Horrifying Images of People Who Ruined Priceless Vintage Furniture

Midcentury Dining Chairs Restored

The original caption for this photo said, “Thonet Dining Chairs, Redeemed.” I searched the internet for midcentury Thonet dining chairs, and I was shocked to see just how much these go for. On a website called Icon by Design, there are similar-looking chairs that cost $650 each. That’s $1,300 for two chairs. Whoever bought and restored these chairs seriously scored.

(via Icon by Design)

Vintage Goth Vibes

The original message on this photo simply said, “Restoration Process, Finished!” You can tell that whoever decided to give this bookshelf a few coats of black chalk paint truly thought it was a good idea. One of the top comments said that they actually like the black color. I agree, but the original wood looks so much better. The paint was also covering a beautiful golden inlay, which was a sin to paint over in the first place. (via Annie Sloan)

Before and After Wardrobe Restoration

Years ago, people did not have closets in their bedrooms. Many older homes (especially in Europe) still don’t have a closet available for people to keep their clothes. So they would buy large wardrobes like these to store their clothing. On the left, we can see that someone once decided to paint it white. It’s not necessarily bad-looking. But once the paint is stripped away, you can see how truly beautiful the wood looks. Large antique wardrobes like this can sell for thousands of dollars. Without knowing the brand, I can’t research the exact price. But it would surely cost a lot of money to buy this from a dealer. (via Etsy)

Rimu Timber Dresser Restored

The original caption for this photo said, “Under 3 Coats Of White Paint And 1 Coat Of Green, Was This Beautiful Rimu Timber”. I tried researching Rimu Timber furniture, but I can’t find this exact piece of furniture. But I would estimate that this is worth around $300. Compared to some of the other pieces on this list, this dresser isn’t as impressive. But it is timeless, and can be used for years to come. (via Real Simple)

A Huge Collection of Restoration Projects

The original caption for this photo said, “A Ridiculous Amount Of Love, Patience, And Skill Went Into Reversing These Mid-Century Modern Pieces! I Restore For A Living, And Although I Really Hate Dealing With Painted Stuff, It Makes Me That Much Prouder Of My Craft.” Wow. You can really tell that this person does this for a living. I hope they make a good profit flipping furniture online. (via MidCenturyMistress on Reddit)

No More Blue

The original caption for this photo simply said, “Was Told To Post Here. Before And After De-Pinteresting.” They never posted the brand name of this furniture, so I can’t look up what it’s worth. But they most likely saved a few hundred dollars by restoring this piece instead of buying a brand new wooden piece of furniture. However, the bottom of this dresser is still blue. So that’s a bit odd. (via True Value)

This Desk Took Two Months to Restore

The original caption said, “I Put Two Months Of My Time On Weekends And After Work To Remove The Awful Paint From This Gorgeous Danish Teak Desk With Floating Legs!” After a bit of research, I found a similar desk on 1st Dibs for $2,500. From my personal experience, 1st Dibs always charges way more money for their antiques compared to eBay, flea markets, and antique shops. But it’s still very gratifying to see that all of that hard work put into restoring this desk means that this person now has a valuable investment piece in their home. (via 1st Dibs)

This Table Was Saved By Its New Owner

The original caption for this photo said, “The Abuse Is Finally Over.” One of the top comments said, “Someone … painted…over…INLAY…?!??!??!?!?!? Why would you paint over inlay?!” Great question. Inlay furniture is very valuable, and it’s not something you see every day. You can tell that the person who painted this furniture liked to craft, and they thought they were doing something clever by painting it. But the original piece is just so much better. (via Etsy)

Carved Console Table Restored to its Original Beauty

The original title of this post said, “Vintage Console I Stripped A While Ago”. This piece is beautiful. I can only imaging how long it took to carve all of those shapes and lines into the wood to make this piece. Unfortunately, without the name, I can’t find out how much this piece is actually worth. But I would imagine that it’s somewhere in the ballpark for. $2,000 or more. (via Overstock)

Look What Was Hiding Under Layers of White Paint

The original poster said, “Thought Y’all Might Appreciate My Efforts”. Yes! We seriously appreciate it. Look how beautiful the wood pattern was underneath the white paint. They never posted the name, but it looks very similar to the Lane Acclaim Round Tables that were mentioned in an earlier post. If that’s true, this table would be worth $760. Hopefully the original poster knows how valuable it truly is, and they don’t let it go for less than what it’s worth. (via Etsy)

Look What Was Hiding Under All of That Paint

The original caption for this photo said, “Thinking My Recent Rehab Of This Pre-Pinterest Paint Job Would Be Enjoyed Here.” You can see that this person replaced the drawer pulls with black leather pieces, which is very trendy right now. I wish I knew the brand name of this dresser, but I don’t. Before the restoration, it sort of reminds me of Elvis, or a race car. After the restoration, it looks so much better. (via Facebook Marketplace)

From Pea Green to Wooden Glory

The original caption for this photo said, “Lane Acclaim Side Table Hidden Under Pea Green Paint!” There is a set of two of these tables for sale on Chairish for $1,500. So technically, you could say they’re worth $750 each. We don’t know how much this person paid for the furniture on the secondhand market, but I can guarantee that it was worth a lot less when it was painted that ugly green color. (via Chairish)

Paint Removed to Reveal a Gorgeous Dresser Underneath

The original caption said, “Heard You Guys Like A Good Before And After”. This is yet another Broyhill Brasilia piece. It costs $2,500 on the Mid Century Warehouse. People love this style, because it truly captures the vintage mid century vibe. I can see why people are willing to pay a premium to have this furniture in their home. They’re lucky that it even still has all of the original hardware still intact. (via Mid Century Warehouse)

So Much Wrong With The “Before” Coffee Table

On the original Reddit post, the OP said, “Something I Did A Few Weeks Ago.” If you look closely, you’ll see that they also flipped the legs over in the correct direction. How did they not realize that it included a magazine rack? It’s really cool, because this piece spent so much of its life being misused. Now its new owner has restored it back to the way it should be. (via Houzz)

Gorgeous Mantle Restoration

The original post said, “Painted Antique Mantle Restoration Transformation”. After doing a quick search online, I discovered that these antique mantles are worth a small fortune. If you find one in the condition on the left, you might pay in the ballpark of $500. But if you find one fully restored like the one on the right, it is now worth thousands of dollars. I’ve seen anywhere from $3,000 up to $12,000, depending on the intricacy of the mantle. (via True Value)

A Beautiful Transformation of Vintage Furniture

The original poster boldly claimed, “Behold, The Most Satisfying Reverse Pinterest Of 2021”. Normally, I don’t like it when people claim that they’re the “best” at something. But honestly, they might be right. The v-shape of the wood grain is absolutely stunning. It looks like the wood was taken out of a slice of one large tree. Clearly, they are proud of their restoration work. And they will most likely hold on to this piece for the rest of their life. (via Sunbeam Vintage)

Restored Brasilia II Petite Buffet Table

The original post said, “I Don’t Know If I Can Top This One! Fully Restored Brasilia II Petite Buffet.” After a quick online search, I found the matching Broyhill Brasilia sideboard selling on Atomic Furnishings for $500. On places like 1st Dibs, larger pieces from this collection sold for around $1,800. So I would put this piece in the ballpark of $1,000-$1,500. (via Atomic Furnishings)

Antique Cedar Hope Chest Restored

The original post said, “Restored This Beauty To Original Glory. $20 Goodwill Cedar Chest Returned From Crackled Paint Torture”. After a search online, I see that vintage cedar chests go from $500 to $1,000. If you look on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, you might get a damaged piece in the ballpark of $200. But to find this at Goodwill for just $20 is seriously a steal. (via eBay)