Tag: furniture refinishing

  • 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.

  • Mid-Century Credenza Restoration: Bare Wood to Rich Walnut

    Mid-Century Credenza Restoration: Bare Wood to Rich Walnut

    This mid-century three-door credenza came to us stripped down to bare wood, left with an uneven, blotchy base coat — a common in-progress stage before the final color is built up.

    The Piece

    A classic mid-century case piece: three cabinet doors, tapered legs, and long brass pulls running the full height of each door — the kind of silhouette that anchors a dining room or entryway.

    Before & After

    We took the credenza back to raw wood, then built up an even, rich walnut-toned finish across all three doors and the case, replacing the blotchy base coat with a warm, consistent color that highlights the grain. The original brass hardware was cleaned and reinstalled to finish the piece.

    Considering a Credenza Refinish?

    Mid-century case pieces like this one are some of our most requested restorations — see our mid-century refinishing services or send us a photo of your piece for a free estimate.

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a mid-century piece 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.

  • Restoring a Small Antique: Coffee Grinder Box

    Restoring a Small Antique: Coffee Grinder Box

    Not every restoration is a large piece of furniture. This antique coffee grinder box is a good example of why small heirlooms deserve the same careful treatment as a full-size dresser or credenza.

    The Piece

    A compact antique coffee grinder case, complete with its original hardware — the kind of small object that tends to get overlooked, tucked in a closet because it seems too minor to bother restoring, or too fragile to use as-is.

    Why Small Pieces Still Need Expert Care

    Small antiques often have thinner wood, more delicate joinery, and more original hardware per square inch than large furniture — meaning less room for error. A heavy-handed sanding pass or generic refinish can erase detail on a small piece far faster than on a dresser or table.

    Before & After

    The finished piece brings back a warm, even wood tone and working hardware, while preserving the box’s original proportions and joinery. It’s now a display-worthy piece rather than a box in storage.

    Small Heirlooms Are Worth Restoring Too

    Boxes, grinders, small trunks, and other compact antiques are often the most affordable restorations we do, and they make excellent gifts or shelf pieces once finished. See our antique restoration services or send us a photo of your piece for a free estimate.

    Send Us a Photo for a Free Estimate

    Have a small antique 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.