I do this kind of work and it's really impossible to say without knowing more about the condition. One piece could take 5 minutes or all day. Add in your level of expectation of what constitutes "refreshed." Do you want something that's not obvious from across the room or are you going to go into a corner, squat down and complain about "It looks like there's been some finish sprayed over the top?"

Refinishing generally connotes stripping down to bare wood and reapplication of color and top coats.

But a couple of corrections and clarifications:
1) Not all clear finishes are "poly" (polyurethane)

2) Unless this has been DIY refinished in the past, it is most likely NOT polyurethane. If it's the factory finish, it will be lacquer. If it's been professionally refinished, it's probably lacquer. So there is no "re" in "repoly"

3) It's not the best of ideas to put polyurethane over lacquer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Saving the finish

bobsuncle: Thanks for your input. I am really ignorant about the process. We're experienced DIYers for a lot of projects around the house, but furniture refinishing is not one of them.

The furniture has the original factory finish it came with in 1970. Other than dusting with a very slightly dampened cloth and an occasional lemon oiling, we have done nothing to it.

What do you recommend be done with pieces like this? It is quality furniture-made very well and the drawers and doors work flawlessly so it's worth putting some money into. We'd like to have it looking "almost" as good as new, but have no idea of what the cost to do that would be. We definitely don't just want some coating sprayed on it so that it looks decent from a distance, but up close, the shortcut job is obvious.

I'll check out your link.

Thanks again.