Why it's easier with matt furniture

The gloss of a varnish is the way in which the property of the varnish film to reflect light is expressed. The higher the percentage of reflected light, the glossier the furniture. Matt furniture is that which reflects little or none of the radiation. About glossy furniture we spoke, drawing particular attention to the factors that influence the degree of gloss and what needs to be done to achieve the best possible gloss. Now it's the turn of matt furniture and I'll tell you why it's easier to achieve and maintain.

When we talk about matt furniture, we mean furniture with a gloss finish below 40. If the gloss level decreases we reach deep matt (10 and below) or natural look, when the furniture looks like it hasn't even been lacquered (under 5).

Matt varnish doesn't really highlight every flaw like gloss varnish does

And the higher the gloss, the more it brings them out. Any scratches, dust, bumps in the film are accentuated. When the varnish is matt, defects that occur during production are less visible, sometimes even invisible. You will no longer see the small dust particles trapped in the envelope for which a glossy furniture needs to be polished. The matt surface does not reflect images as glossy furniture does, so you can't see if the varnish hasn't spread very well, if a very small amount has been applied to one side or if the film has a slight orange peel.

I don't want you to understand that if you take a piece of matt furniture it is full of flaws you can't see. There are only very small finishing flaws, absolutely normal in production, but which glossy furniture accentuates and makes them look like real tragedies. This is one of the reasons why I recommend, where possible, using 30-40 gloss varnishes, which give that lacquered furniture look but don't bring out any defects.

Matt furniture is harder to maintain

But if high gloss is hard to achieve in production, it's hard to maintain at home. Any trace of dust, any fingerprints are highly visible, and furniture needs constant maintenance. If you have a choice between glossy and matt furniture, think about this when making your decision.

Matt finishes are more suitable for DIY projects

There are people for whom the gloss is a guarantee that the wood has been varnished. It is good to know that all furniture is varnished or painted, whether it gleams or not. And the less it shines, the easier it is to maintain. In addition, any scratches from use are very noticeable on glossy furniture and less noticeable on matt furniture.

If you are a DIY enthusiast and want to refinish an older piece of furniture or want to change it, it is good to consider the gloss level when choosing materials. In DIY conditions it's hard to get high gloss, and an older piece of furniture is less suited to a glossy finish. Better use antiquing techniques, embellishing materials (patinas, glazes, paints) and cover everything, if necessary, with a matt varnish.

If you still want to refinish the old furniture and achieve a high gloss, use a semi-gloss varnish (50-60 gloss), over which you apply wax and polish. Clean and degrease the furniture well before applying the varnish, possibly sand lightly, wipe well and apply a thin coat of varnish. After drying, apply colourless wax over the entire surface and polish thoroughly with felt or soft cotton cloth. With some work you will achieve the desired shine.

I don't want you to think I'm against glossy furniture. It has its charms and there are designs that look better with gloss than without. I'm just saying it's a hard piece of furniture to get and hard to maintain, and I hope this information helps you in the future if you're thinking of buying new furniture or converting your old one.