches easily so it’s easy to do more harm than good. If the stakes are high – for example, if you’re dealing with a retro original or a piece with sentimental value – find a restorer who specialises in acrylic pieces.
Fabric refresh
Stain away
When spills do happen, the best solution is to act quickly. Soak up the liquid, then blot – don’t rub – the stain with a diluted mixture of dish soap and cold water. Switch to a specialised chemical cleaner for more serious stains. But Kate Abbott says this advice comes with a caveat. “We would refer to the care instructions from the supplier, as each fabric is different and some require specific care. We also suggest carrying out a test area first.”
Leather treatment
Just like your skin, leather furniture benefits from gentle cleansing and moisturising. Use specialised leather cleaning and conditioning products to remove stains and prevent leather from drying out and cracking. Light scratches can be rendered almost invisible with a nourishing leather conditioner, while deeper cracks can be fixed with leather filler, a flexible compound that can be coloured to match the surrounding leather.
Reupholstering
If you’re handy with a sewing machine – or a staple gun – some reupholstering jobs can be done yourself. If you’re dealing with straight lines and easily removable pieces, go for it. A dining chair seat, for example, is a fairly straightforward fix if you can remove the seat and use the old fabric as a template.
Call in the pros… Why deliver your furniture to a professional upholsterer? “They’re trained and qualified specialists, who have mastered tricky techniques and have specialised tools,” explains Kate. Anything that requires curves and pleats, such as the arm of a sofa, is best left to the experts, as is work with patterned fabrics. Quality upholstery fabric is not cheap, so it’s worth putting it in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing – and reupholstering will still be cheaper (not to mention more environmentally friendly) than buying a whole new sofa.
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