How should this piece be refurbished?

first I'd say don`t paint such a beautiful piece of furniture. but if you must you need to use fine sand paper or steel wool to rough up the surface so paint will adhere

of course remove hardware first.

Why not try one of the many wood cleaning, restoration products on the market, and give the piece a good cleaning? It might be more to your liking when it's all brightened up.

I am with Lauren. Don't paint beautiful vintage/antique pieces. The minute you put paint to it, you destroy its value. I would clean it properly and then would use a good wax on it or other finish that would enhance the beauty of wood. You can clean up the hardware too and it would look beautiful.

If you do paint, I'd suggest chalk paint

I have an old dresser I made into a TV stand and left most of it with wood grain, sand the top especially down to the natural wood and put poly on it to bring out the wood grain and make it lighter. Here is post to the one I did, I put roses on mine but you could use stencils.

http://www.hometalk.com/diy/bedroom/dressers/ugly-dresser-turned-into-a-beautiful-tv-stand-29831930

I go with cleaning it really good & waxing to shine it up. I beg you not to paint. Wood has such life & movement in the grain.

I would polish it and keep original, but if you really want to paint it you could paint it with chalk paint ( no sanding) and distress it, then beeswax it. I used 2 pces of an old TV cabinet and I was happy with the result. I used steel blue and white. Took 2 days. You can buy stencils as well.

If you do keep it original maybe paint your wall wood panelling to make the cabinet stand out.

here is a before and after of my cabinet. Just some wedding white paint . We have wood paneling walls as well!

Wow, lots of wood lovers out there! You could keep the top wood and paint the rest. I tried Valspar latex antique glaze in "moose" color over a dark red satin paint and it is very rich. Go to a kitchen store and look at kitchen cabinet samples for wood and paint options. Or pick up that teal or greenish color in your rug...all good with the Moose brown/black glaze. The latex glaze creates a nice texture even on a smooth surface like your piece. Can top finish or not with water based polyurethane for durability. Happy finishing!

oohhhhh thank you!!! That wall is a bit of a challenge lol!!

I have to agree with above answers. I think I would try just cleaning it up first. Remember fads come and go. Once you paint it, you can never go back.

I'm a true wood lover. I wouldn't paint it. That's a nice piece and can be cleaned up with a good wood cleaner. I cringe when others paint wood pieces. Formby's has a good line of products if you choose to not paint it. If you do I would go with a good chalk paint.

One more thing, look for some nice ornamental hardware to give it a nice look.

What color is the sofa, chairs. drapes, lamp shades in the room?

i would remove the hardware and clean it with Brasso. Then I would paint it with Annie Sloan chalk paint. You don't need to prime or sand; it's pretty easy and straight forward. Look for her ubtubes and go on her website for the beautiful colors. I don't think you will destroy the value of the piece because you can't get much fir it anyway but if you paint it and love it, you will preserve much nostalgia and you will have a good, useful piece.

I have mixed emotions on this one. I absolutely LOVE natural wood furniture pieces. But, I see a deep red creation. I'm thinking red chalk paint with dark wax. If you are unsure on what to do, have it appraised 'as is' before doing anything. She's a beauty as is. Best of luck.

Don't paint this piece because it's too pretty. Agree with Diana Deiley about having piece appraised. Once it's painted, you have ruined it.

Too beautiful to paint! It appears to go with the rug as is.