Furniture flipping- the under makeover

I have been acquiring furniture to remake and when I saw a mid-century modern piece on a local "Craig's list" like site, I jumped on it. It was blond wood two tier table with great lines and I picked I up the next day.  Though I thought the table was well made and heavy for it's size, I didn't realize the quality I was getting until I put it in the car. I would have felt guilty writing a check for dramatically less than the value of the piece. When I turned it over to lay it in the car I saw this logo on the bottom of the piece.

I knew I had just struck gold! There was no way I would be painting this piece, but it needs some TLC.
Heywood Wakefield is synonymous with 1950's "mid-century modern" style, as well as really good turn of the century wicker. These table are most popular in two shades of blond- wheat and champagne. As the company name, without any of the historic pieces and information, was purchased in the recent past, the formula for the original finish has been lost. They do have a new formula, manufactured by Sherwin Williams, which they are using, but it does not perfectly match the layered lacquer that was originally used.
I have read many a forum, advertisement, "for sale" listing and opinion on refinishing, DIY, and how-to's on how to solve the table top condition issues. The posts advise everything from "do nothing", the equivalent of "do no harm" to the medical practice, to "DIY it with my fabulous and expensive product!" I lean toward the do no harm- though I would like to find the product that would just melt the lacquer a smidgen!
To refinish or no to refinish, I can't answer the question... yet. I do not that for now, I am very excited to have the piece and though the original plan was to purchase and resell, I think I will be living with, and enjoying, this piece for a while!


Please know that the images used are not the actual images of the piece but ones I found on the web of the identical piece, though in perfect condition- unlike mine. Once I find the solution to my needs, I will post before and afters of the actual piece.

The Furniture Flipper- my new moniker

I have decided to take on a sobriquet... a moniker for the pedantic. Though admittedly sobriquet does sounds fancier. I will be known as the Furniture Flipper! To be used in a sentence like, "The Furniture Flipper strikes again!" referring to a recent jaunt to a thrifty shop, estate sale, of when presented with a particularly good refinish furniture piece, which I refinished!

This has been a Furniture Flipping weekend! Here are some previous finds and some "in process" pieces. Um, yeah. I like chairs! What can I say... they fit in my car easily!

This guy will be re-upholstered in to a peacock of a chair.

This vintage lovely is for a client, it will be living in the pink and orange condo!

This one will need some special love, however,I realized while editing the images that is has the same lines on the turned wood pieces as the set of dining room chairs I am working on. (see below)

 

 Before chair, during chair and some details. ( I will be blogging on the project on Monday with all the details!)