How to Restore a Vanity Bench
- 1). Decide what to restore. You can restore the wood and spend several hours sanding, staining or painting. Or, you can simply replace the bench fabric and padding. If the bench is all wood with no padding you'll be restoring the whole bench.
- 2). Restore the wood. If the bench wood is distressed, consider leaving it as is but freshen it a bit with a pretty decorative ruffle and new padding and fabric on the seat. Distressed furniture is in style these days. If you decide to restore the bench to its original lustre, find a room with good ventilation and sand away the old varnish or paint. When you've removed it all, brush it clean with a damp cloth and allow it to fully dry; stain and finish the woodwork with a clear polyurethane per the manufacturer's instructions. If you're repainting, apply two coats, allowing the first coat to dry fully before applying the second coat.
- 3). Replace the fabric. Find fresh fabric that you love. Remove the ragged and worn stool fabric and throw it out. This might require dislodging the upholstery tacks, but some vanity benches (or stools) have a removable top. In this case the fabric might be stapled to a board. Remove the staples. If the stuffing looks fine, put it aside to be reused.
- 4). Consider painting fresh, new designs on your vanity bench or placing a floral stencil on the seat for a feminine touch. Search the Internet for new ideas. You might decide to restore your vanity to match your newly restored bench.
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