Classic Painted Wood Finishes for Refinishing Miniature Dolls House Furniture

Remove all upholstery before you begin to refinish your miniature furniture pieces. Try to keep the upholstery as intact as possible so that you will be able to reupholster with a minimum amount of work.

Clean wax or oil from the furniture Dip a cotton swab in mineral spirits and wipe off the furniture to remove any waxy coatings. Set aside to dry

Roughen the Finish as a preparation to applying a new coat of paint, roughen the existing finish by sanding with the grain using fine steel wool or a green scrubbing pad. On already finished furniture, sandpaper should not be used.

Apply Gesso if Necessary If you want to change a piece of furniture to match carving or other detail on another piece of furniture you can build up the effect of a carving using artist's gesso and allowing it to dry thoroughly between coats. If elaborate detail is needed (carvings, swags, bows) you can try using silicone molding putty to make a mold of a casting on one piece of furniture, then use the mold to cast a detail or make a detail from polymer clay to apply to the other furniture to make a better match. When all the mold details have been applied and the furniture is dry (and repaired with glue if necessary) proceed with your finish