Does anyone know what is involved to make a light coloured piece of furniture darker? What is the wood is treated / 'finished' already? Is sanding required before varnishing?

initial colour

Desired result

is the first picture the actual object u wanna redo?

well, no matter.

I would assume that your current varnish is water-based. Water-based varnishes need to be sanded off completely before applying new varnishes because they would not be able to bond with the new varnish. the oil varnish can also be stripped chemically without sanding using paint remover/strippers.

for the new varnish you can use.

1. OSMO oil/waxes

just brush it onto the furniture. can choose from the color ranges here:

OSMO Woodwax Transparent

the coating will dry into a protection that is water resistant and will not crack, peel or blister.

2. Oil stain

use the oil stain to color the wood, u can get this from any hardware and DIY stores. however the oil stain would provide limited dirt and water protection. people would usually apply another 2 clear coats of lacquer to protect it.

disclaimer: my company is the sole distributor for OSMO in SG, but our main business is in construction projects. i am responding to TS request for opinion as a fellow DIYer, recommended OSMO because its good, not for extra business.

Edited April 22, 201016 yr by morganwu

Yes it's the actual item- how do I know if it's water based varnish or oil based? Have looked around the HomeFix- don't think I saw Osmo- is it sold there?

I also have a pale coloured watermark on my dark wooden chest- any idea how to get rid of it or just do as above?