In the photo above you can make out the white drips from someone's attempt to white wash this chair. We stripped that off and applied a mahogany stain with a semi gloss finish.
To top off the unusual character of this chair, we put its casters back on (not pictured).
What do you think was hiding under this old paint and wall paper?The owner didn't know and intended to either dump this old piece or repaint it.We removed the paint and paper and called to ask them to reconsider their decision. Once they had come back to see what they really had, they agreed with us that it would be a shame to hide the beautiful wood underneath this ugly duckling. Do you wish you could see what we discovered? Move your mouse over the empty space to the right and you will. There are three hidden pictures, be sure to look at them all!
We love the unusual and this piece has caught our fancy for its simplicity and its ability to be transformed into something its owner delights in. After viewing this website people often ask us if we only work on the exquisite. We do work on many such pieces but also plain pieces, like this one.
Now that you have seen what we have done for others, what can we do for you? CONTACTING AND FINDING US
Occasionally we will have a piece come in that only needs one part refinished, usually the top. In this case the lower photo is the piece after stripping the top, the upper photo is the piece after we had matched and refinished the top. We do not guarantee an exact match of either color or sheen, but we get pretty close. Would you agree?
This table was made in India from a door shutter. Here you see it as it came to us, top, after stripping, center, and after finishing, below. The last thing that was done was a piece of glass was mounted in the groove at the top of the table. What a fabulous conversation piece/coffee table!
Now that you have seen what we have done for others, what can we do for you? CONTACTING AND FINDING US
This rocker dates back to around 1900. It shows the remnants of the red dye often used during that time to produce a mahogany appearance on pale toned woods. This beauty was made from birch and looks beautiful with its new black cherry finish.
We stripped and refinished this piece, as is most apparent from these pictures, but we also turned a new stretcher to replace the broken one, we completely re-glued the chair and we replaced the round leather seat, which is barely visible in these photos.
As is true of many pieces that come in, this was a family heirloom piece that had fallen on hard times. It was a beautiful piece with delicate long spindles under the arms and forming the center of the back. The finish was badly worn and the left side stretcher between the legs was broken.
Now that you have seen what we have done for others, what can we do for you? CONTACTING AND FINDING US
We refinished the chair on the right and then the customer brought in a matching chair for us to do as well. As a result we can offer you a true before and after in one photograph.
In our stripping gallery we picture these school cabinets before and after stripping. Here they are after finishing. You would never guess that they had spent years in kindergarten classrooms. You might also not have guessed that they would be going back into kindergarten classrooms. How many of you wish you could live in a district that is making quality investments for their impressionable children? Kudos to Robla School District!
This is one of a set of two wicker chairs brought to us to update the appearance. It is not surprising that the orange and black ceased to possess its original appeal. Unless you are a die-hard San Francisco Giants (or Baltimore Orioles, or Cincinnati Bengals) sports fan, halloween colors will eventually get as stale as halloween candy. We removed the paint and applied a clear water based finish. The natural variation in the color of the wicker was a welcome replacement to the paint. The fine upholstering work was done by Allied Custom Upholsterers.
Now that you have seen what we have done for others, what can we do for you? CONTACTING AND FINDING US
Whenever we are doing a decorative finish rather than a fairly straighforward wood tone finish, we need some direction from the customer. This customer had a very definite idea about what she wanted this headboard to look like so we were able to work with her to achieve this look. After removing the original wood tone finish we started with a white painted base. We then used a very thin glaze, similar to a simple wood stain, to create the contrasting color pattern you see in this picture. That probably sounds easy. However, it is very difficult to get the even distribution and depth of color you see here.
In this case, the burn was not too bad. It shows as a darkened area after finishing. Still a nice looking stool!
People often want to make decisions about finishing before seeing the wood under a painted surface. The burn mark visible in the middle picture is one reason we urge people to reserve that decision for after stripping.
WELCOME > GALLERY > BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES / PROGRESSIONS, Set Two
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This beautiful octagonal lamp table is shown after stripping and after finishing. We shaded both the pie-crust edge of the top and the knees and toes of the legs.
