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TayloredHome Follow along as we remodel our second 90s home with some DIY and furniture restoration along the way! 🛠️✨

10/19/2026

Not all wood fillers are created equal! 🪵

When it comes to furniture restoration, there’s a big difference between traditional wood filler and epoxy wood filler—and knowing when to use each can make a huge difference in your repairs!

Traditional wood filler is generally best for cosmetic repairs like small dents, scratches, nail holes, and minor imperfections. It’s great for smoothing out a surface, but typically isn’t designed for structural repairs.

Epoxy wood filler, on the other hand, is a two-part product that cures into a hard, durable material. It can be used to rebuild missing corners, fill larger areas of damaged wood, and restore deteriorated surfaces.

In these projects, I’m using Starbond Adhesives epoxy wood filler, and once cured, it can sanded and drilled, making it especially useful for more substantial furniture repairs. Be sure to mix parts equally and thoroughly for best results!

Have you tried epoxy wood filler before? I’d love to hear what you’ve used it to repair!

📌 Save this for your next furniture restoration project!

FurnitureRepair WoodworkingTips FurnitureFlipping DIYFurniture

10/16/2026

After 9 years, 2 home remodels, and a plethora of furniture refinishing projects, I can easily say that my shop vac is the hardest working tool in my shop and still going strong! Comment “VAC” and I’ll send you the link to the new model!

From cleaning out antique furniture to tackling renovation messes, I use it for just about everything. But its number one job? Dust collection! I use it with my tools on every furniture refinishing project to help keep the dust in the air to a minimum.

So when Shop Vac reached out and offered to send me a brand-new one from their “Whisper” series, I knew they had taken an amazing tool and made it even better! 🙌

There’s something to be said for a tool that’s earned its place in your workshop over nearly a decade. I’m looking forward to putting this new one to work!

DustCollection WorkshopEssentials DIYTools AntiqueFurniture FurnitureFlipping

10/14/2026

Comment “HUTCH” and I’ll send you a link to all the supplies I used to revive this gorgeous hutch!

I found this really great vintage replica of an antique hutch, and was excited to give it a new coat of stain. But after sanding and stripping, I found wildly varying wood tones that would have been difficult to stain evenly.

When I saw “kindling” paint, a warm brown with some purple undertones, I knew it would be perfect for this piece! So happy with how it turned out 😍

FurnitureRestoration FurnitureFlip EnglishCottageStyle VintageFurniture

10/12/2026

I found this awesome hutch on FBMP and was a bit suspicious that it was a genuine antique. Spoiler: it wasn’t! Just a really great vintage replica.

But I loved it anyway and had planned on giving it a fresh coat of stain. The really uneven wood tones underneath left me scrambling to figure out a different plan though.

When I saw Dixie Belle Paint Company’s “kindling” paint, a warm brown with some purple undertones, I knew it would be perfect for what I was planning in the rest of my dining room!

A little prep, a couple coats of paint, some finishing touches, and this piece is ready for another chapter 🤎

Comment “HUTCH” and I’ll send you a link to all the supplies I used!

Hutch inspo by

FurnitureRestoration FurnitureFlip EnglishCottageStyle VintageFurniture BeforeAndAfter

10/10/2026

Did you know your multi-tool could do THIS?! 🤯 Want the sanding blocks I’m using? Comment “SANDER” and I’ll send you the link!

One of my favorite little furniture refinishing discoveries: you can attach trim sanding blocks to an oscillating multi-tool and turn it into a detail sander.

**I prefer the multitool because it has varying speed and is less aggressive than a single speed. This does not require much pressure, and be gentle on your softer woods like pine!

These little sanding attachments are perfect for getting into places an orbital sander just can’t reach—like:

• Tight corners
• Grooves and recessed details
• Along trim and molding
• Those awkward little spots you’d normally have to sand completely by hand 🙃

They come in different shapes and profiles, so you can choose one that fits the area you’re working on and add the appropriate grit of sandpaper.

It definitely doesn’t replace hand sanding entirely, but it can make some of those tedious detail-sanding jobs SO much faster.

📌 Save this one for your next refinishing project!

diyfurniture furnituremakeover

10/08/2026

Have you ever brought home a beautiful antique only to discover it smelled like someone’s basement? 😂

Here’s a little furniture restoration trick you might not know about!

Shellac is one of my favorite ways to seal in lingering musty odors in old furniture. 🙌 Comment “SHELLAC” and I’ll send you a link to what I use!

After thoroughly cleaning the piece and making sure it’s completely dry, I apply a coat or two of shellac to the unfinished interior wood, including the insides of drawers, drawer bottoms, and cabinet interiors.

Shellac creates a barrier that can help trap those stubborn odors that have soaked into the wood over decades.

A few things to know:
✨ Make sure you’ve addressed any moisture or mold issues first. Shellac won’t fix an active problem!
✨ Clear, dewaxed shellac is a great option if you don’t want to dramatically change the appearance of the wood, although it can still add a warm tone.
✨ Let it dry and air out thoroughly before putting drawers back in.

It’s not a guaranteed fix for every odor, but it can make a huge difference when restoring old furniture!

📌 Save this tip for your next antique furniture project! 🤎

VintageFurniture FurnitureFlipping WoodworkingTips AntiqueRestoration DIYFurniture

10/07/2026

IYKYK…I had a feeling there was something good hiding under all that paint, but I knew it would be some work! Sometimes stripping a piece really is worth the mess 😍

10/03/2026

Comment ACETONE and I’ll send you the link to what I’m using 🤎

It’s one of those refinishing tricks that can save SO much time on the right piece. It won’t work on all finishes, but when it works, it WORKS.

⚠️ Always test in an inconspicuous area first, work with good ventilation, and follow the product’s safety instructions.

furnituretips furniturestripping acetone restoreddontreplace woodworkingtips

10/01/2026

If I had to start furniture refinishing all over again, these are the 5 things I’d buy first👇 Comment “ESSENTIALS” and I’ll send you a link to what I use!

🤎 Lead test swabs – Always check old finishes before sanding or scraping.

🤎 Random orbital sander – The tool I reach for on almost every project.

🤎 Carbide scraper – Removes failing finishes with less dust, gets in the right corners, and saves a ton of sandpaper.

🤎 Shop vac with a hose attachment – Both for safety and convenience. Dust is the enemy of a beautiful finish. Vacuuming every surface (especially carvings, joints, and drawers) makes a huge difference in the final result, and containing dust while sanding makes for a safer environment and a lot less cleanup later.

🤎 Mineral spirits – Perfect for cleaning, revealing the wood grain, and checking your progress before finishing.

These five tools have saved me countless hours and have made the biggest difference in the quality of my restorations.

If you’re just getting started, I’d build my toolkit around these first.

What would be at the top of your list? 👇

antiquefurniture restoration refinishing woodworker furnituremakeover diyprojects vintagedecor homerenovation furnitureflip workshop

10/01/2026

A carbide scraper can make surprisingly quick work of thick, brittle, peeling or alligatored finishes. Instead of immediately burning through piles of sandpaper, I can scrape away a lot of that old finish first and then come back in with sanding to smooth everything out.

Want the exact carbide scraper I use? Comment “SCRAPER” and I’ll send you the link. 🔗

It’s especially satisfying on pieces like this where you can literally watch the old finish peel away 👀

A few things to keep in mind:
• Always work with the grain
• Keep the scraper flat so you don’t gouge the wood
• Be extra cautious around veneer, edges and detailed areas
• I still sand afterward — the scraper just gets me there a whole lot faster

Definitely one of those inexpensive tools that has earned a permanent spot in my refinishing setup.

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