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Refinishing and Painting
We offer a number of refinishing option, but they cover a broad range of applications. We can also repair and rebuild as needed as well. Depending on the type of furniture you have, condition and age of the wood, value and or personal preference we can determine which option is right for you. Currently we have downsized our refinishing department, and we are limited to what type of pieces we can work on. Basically we are limited to upholstered pieces that have exposed wood, and smaller case pieces.
Cleaning Only
Sometimes we get "valuable" antiques; those that require nothing but a good cleaning to be done to the woodwork. These are usually pieces of historical importance - ones that serve as time capsules of a particular era, or very old family heirlooms. Most often, the pieces we receive don't fall under this category; even the older ones. However, just because a particular piece of furniture is old doesn't make it valuable. If you're unsure what treatment your furniture needs, you should talk with a professional dealer of antiques, and they can help you date, evaluate and appraise it, as well as give you restoration advice. You could also try searching for information on your own. There are countless books and as many websites on the subject.
Touch Up
If your furniture is in good condition with only minor scrapes or worn areas, then "touching-up" the wood is probably the most sensible thing to do. Touching-up entails cleaning the wood, rubbing stain or pigments over the damaged areas (we can use a variety of methods to re-color the pigment on the wood, from paint, stains or markers) and clear coating or polishing to mach the original finish.
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Total Refinish
Most customers desire this treatment as it is like getting a new piece of furniture. We start by evaluating the particular piece of furniture to understand what level of treatment it will require. Older pieces need to be re-glued since the joints begin to loosen with age. In these cases the individual pieces of the furniture are carefully taken apart, dowel holes are cleaned out, then the pieces are glued, reassembled, clamped and left to dry overnight. Depending on the abuse the furniture has seen over the years it is then sanded with progressively finer grits of sandpaper until 220 grit is reached. After tack raging, we then apply the stain.
Although you can request particular types of finishes for your furniture, we generally use oil-based stain with lacquer topcoats. This method produces the best results. As for the topcoats, lacquer tends to be more "flexible" and is more forgiving (doesn't show scratches as much) than poly-based products. In addition, polyurethane tends to look more plastic-like even with the satin and flat finishes. Lacquer gives a nice sheen while letting the beauty of the wood show through.
Painting and Antiquing
Trends come and go, but lately we have seen a strong resurgence of painted furniture. We offer custom painting using top quality milk and chaulk paint. And we can antique wood to look old as well. Painting, distressing and glazing your furniture is a way of turning an old outdated item into a attention-getting show piece. Painting is also a good otion for furniture that has been badly damaged and may be beyond traditional refinishing. Items that may have big chunks of wood missing or large holes, for example, can be filled and painted more easily than the color and grain matching we would have to do if it were stained.
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Whatever refinishing method you choose, rest assured that you will receive the highest quality workmanship that any upholstery shop can produce. Check out our portfolio link to see some finished products!