What do you call it when you refinish furniture?

When you refinish furniture, it is called several different things depending on the extent of work and the community. The most common general term is refinishing, which means stripping old finish and applying new stain or paint. If you are updating it with a modern look, it is often called upcycling, furniture flipping, or furniture makeover, which are popular terms on social media and in the DIY market. If you are restoring it to its original condition, it is called restoration, furniture restoration, or conservation, especially for antiques. If you are only refreshing the topcoat without stripping to bare wood, it is called resurfacing, recoating, or refreshing. If you are painting old wood furniture, it is called repainting, repurposing, or refinishing with paint. Professionals might call it stripping and refinishing, reconditioning, or refurbishing. In business terms, someone who refinishes furniture for profit is called a furniture flipper, furniture refinisher, or furniture restorer. The process itself involves steps like stripping, sanding, staining, sealing, and topcoating. So while the technical term is refinishing, everyday people might say they are restoring, flipping, makeovering, or redoing furniture, all meaning the same general idea of making old furniture look new again.