Everybody’s tastes and styles evolve over time. Do you own a piece of furniture that needs updating? Perhaps a piece you inherited or one that is just too dark or dated for your home? Whether damaged or just in need of a makeover, we can turn that piece of furniture into something you love.

Get inspiration from photos of our furniture transformations in the gallery to the right. Imagine a makeover of a piece you already own or one that we can source for you.

Below, learn more about the types of finishes we offer.

Glazing

Glazing creates a multi-tone effect and adds depth and contrast to the finish. Glazes typically come in neutral colors like white, brown and black. The glaze is applied over any base paint color using a dry brushing technique.

For the dresser to the left, a gray base paint was applied followed by two glaze colors: brown and white. This color combination is often referred to as “driftwood.”

On the second example, an aqua cabinet, we used a white glaze over a duck egg blue paint color. Besides creating depth and contrast, glazes can also tone down bright base colors.

Paints & Top Coats

A simple fresh coat of paint can completely transform a piece of furniture and bring it into harmony with the rest of the room. Painting also offers a convenient alternative when wooden furniture can’t be stripped due to veneers or other imperfections in the wood.

Top coats (polycrylic, varnish, etc), are clear, durable finishes that provide protection when applied over paint, stain or bare wood. Paints and top coats are available in different levels of shininess, called sheen. Popular sheen types are listed below.

Matte - Flat finish with no sheen (once dry). Matte finishes absorb light which is why they aren’t shiny and are the best for hiding imperfections like dents and scratches.

Satin & Eggshell - Silky finish but the shine is subtle. These are usually the most popular for walls. Note that there is no industry standard for terminology, so one company’s satin could be equivalent to another’s matte or low gloss.

Semigloss, Gloss & High Gloss - Shiniest finish reflecting the most light. The most durable because they have the highest binder content, the same property that makes them more reflective/shiny. This makes gloss finishes the easiest to clean, however they do show scratches more than matte finishes.

Waxing & Distressing

Waxing seals and protects wood furniture and can be used over paint or stain. Clear wax can be used as an alternative to a polycrylic topcoat, however it it should be noted that wax is not as durable and needs to be reapplied over time. Waxes also come in whites, browns and blacks which can be applied over various colors of paint to create a two tone finish.

Notice the three color tones in the photo to the left. Blue from the paint, black from the wax and golden brown from the natural wood underneath. As the wax is buffed with steel wool, it works into the porous areas. The buffing process also exposes the natural wood along edges and corners where the paint is rubbed off. The buffing or sanding off of paint is called distressing.

Distressing is a technique that simulates marks of age and wear. Distressing certain areas of the furniture by working off the paint results in an worn and vintage look. This can be done by hand or occur naturally over time.

The second photo shows a dresser whose original paint color was mustard yellow. We applied a layer of gray paint over it then lightly sanded off areas of gray with extra fine sandpaper to re-expose the yellow and create this “two color distress.”

Gilding

Gilding wax is a marvelous way to highlight details on furniture. Most commonly available in metallic colors, gilding wax can be used to accentuate ornamental carvings, moldings and other accents on your furniture.

On the black dresser to the left, a gold gilding wax was applied onto the recessed banding on the borders of the drawers. The gold ties in beautifully with the brass hardware and provides a nice contrast against the black paint.

The same gold gilding wax was used on the second dresser, painted a light blue. While this dresser has more ornate details, the gilding is more subtle since the gold contrasts less with the light blue than the black.

Stenciling

Stencils are a fun and unique way to spruce up furniture. Stenciling looks great over a freshly painted base color but can also be done to pieces with existing finishes, whether they are painted, stained or natural wood.

There are endless stencil patterns to choose from and technology allows virtually any image to be made into a stencil. Custom stencils can be made easily and affordably from a photo, drawing, logo or lettering you provide us. This is a great way to personalize furniture and make it truly one of a kind. Or, describe what you are looking for and we can provide you with stencil recommendations.

Staining

Stains typically come in natural wood colors but can also be found in other hues. Stain is semi-transparent and showcases the grain pattern in wood. Examples of traditional stain colors range from very light (pickled oak, white) to golden browns (honey, pecan), to reds (cherry, chestnut) and darks (walnut, ebony, black).

Stain must be applied to natural, untreated wood. To re-stain a piece of furniture with an existing finish, it needs to be completely stripped and cleaned. Unfortunately, some antique and modern pieces have veneers which complicate refinishing. A veneer is a very thin layer of wood which is boded to a cheaper surface below. Veneers might be used as a cost saving measure by applying a thin layer of higher quality wood over furniture that may have been made of a lower quality material.