About this restoration

This vintage Heywood-Wakefield children’s school desk and chair set came through our Fort Collins shop as a mixed-material restoration project. The set included two small solid birch school desks and three chairs with tubular metal frames, wood seats, and wood backs. The goal was to restore both materials correctly so the wood and metal would look like one intentional, finished set again.

What was wrong

The set showed the accumulated wear of long institutional use: surface wear across the wood tops, seats, and backs; a deep ink stain on one desktop; mismatched and peeling paint on the metal chair legs; and missing or damaged chrome tip plugs on the leg ends. Because the piece combined wood and metal, each problem needed its own proper restoration process.

What we did

• Treated the ink-stained desktop with an oxalic acid wash before sanding and surface preparation.
• Prepared and refinished all wood components across the desk surfaces, chair seats, and chair backs.
• Applied a 2K polyurethane finish system to the birch wood for durability, protection, and long-term use.
• Stripped the tubular metal chair frames of mismatched paint and sandblasted them back to a clean substrate.
• Repaired and replaced missing or damaged chrome tip plugs on the chair leg ends.
• Refinished the metal frames in automotive-grade paint for consistent bright blue color and a hard-wearing finish.
• Completed final inspection to confirm consistent finish quality across the complete wood-and-metal set.

Care tips

• Clean the wood surfaces with a soft microfiber cloth and mild, non-abrasive cleaner when needed.
• Wipe spills, ink, marker, or moisture promptly so staining does not sit on the finish.
• Avoid abrasive pads, harsh chemicals, and silicone sprays on both the wood and painted metal.
• Lift rather than drag the chairs and desks to protect the leg tips, metal frames, and floors.
• Keep the set away from prolonged direct sunlight, heat vents, and high humidity.
• If the wood finish, paint, or leg tips begin to show wear, book maintenance early.