Woman Refinishes Vintage Furniture Bought From Couple. Now They Want It Back

A furniture seller asked to buy back a mid-century dresser after a vintage furniture restorer and TikTok influencer began refurbishing it.

Kandra Sobel, known for restoring vintage pieces, shared the experience in a now-viral post on TikTok.

She explained that when she picked up the dresser – a Kipp Stewart Drexel piece – the sellers already knew she intended to refurbish it.

“When I picked it up I told the seller like, ‘I’m going to refinish this,’ and he said ‘yep. My wife looked you up. We know who you are and we know you’re going to refinish this,’” Ms Sobel recounted in her video, now posted to Instagram.

Yet, days after taking the piece home and beginning the restoration process, Ms Sobel received a message from the seller. His wife, he explained, was deeply attached to the dresser and was devastated to have sold it. Offering double the original amount, he pleaded for the dresser to be sold back to him, saying, “My wife has been upset and crying for 2 days that she sold her wood dresser… I didn’t understand how much this meant to her.”

Torn, Ms Sobel hesitated. Having already invested time and effort, she considered the possibility that the couple’s remorse was fuelled by realising the dresser’s potential worth as a collectable item. “The thing that’s kind of sitting uneasy with me is that he sent me that message the evening after I posted… a reel showing how incredible the wood grain is,” Ms Sobel said.

Ultimately, Ms Sobel made a choice – she would complete the restoration and give the couple the first chance to buy back the piece, offering them a discounted rate despite its heightened market value. Later, meeting the seller’s wife solidified her decision.

Ms Sobel described her as “a literal ray of sunshine,” and said, “I feel really, really good about it… It’s probably bad business because I could have gotten double for what I sold it to them for, but it’s not always about the money.”

The internet has reacted positively to Ms Sobel’s decision, applauding her compassionate approach over a potential profit. 

A user commented under her Instagram post, “You are a good person. There’s more to life than money. Good karma points!”

Another wrote, “I’m glad there was a happy ending.”

“Such a happy ending!! I’m so glad you both were happy in the end,” a comment read.

Someone said they were “so happy” for Ms Sobel.

Kipp Stewart, a well-known mid-century American designer, designed the piece for Drexel Furniture, a respected American furniture company. Kipp Stewart’s designs for Drexel, especially from the 1950s and 1960s, are celebrated for their clean lines, quality craftsmanship and simplicity embodying the mid-century modern aesthetic.