Adding a golden oak stain to a book matched crotch mahogany veneer can yield some striking results as shown here with this beautiful Federal style chest-on-chest dresser. Note the corner detail and the contour of the drawer fronts.
This side-by-side secretary with lion heads on each bracket and curved glass for the bookcase was done in a rich cherry tone to match the furniture in the client's home. Along the way we made several structural repairs.
This vanity displays a crotch mahogany veneer pattern that continues from drawer to drawer, fretwork across the center section, and beautiful leaf mould on the corners. It is a part of a set that includes the chest-on-chest in the first picture of this gallery.
We did some structural repairs and refinished this small Renaissance revival table with spiral turned columns and a carved drawer front. It now resides high in the firmament in a Philadelphia penthouse apartment overlooking the city.
This pine interior door came out from under several coats of white paint to reveal a more natural look.
A blonde mahogany executive desk features removable shelf units on each end and a great number of brass drawer pulls, 28 in all, some useful and others merely decorative.
This steamer trunk looked pretty awful when we brought it into the shop. The work entailed stripping the old canvas covering to reveal the wood beneath, applying paint to the metal bands and a clear finish to the wood background, and installing new leather handles.
Left out in the rain for years and falling apart, what most people might have assumed to be trash, this china cabinet with hints of Chippendale, William & Mary, and the Renaissance, gives added significance to the term Revival. Carvings and sections of the structure had been missing, veneers had buckled, old hide glue was no longer doing its job. In short, it was a disaster. We dug right in and produced a beautiful, stately focal point to our client's dining room.
This small oak drop-front writing desk shows what can be achieved with a heavily pigmented satin finish. In this case we were able to cover up some imperfections as well as even out some inconsistencies in the old wood tones.
A quartersawn oak secretary had been shipped to the homeowner in a wooden crate emblazoned with the words "Fragile. Do not drop." Of course, it was dropped, hard enough to smash it into pieces. Our job was to make it whole again, change the color and refinish it to highlight the quartersawn wood surface.
We stripped several coats of white paint, fabricated some missing parts, and took extra care to highlight the contrasting wood tones of this very unusual cabinet. It is a textbook example of how the mixing of veneers and wood tones can create interest.
Half moon hall tables are ubiquitous, but a little added decoration sets this one apart from others. We painted gold stripes onto a dark mahogany background to make this not just another occasional table. The striping, some of it not shown here, graces the top, the apron, and sections of the legs.
This kidney-shaped mahogany desk, given a hand-rubbed finish, exudes a quiet elegance. Hand rubbing is done using ultra-fine abrasives to give a smooth glass-like appearance suitable for formal settings.
A catalyzed lacquer in a custom ivory tone graces this elegant French Provincial style dresser with mirror. Note the gold painted margins and accent lines throughout.
We caned the seat of this rocker and replaced the rattan weaving on the back, bending the rattan on a jig to maintain the chain link pattern.
This Windsor chair needed much regluing, and we replaced a broken spindle on the back. Then a color matched stain and a new finish was applied.
An interesting walnut rocker with ornate detail. We see a lot of Windsor style rocking chairs in this business, but this one in particular with its old world styling grabbed our attention.
Our services came in handy for a client restoring an antique Mercedes. The refinishing of this vintage wood dashboard was outsourced to us, freeing him to concentrate on more mechanical matters.
Restoration enhanced the look of a flaming mahogany veneer on this splendid sloping headboard and footboard.
A salvaged fireplace mantel exhibiting quartersawn oak columns underwent restoration to become the focal point of a client's living room.
A quarter-inch wide split through sides and top nearly separated this dresser into two halves. A judicious repair made it whole again.
Architectural elements such as this oak staircase from a period home look striking when stripped and refinished.
