There are basically two types of products available: the liquid no-wash stripper and the water-wash stripper. Both types are fairly simple, albeit messy, and claim to get the job done in less than an hour. The reality is that most of the old paint will come off easily, but getting all of it, particularly in the crevices, will take a little elbow grease. Here's where patience comes in handy. You could be wishing you had that vat of paint remover in your garage by this time.

Painting the furniture is the preferred option. Different types of paint will yield different results. An oil-based paint covers well and provides a hard, wear-resistant finish. Enamel paint is another choice and comes in satin, flat and glossy finishes. Lacquer paints give extremely smooth finishes but require very careful surface preparation because any little blemish will be magnified under the lacquer.

So make that old hope chest a real heirloom by preserving it, using it again and then passing it on to the next generation. You might want to include these restoration instructions in your gift.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of a newly released book, Mystery of Color.)