Refinishing & Restoration

We know our stuff!

We can refinish or restore anything from contemporary furniture to antiques, stand-alone cabinets to full kitchens. Kitchens usually require a great deal more work, depending on the kitchen size and applied finishes, but they get every ounce of attention we’d pay to your prized heirloom.

The process of properly restoring a piece of furniture and cabinetry is an art in and of itself. It’s labour intense and requires skill, experience, meticulous attention to detail, and no small amount of patience, but it can be well worth it.

Different pieces each have their own unique requirements, and the work needed can vary greatly. Consider the differences between properly restoring an antique gramophone to a rolltop desk, then further compare these to the requirements for refinishing a rocking chair or kitchen cabinets. Knowledge of different woods, finishes, construction technique, material composition, age, and much more, all come into play, and they can all change greatly between seemingly similar items.

Some want to get a piece of furniture refinished, because they want to change its aesthetics: colour, finish, style. As we grow, so too do our tastes. What’s old can become new again, and what we love can evolve with us. Some want pieces restored for sentimental reasons. Some simply don’t like the appearance of old and worn furniture but still like the rustic look. Others, still, desire to return a piece to its original glory, back to when it was first purchased or crafted. We can do all that and more.

But, there are times when restoring or refinishing may not be the right path. Some people refuse to get a piece restored out of concern for it losing value. This can be uniquely valid for antiques and rare items. The right piece in good condition, especially with its original finish, has the potential to command a high value on the antique market. But, if the same piece is in rough shape and needs repairs, the value is already diminishing. Here, restoration becomes the best avenue to reestablish its durability, beauty, and value.

Wood is organic. The finishes used, and the techniques used to apply them, don’t simply provide an extra dimension of beauty. They also protect and preserve your piece. If your furniture is becoming gummy, usually caused by using harsh cleaning products or polishes, it’s telling you that it’s time for a new finish. Is your furniture’s finish flaking? Then, its detracting from the piece’s beauty rather than enhancing it, and it is no longer protecting the wood as it should.

Some finishes break down with age, and climate can accelerate the process. Over time, wear can either lend a certain aesthetic to a piece or cause it to structurally fail. Water can ravage a piece, and harsh cleaning products and polishes can do more damage than good.

There’s a reason why your family heirloom has been around for so many years. The construction of older furniture and the different species of woods used was much better quality than what is often on the market today. In days past, they didn’t use manufactured woods. Wood was meticulously selected, craftsmen used solid cores, and when veneers were applied, they were high-grade. Pride and craftmanship ruled over volume and cost. You didn’t see MDF, particle board, and paper veneers like you do today.

We pride ourselves in enhancing or restoring each and every piece entrusted to us with the same level of love and attention to detail as the artisan who originally crafted your piece. If a piece is near and dear to your heart, and you want to keep it around for another 100 years, trust the Furniture Doctor’s expertise and decades of direct, hands-on experience to refinish or restore your piece or kitchen to its fullest potential.

Considerations when researching refinishing & restoration:

Can I get a piece of furniture stripped only and refinish my own?

Yes.  You can get your furniture stripped only or stripped and sanded only.  If you need any advice in the rest of the work , we’ll be happy to answer all your questions.