How to touch up black lacquer furniture

Your black lacquer furniture is an elegant showpiece until the cat scratches it or the movers nick it. Then the shiny black surface will betray any spots, nicks or scratches. With a little patience and elbow grease, you can examine your black lacquer furniture and repair the cosmetic damage. If your furniture's lacquer is nearly all worn away, consider professional repair instead of a touch-up job.

Inspect your furniture under bright light, noting the placement of any nicks and scratches. Note whether the lacquer is glossy or matt. You can try a scratch-removing marker on matt finishes. Proceed to Step 2 in this case, and skip to Step 3 if you're dealing with a glossy finish.

Rub a scratch remover over the markings on your black lacquer furniture. Pretend you're colouring in the missing spot. Scratch removers are felt-tip markers available in a range of brown, tan and black shades. They cover up cosmetic damage on matt furniture but do not work on glossy items. Continue to Step 3 if your furniture still requires repair.

Wipe the dust from your furniture using a tack cloth. Dust particles can get trapped in the lacquer and mar the finish.

Mix black blending powder with padding lacquer until you've achieved the right shade of black. Add a small amount of blending powder to your padding lacquer and mix with a small wooden stirrer to combine. To test the colour at any point, apply a small amount to your furniture. If the colour is too dark, you can remove it with denatured alcohol. Once you are happy with the hue, apply the padding lacquer with a small paint brush.

Allow the padding lacquer to dry overnight. Examine the finish under both bright and natural light to see how closely the touch-up matches the furniture's lacquer finish. Apply another coat if the colour is too pale.