From Dark & Moody to Blonde Beauty: Restoring My Heywood-Wakefield Kohinoor Vanity
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I have a soft spot for mid-century furniture — especially anything with those signature Heywood-Wakefield curves. This summer, I finally got my hands on a Kohinoor vanity! With a little elbow grease, I knew I could make her shine!
I found it on Facebook Marketplace — half-stripped, with warped plastic shelves, and it’s tambour door in pieces. I actually recognized it from an older listing I’d saved months before when it was painted completely black. The giveaway? Those same concave plastic shelves.
Loading it up was a bit of a laugh. While Chad and I were trying to hoist this beauty into our truck, a little kid rolled by on his scooter and shouted, “Bend over so I can take a picture!” 😳🙊 Chad and I tried not to drop it! Now, it’s our little inside joke.
Once we got it home, mornings & evenings in the garage became my ritual — coffee (or tea) in hand, mouse sander buzzing like a tiny, precise lawn mower. I worked from 80-grit to 220, sanding by hand where the sander couldn’t reach, chasing every stubborn trace of black paint. There’s something deeply satisfying about revealing that original wood grain. It’s like uncovering an old secret. Time in the garage working on this project was like therapy for me.
The shelves needed some serious help, too. Those flimsy plastic ones were toast, so I used them as templates and had tempered glass shelves cut at Alamo Glass ($150 well spent — sturdy AND shiny). For the stain, I went with Ipswich Pine to match our guest room headboard (not a traditional Heywood stain- I know), then sealed everything with two coats of spray polyurethane for that soft satin glow.
The tambour door was an adventure! After watching a few youtube videos, I rebuilt it using duck cloth and hide glue, using the old piece as a template. Once I put it back together, I realized I was missing two of the original slats, so there’s a little gap in the back, but honestly? I don’t mind — it just gives it character.
On the back, I kept the original “Wheat” stamp intact, a sweet nod to its original finish and history. The matching stool is still on my hunt list, but even without it, this vanity feels like a beautiful crown jewel in our furniture collection. I can’t wait to enjoy her for years to come.
A Little Heywood-Wakefield History
Heywood-Wakefield furniture has a cult following for a reason. The company started in the 1800s when Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Rattan Company merged, and by the 1940s–50s, their sleek blonde birch designs became icons of American mid-century modern style.
The Kohinoor line — named after the famous diamond — featured elegant curves, sculptural legs, and that signature warm finish of Wheat or Champagne. These pieces weren’t just furniture; they were statement pieces. Even decades later, they still turn heads for their craftsmanship and timeless style.
Restoring this vanity wasn’t just a DIY project — it was like giving a little piece of design history a second chance to shine. Missing a few slats with a gap in the back? That just proves it’s lived a life, and I love it all the more for it.
