Oak furniture is very expensive.  That is why it would be best if you can buy unfinished oak furniture so you can save on your purchases.

Oak is a hardwood, very durable, and extremely versatile.  You will surely get lots of benefits from oak furniture.  Because oak wood is really expensive, even the unfinished varieties would be costly also.  However, oak furniture can last for a lifetime so your investment would be very worthwhile.

In fact, you can display your artistic flair when finishing oak furniture.  You can make it look antique or you can add designs to make it look more contemporary.  This would be difficult to achieve if you are finishing ordinary unfinished wood furniture.

Spicing up unfinished oak furniture primarily depends on your creativity.  But if you want to get started easily, here are some simple steps that will help you to finish oak furniture.

1.  Before you start your project, you should decide what type of finish you want.

There are several options and choices available for you.  The following are the types of finishes that you can apply:

•    Varnish
•    Shellac
•    Penetrating resin
•    Wax
•    Lacquer
•    Oil

Varnish provides great versatility.  There are flat varnishes, high gloss and satin gloss.  Varnish is also quick drying so you can reduce the amount of time that you will devote in sprucing up unfinished oak furniture.

Penetrating resin also provides excellent finish with several gloss choices.  The resin seeps deep into the wood.  Your oak furniture therefore will look more natural.

2.  When applying a finishing agent, it is best to use a 1.5 to 2-inch paint brush with fine bristles.

Make sure that the first application goes along the grain of the oak.  Let it dry for several hours before applying a second cost across the grain.  This technique will level the coating.  The furniture will look very refined and smooth.

3.  Apply paint highlights that match the base color of the oak wood.

Make sure to use a thin brush so you can avoid tarnishing the other parts of the oak wood furniture.

4.  If you applied paint, make sure to apply a final coating when it dries up.

The final finishing or coating will protect the colors of the paint so it will not fade easily.

Finishing unfinished oak furniture is not a complicated project.  You can do it easily even without the help of an expert artisan.