How to Refinish a Varnished Vanity

Lay a drop cloth onto the ground to serve as your work area. Disassemble the vanity by removing the mirror from its frame, and any hardware such as handles or hinges from the vanity body using a screwdriver.

Move the disassembled vanity to the center of the drop cloth. Put on a pair of chemical resistant gloves and ventilate the room by opening all windows and doors. Place an exhaust fan in one of the windows to help with ventilation if you have one available.

Strip the existing varnish and stain from the vanity by brushing a thick layer of citrus-based paint stripper onto the vanity surface, using a paintbrush. Allow the paint stripper to dwell on the surface of the vanity for the length of time suggested by the stripper manufacturer. The varnish will bubble as the stripper begins dissolving the substance. Keep the stripper wet by misting with denatured alcohol when it begins to dry out. Place the alcohol in a mist sprayer and lightly spray the surfaces with it when the stripper begins to lose its wet look.

Remove the stripper using a rubber putty knife by scraping the stripper and varnish from the vanity surface. Examine the vanity for signs of remaining varnish. Repeat the stripper application on any varnish remnants.

Rinse off the vanity using a sponge and hot water. Take care not to saturate the wood as this could raise the wood grain creating a rough surface. Pat the vanity dry after rinsing with a clean cloth.

Wash the entire vanity surface with a clean cloth, using furniture cleaner specially formulated for the vanity’s wood type. Rinse away any soap residue with a sponge and warm water, and then pat the vanity dry with cloth.

Repair any damaged areas in the vanity by sanding the ridges of any gouges flat to the surface of the wood with medium-grit sandpaper, and then filling any cracks or gouges with wood filler putty the same color as the vanity, using a plastic putty knife. Allow the putty to dry, and then sand it smooth with the medium grit sandpaper. Go over any sanded sections with fine grit sandpaper to level them with the surrounding wood, and then wipe the entire vanity down with a tack cloth to remove sanding residue or dust.

Reassemble the vanity and apply a new layer of stain using a foam applicator to avoid leaving brush strokes. Apply the stain in rows to cover the surface, overlapping the row edges slightly to prevent creating stripes on the wood. Allow the stain to set in the wood the manufacturer recommended length of time and then wipe away any excess stain with a piece of cloth. Wait for the stain to dry and examine the surface for coloring. Apply a second coat of stain if you desire color of a deeper depth. Wipe with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

Apply two layers of varnish over the stain with a foam applicator to protect the stain coloring. Wait two hours between layers to allow the varnish to begin to dry. Wait 48 hours for the final layer of varnish to dry before moving the vanity from its work area back in place.