Refurbishing 1930s dining table/chairs

Jonesy127

I have a 1930s dining table and chairs set, bought by my grandparents.

They of a dark colour (typical of the period), but I do not know what sort of wood.

I'd like to lighten them; can anyone recommend a product and/or technique to use? I'm hoping actual stripping will not be required, and that a good clean will actually lighten the finish.

ormus

they look like oak.
very hard to lighten to a lighter wood.
painting maybe the only answer.

Dippypud

They are oak...

not popular at the moment, but...

please don't just try to sand or stain them.

They may end up being your childrens inheiritance...

You could just do a shabby chic thing and paint them with a cream or pale blue emulsion.

This wouldn't hurt the underlying finish, and is easily removed.

Someone else is bound to have a better idea tho..

dander

You can lime oak http://www.liberon.co.uk/colour-with-wax-and-dye/liming-kit,434,464.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0zMDQmYWN0aW9uPWZpY2hlUHJvZHVpdCZpZD0xODQmfA%3D%3D

However, it might be worth just giving the set a jolly good clean with special furniture reviver - a certain amount of the darkness will be down to old oils and waxes and the finish can be freshened up a lot. http://www.liberon.co.uk/repair-and-prepare/wax-polish-remover,434,464.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0zMDQmYWN0aW9uPWZpY2hlUHJvZHVpdCZpZD0zMTgmfA%3D%3D
Have a google and you should be able to bring up recipes to mix up your own as well.

Personally, though, I'm not a fan of 1930s furniture being brought back to a lighter colour. There's an antiques shop near me that specialises in lightening dark furniture of this type and although they always do it beautifully, somehow it always looks wrong to see furniture in these type of styles and shapes with a modern wood finish - it just doesn't hang together right.
I think painted finishes look much better on old furniture - but to be honest, the colour of oak you've got there, I think is a nice classic colour