Personal preference decides whether to restore a piece of furniture or not. If the decision is yes, the next decision is to refinish the piece or refurbish it. (bring it back to life)
Refurbishing
Refurbishing is about half the price of refinishing and includes; cleaning the furniture of all dirt, grime and grease, lightly sanding the furniture, adding more of the existing color, applying one or two coats of sanding sealer (sanding between coats) and one or two coats of lacquer (choice of sheen). Refurbishing maintains the wear and tear that the piece has acquired through age instead of sanding down to the wood and making it look brand new.
Refinishing