You don’t have to live with the scratches and nicks in your vintage furniture anymore because we’ve compiled a list of surprisingly easy, at-home fixes to make your mid-century, um, modern again.
For light to medium colored wood you can make a paste from the meat of a Walnut or Brazil Nut and rub into the scratch. The oil will darken the scratch to help conceal it and the paste will level off the scratch. Buff with a cloth and that should repair the scratch.
If you have kids, their crayons will come in handy! Find a crayon that matches as closely as possible to the wood you’re repairing. Work the crayon in to fill the scratch, then use a hot dry rag and a blow dryer on high to melt and buff the crayon to a smooth finish. If you can’t find a crayon at home you can pick up a proper furniture patching wax stick at your neighborhood hardware store.
For mahogany or cherry wood, applying Iodine will mask scrapes and scratches. Wipe dry with a cloth after application. Can be applied as many times as needed to match color of wood.
By Melanie Carlson
