Author: Phil

  • Two-Color Lacquer Finish: A French Buffet and Hutch in Two Greens

    Two-Color Lacquer Finish: A French Buffet and Hutch in Two Greens

    Most painted furniture is one color all over. This French buffet and hutch got two: one custom lacquer color on the outside, and a second, lighter one waiting inside when you open the doors.

    Before: The Original Wood Finish

    French buffet and hutch before lacquer refinishing, in the original warm wood finish
    Before, in my workshop: the hutch and the base in their original wood finish.

    The piece came to me in its original warm wood finish, with glass doors on the hutch and panel doors on the base. It was well made and full of character, with diamond keyholes and sawtooth shelf supports, and my client wanted to keep all of that while giving it a completely new look.

    Two Custom Lacquer Colors

    French buffet during lacquer refinishing, door open showing the lighter interior and sawtooth shelf supports
    In process in my workshop, with a door open to show the inside and the sawtooth shelf supports.

    The outside is Benjamin Moore Rosemary Sprig. The inside, including the shelves and the original sawtooth shelf supports, is Silken Pine. Each started as a color chip, which I had converted to a lacquer-based paint, so the finish is far tougher than ordinary paint and will stand up to daily use. I chose a satin sheen, which is not so formal and suits a piece like this.

    Painting the inside a different color takes more time, but it changes the whole piece. Behind glass doors, the lighter interior sets off whatever is displayed on the shelves.

    What I Kept

    The original diamond keyholes stayed, and so did the distressing. Those details are part of the history of the piece, and a new color should not erase them.

    After: Two Greens, One Buffet and Hutch

    French buffet and hutch after refinishing in Rosemary Sprig satin lacquer, original diamond keyholes kept
    Finished: Rosemary Sprig on the outside, with the original diamond keyholes kept.
    French buffet with a door open showing the lighter Silken Pine lacquer interior and sawtooth shelf supports
    Open a door and the second color is waiting inside: Silken Pine, shelf supports and all.

    Thinking About a Two-Color Finish?

    Any color can be converted to lacquer, in matte, satin or high gloss. You can read more on my custom painting and lacquer finishes page. If you have a piece in mind, send me a photo for a free estimate through the contact page, or call (469) 371-1468.

  • Roman Gilding / Powder Gilding in Dallas: From Flat Silver Paint to Gold with Depth

    Roman Gilding / Powder Gilding in Dallas: From Flat Silver Paint to Gold with Depth

    Very few finishers still offer Roman gilding, also known as English powder gilding. It is a technique from Victorian England, and I learned it early in my training, when I was making traditional frames. It gives a soft, deep gold that paint simply cannot imitate, and it is one of the rarest services I offer here in Dallas.

    This carved mirror and the demilune cabinet beneath it are a good example of what it can do.

    Before: Flat Silver Paint

    Before Roman gilding: carved mirror frame and demilune cabinet with flat silver painted details
    Before, at the client’s home: the carved details in flat silver paint.

    When I first saw the pieces at my client’s home, the carved details had been picked out in silver paint. It was flat and dull, sitting on the surface with no life in it. The carving was lovely, but the finish was hiding it rather than showing it off.

    The Brief: Match the Client’s Gold Sample

    Client’s gold control sample beside the Roman gilding colour match
    The sample match: my client’s gold sample and my match to it.

    My client wanted gold instead of silver, and she wanted it to look properly gilded, with real depth. She supplied a gold sample as the control, and my job was to match it as closely as I could. Matching a gold is not like matching a paint colour. The tone, the warmth and the way it catches the light all have to agree with the sample.

    The Work: Roman Gilding

    For this job I mixed the gold powder with a few binders and matched it to my client’s sample. Getting that match right comes first, because everything that follows depends on it.

    Roman gilding in process on a demilune cabinet, with gold replacing the old silver paint on the carved details
    In process in my workshop: gold on the left, the old silver paint still showing on the right.

    Powder gilding suits carved detail especially well. It follows every curve and hollow of the carving, so the high points catch the light and the recesses stay rich and warm. That is where the depth comes from.

    After: Gold with Depth

    Demilune cabinet after Roman gilding, carved details finished in antiqued gold with no shine
    Finished: every carved detail in antiqued gold, with no shine.
    Carved mirror frame after Roman gilding, finished in gold to match the demilune cabinet
    The matching mirror, its carved frame in the same gold.

    My client wanted the gold antiqued with no shine, so I mixed one of my specialty glazes for the final look. The details now read as gilded work, not painted work, and they sit closely alongside the sample my client gave me. The mirror and cabinet look like they were always meant to be finished this way.

    Have a Piece That Needs Gilding?

    Roman gilding is a rare skill, and numerous shades of gold can be achieved with it. I am glad to offer it alongside my gold and silver leafing. You can see more on my gilding projects page, and read about everything I offer on my gilding services page. If you have a mirror, frame or carved piece in mind, send me a photo for a free estimate through the contact page, or call (469) 371-1468.

  • Gold Leaf-Trimmed Dresser Gets a Comfort Grey Lacquer Refresh

    This four-drawer dresser came in wearing a bold hunter-green lacquer, trimmed in gold leaf and set on brass Greek-key feet — a striking look, but it needed to blend with a freshly redecorated space. The client wanted a softer, more versatile neutral, on one condition: every bit of that gold leaf detailing had to stay exactly as it was. We masked off the trim, the feet, and the hardware, then resprayed the case in a soft Comfort Grey satin lacquer.

    The Piece

    A four-drawer dresser trimmed in gold leaf along every edge and finished with brass Greek-key feet, the detail that makes the piece. Bamboo-and-brass bar pulls run across each drawer front.

    Why Comfort Grey

    Comfort Grey is a soft, warm neutral — pale enough to read as a quiet backdrop rather than a statement color, but with enough depth that it doesn’t wash out next to the gold leaf trim. Where the green pushed the piece toward a bold, of-the-moment look, the grey lets the gold leaf banding and Greek-key feet do the talking instead.

    Keeping Every Gold Leaf Detail

    The gold leaf trim, the Greek-key feet, and the hardware were all original to the piece and in good condition, so nothing was replaced. We carefully masked every strip of gold leaf trim and each foot before spraying, then pulled the tape once the lacquer had fully cured — same gilding, same brass feet, just a new color surrounding it.

    After: the same dresser finished in a soft Comfort Grey lacquer, with its gold leaf trim and brass Greek-key feet preserved.

    Same Piece, New Color

    Nothing about the dresser’s construction changed — same gallery-back silhouette, same gold leaf trim throughout. The transformation is entirely in the lacquer color: hunter green traded for a quiet, versatile grey.

    Not Just Comfort Grey

    Comfort Grey was right for this piece, but it’s one option among many. Lacquer takes color and sheen exceptionally well — gloss, satin, or matte, in virtually any shade — so we can match a piece to your room, your palette, or a finish you already have in mind. If it’s got detailing worth keeping, like gold leaf or brass trim, we build the color around it. We can also add gilding in gold or silver leaf, a detail most refinishers don’t offer, for pieces that call for something extra.

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a chest, dresser, or other case piece that needs a fresh finish? Send a few photos using the form below and we will tell you exactly what it needs, what we would do, and what it would cost. Estimates are free, and pickup and delivery are available across the Dallas area.


    Prefer to talk it through? Call (469) 371-1468 or email Phil@TheEnglishRefinisher.com.

    The English Refinisher – fine wood and furniture refinishing, by hand in Dallas, Texas. Serving Dallas, Wylie, and surrounding communities by appointment.

  • German Oak Dining Table: Refinished with Hand-Mixed Gold Ochre

    A German-made oak dining table came into the shop wearing its original finish, worn and uneven after decades of use. The first stage of bringing it back was stripping the top all the way down to bare wood, ready for a fresh finish.

    German oak dining table before restoration, with its original worn gold ochre finish

    Before: the table as it arrived, in its original worn finish.

    Stripping a finish like this properly means carefully stripping and hand sanding the wood to make sure every trace of the old finish is removed, leaving a clean, even surface. It is a slower, more careful process by hand than it looks, but it is what preps the wood for a consistent staining process next.

    The German oak table top sanded back to bare wood, with sanding blocks resting on the surface

    Midway through: the top sanded back to bare oak, ahead of a final pre-sanding pass prior to staining.

    After: the same table, refinished with a hand-mixed gold ochre pigment, in keeping with how a piece like this would originally have been finished.

    Gold ochre is one of the oldest pigments used in wood finishing, and getting a historically accurate version of it means mixing the pigment by hand rather than reaching for a modern equivalent off a shelf. It is worth knowing what a piece originally wore before deciding what it should wear next.

    A German-made oak dining table like this one is exactly the kind of piece worth this kind of care — solid, well-built, and worth doing properly rather than rushing to the next step.

  • Cherry Chest of Drawers Gets a Hale Navy Lacquer Refresh

    Cherry Chest of Drawers Gets a Hale Navy Lacquer Refresh

    This tall cherry chest of drawers came in with a warm, traditional finish and a mismatched set of vintage pulls — the kind of piece built to last, but overdue for a change. The client chose a glossy Hale Navy lacquer, a color that shifts between deep blue and soft gray depending on the light in the room, and we took the chest down to bare wood to spray it.

    The Piece

    A classic six-drawer tall chest: two short drawers across the top and four full-width drawers below, set on tapered bracket feet. The original cherry-toned finish was still in good shape, but the hardware told the story of a piece that had been added to over the years — lion-head pulls on some drawers, floral rosette knobs on others, and a pair of plain knobs on the bottom. No two rows quite matched.

    Tall cherry-finished chest of drawers with mismatched vintage pulls before refinishing
    Before: the chest in its original cherry-toned finish with mismatched vintage hardware.

    Why Hale Navy

    The client picked Hale Navy for its range — it isn’t a flat, one-note color. Under warm lamp light it reads almost black-blue; in daylight it opens up into a soft blue-gray. That shift is what makes it work on a traditional case piece like this one: it reads as a deep, versatile neutral rather than a bold accent color, so the chest can sit comfortably in a lot of different rooms.

    A Gilded Bridge to New Hardware

    The client has new pulls on order, but rather than leave the chest looking unfinished while they’re in transit, we gilded the existing hardware — the same lion-head and floral rosette pulls, brought up to a bright brass finish so they read as intentional against the new color instead of leftover. It’s a placeholder that still looks complete, and the pulls will be swapped for the new set as soon as it arrives.

    Chest of drawers refinished in a glossy Hale Navy lacquer with gilded brass hardware
    After: the same chest finished in a high-gloss Hale Navy lacquer, with the original pulls gilded in brass as a bridge to new hardware.

    Same Piece, New Finish

    Nothing about the chest’s proportions or joinery changed — same tall six-drawer silhouette, same tapered feet. The transformation here is a lacquer-grade sprayed color and gilded hardware, not a rebuild, with new pulls still to come.

    Is Hale Navy Right for Your Piece?

    Hale Navy works especially well on traditional case pieces with some age to them — dressers, chests, and tallboys where the goal is a deep, versatile color rather than a stark white or another coat of brown stain. See our custom painting & lacquer services or send us a photo of your piece for a free color consultation.

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a chest, dresser, or other case piece that needs a fresh finish? Send a few photos using the form below and we will tell you exactly what it needs, what we would do, and what it would cost. Estimates are free, and pickup and delivery are available across the Dallas area.


    Prefer to talk it through? Call (469) 371-1468 or email Phil@TheEnglishRefinisher.com.

    The English Refinisher – fine wood and furniture refinishing, by hand in Dallas, Texas. Serving Dallas, Wylie, and surrounding communities by appointment.

  • Onsite water damaged ceiling in wine cabinet

    Before

    A water stain had crept across one of the oak panels in the ceiling of the client’s wine storage, right beside the ceiling vent. The mark was unmistakable: a soft-edged, rust-brown blotch where moisture had tracked down from the attic space above, staining the wood as it seeped through. It was a good reminder that even a small, slow leak can leave a visible mark on finished surfaces well before you’d notice it anywhere else.

    Water stain on oak ceiling panel above wine storage vent, caused by an attic leak, before repair

    After

    With the leak source addressed, it was time to bring the panel back to life. The stained section was treated and refinished to match the surrounding oak, and once the plastic sheeting came down, you’d never know anything had happened. The wood grain reads clean and even again, the brass pegs are back in their neat grid, and the vent blends right back into the paneling. All done onsite, with no need to remove or replace the panel, this repair fully restored the space with minimal disruption to the client.

    Refinished oak ceiling panel above wine storage vent with brass bottle pegs, after water stain repair

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a piece with water or finish damage that needs attention? Send a few photos using the form below and we will tell you exactly what it needs, what we would do, and what it would cost. Estimates are free, and pickup and delivery are available across the Dallas area.


    Prefer to talk it through? Call (469) 371-1468 or email Phil@TheEnglishRefinisher.com.

    The English Refinisher – fine wood and furniture refinishing, by hand in Dallas, Texas. Serving Dallas, Wylie, and surrounding communities by appointment.

  • Mahogany Parquet Table Restoration | Dallas Furniture Refinishing

    Mahogany Parquet Table Restoration | Dallas Furniture Refinishing

    strip/refinish before and after photos

    This mahogany parquet table top underwent quite a transformation. In the before photo, the top had been fully stripped down to bare, pale wood, revealing the diamond parquet pattern in a raw, blonde state with visible seams between the individual wood blocks. After staining and finishing, the same top took on a deep, rich mahogany-brown tone with a glossy sheen, which really brought out the contrast and detail in the parquet pattern. The result is a striking, richly finished tabletop ready to be paired with a base for the final piece.

    Before: Bare Wood Parquet Top

    Bare, stripped mahogany parquet table top with diamond pattern in workshop before refinishing

    After: Rich Mahogany Finish

    Finished mahogany parquet table top with rich, glossy stained diamond pattern after refinishing

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a table top that needs attention? Send a few photos using the form below and we will tell you exactly what it needs, what we would do, and what it would cost. Estimates are free, and pickup and delivery are available across the Dallas area.


    Prefer to talk it through? Call (469) 371-1468 or email Phil@TheEnglishRefinisher.com.

    The English Refinisher – fine wood and furniture refinishing, by hand in Dallas, Texas. Serving Dallas, Wylie, and surrounding communities by appointment.