If it were mine, I would definitely not chalk paint it. Unfortunately, you need to haul it back downstairs to your basement/garage, strip it of all it’s finish, and restain and refinish it from scratch. If you’re not up to a full DIY, there are local companies who do furniture refinishing, but it’ll cost you several hundred dollars.

Can you try posting photos again?

Also, is there a manufacturer listed?

Thank you very much! That’s exactly what I was trying to avoid is moving the pieces again.

Are you sure it was from the cigarette smoke? It may just have been finished with something that yellows...

Either way, it clearly isn't cleanable. Perhaps it's not as bad as you think? If it's clean and doesn't smell offensive, could you decorate around it? Maybe change the bulbs in the room to tone down the yellow?

If you hire someone to refinish it, they may be willing to do the moving for an additional cost.

Photos would help us give accurate advice...

Pennydesign... you know I’ve never thought about maybe it was kind of gold or yellow from the start. Talking to my grandmother, first she said it was gold then months later when I told her it was hard to clean, she said it was off white with gold trimming.

Bettysharp... I dont remember seeing a manufacturer. sorry!

HU-19etc, I was hoping by "more than 40 years old", it might be a piece from the fifties or sixties, perhaps by Drexel or Henry Link, in which case I would definitely say it would be worth proper refinishing.

But from what I can see of the picture, and with no manufacturer's name and the fact that it may be from the late seventies, I wouldn't hesitate to use chalk paint.

Why not invite Beth H. into this thread, she knows all about refinishing furniture, she is a professional.

I know you’ve said you used paint thinner, have you used mineral spirits? That’s a go to for removing oily buildup from finished surfaces. After that I would try tsp substitute, dawn (works for penguins), then ammonia. They all act as solvents for different things. Hopefully you will find the one that removes that tobacco without affecting the paint. It’s art plus science.

I think your grandmother was correct the first time, when she told you it was originally gold.

Although white oil paint becomes yellowish over time, and cigarette smoke can stain, I don't think this was originally white or off white.

I did a quick Google searching for removing tobacco/nicotine stains from painted wood furniture, and this page from the This Old House forum came up, with advice from longtime GW member and pro Sombreuil mongrel/Casey: "It's [nicotine is] actually water-soluble. A wash with a household cleaner (spic-n-span) and a double rinse, then wipe dry and apply furniture wax."

It might be darker or yellowed, but not from the nicotine. Or your grandmother might be misremembering, which is very easy to do after 40 years : ) .

That piece was always gold - embrace it or release it because it is always going to be what it was. The gold is actually so out there that you could make it work with appropriate design decisions.

It certainly looks gold to me too.

You can try this for any greasy grime:

Might that "original color" be the primer coat/gesso?

I fear you may have damaged it...

I realize that it's not exactly the same as this one, but maybe the information in the link and/or color might look familiar, or help you out a bit in your efforts..?

http://atelier1505.com/portfolio-items/vintage-widdicomb-dresser-painted-italian-rococo-manner/

Halley&Co.... yes, I tried mineral spirit and that’s what I used on the last drawer and now it has a dry distressed look to it. Here is one of two mirrors that goes to the dresser

Thanks a million PennyDesign. Because of the carvings I thought it may used to look like this piece. My grandmother

says they bought this set either the 50’s or the 60’s.

tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) can remove the stain

Here is one of the mirrors

Carolb..... after reading these comments I think you may be right. I really hope I didn’t ruin it as I believed the gold tint was from cigarette smoke. Do you have any ideas on what product I could use to turn the areas I messed up back gold so it will look halfway decent. Thanks a million!

When I started to clean it and a painted white area showed up I assumed it looked like this once upon a time

Well, maybe the more important question is, what color do you want it to be?

Since the furniture is not a super valuable antique that you can't touch, and actually, you have already altered it, why not just make it whatever color or finish you would like?

It is still your grandparents furniture, you know it, and you will think of them every time you see the pieces.

You don't have to return them to their original colors, you can make them white or gold or black lacquer or red or even shocking pink, whatever suits your fancy.

I'm wondering if you experimented with tinting polyurethane for the bottom drawer...perhaps you can get it close enough to the original finish...It will take some trial and error, but will only cost you some time and a quart of poly.

If it turns out to be valuable, it will get you by until you want to tackle a complete refinish.

I'm really happy when anyone has a sentimental attachment to family things...things like this make a house a home.

Lovable.... I really don’t have any specifics, just was trying to preserve it and bring it back to life. I have no intentions of ever getting rid of it.

Thanks PENNYDESIGN, I will definitely give poly a try. Now that I know that the original color is gold, I think I am going to keep cleaning it for the next few months and then find a gold paint and go over the whole thing. I didn’t realize that I was removing the top layer of gold when I started cleaning it. Really hoping I didn’t mess it up

Before I went any further with cleaning, I would try to replicate what you've removed.

Google "gilding wax" and see what you think.

From the photo the last drawer has taken on a silverish hue and you want to just bring that back to gold. Obviously test it on something (there are MANY shades of gold) and use sparingly...it's better to build up rather than have to try to take it away.

If it' doesn't work, you haven't lost too much. And test on the back of the piece first or maybe on the top of the drawer where it won't be noticed.

Good luck...