PORTFOLIO

Do you have a classic heirloom or acquired antique? Single damaged piece to a full set? Moving damage, either personal or professional? Freight damage, maid damage, scratches, dents, rub marks, gouges, screw holes, water damage or candle burns? At Top Notch furniture, Justin can give that favorite piece of furniture new life again! Furniture repair and touch up is a cost effective alternative to replacing that expensive but slightly damaged, dinged, or dented piece of furniture, including kitchen cabinets, casework, doors, etc. Justin offers professional, high-quality furniture refinishing and repair that will make your wood furniture or antiques as beautiful as they once were.

Below are just a few examples of Justin’s work, showcasing a variety of the different finishes, techniques, and creative approaches he utilizes.

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COMPLETE SERVICES
Furniture structural repair &
stabilization
On-site repair & touch-up
In-home & office recoats &
refinishing
Professional touch-up
Color matching
Custom colors
Custom cabinet finishing

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Homeowners/ businesses
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This dresser shows the extremes of furniture refinishing. I was looking for a side project that I could refinish in my spare time and got more than I could bargain for. I purchased the dresser for $100 from an online classified ad, a price that seemed fair knowing that I was in for a lot of work. The overall project took nearly 100 hours, from the extreme structural repair to the high gloss hand polished finish. This is truly a one of a kind eye catching piece that always starts up a conversation. I would recommend this process for furniture in an entryway or less trafficked areas.

Another steal on Craig’s list at $30 dollars. This is a solid maple dresser built right at the turn of the century. Like all refinishing projects I first start with the structural repair, this dresser could barely stand on its own. There were severe water spots and some burn damage on the top, but knowing that it was solid maple I knew I could you would never know be able to tell. After seeing how the grain of the wood really popped out after being sanded I chose to only use clear dye colors in this finishing process. I wanted the finish to be as clear as possible but with the depth of a high end piece of furniture.

I found these barstools on the same online classifieds as many of my other projects. To the regular eye they appeared to be basic maple barstools with a muted peach finish, but the style looked familiar to me and I thought I might have something to work with. I knew right away that I wanted to have the center back panel contrast the rest of the chair. I chose to go dark with these chairs because the new seat material was dark as well. I chose a severely distressed finish because of the laminated pieces of maple parts, looking at the chair now even the keenest eye would have trouble knowing the difference. All distressing was done by hand including dings and dents, simulated worm holes, chiseled cracks and rasped edges, flyspecking and whip marks completed the process. I was very pleased with the overall result, a finish that looks as old and worn as the Pine armoire on here but with the durability and strength of a finish that will outlast anything on the market today.

A project refinished for a customer that shows that items don’t have to be completely transformed into something else. The customer wanted his dresser he had since he was a child to be refinished away from the orange maple look and was very pleased with the finished blonde color when completed. Maple can be a very splotchy wood when stained so pre-sealing the wood kept the color more uniform. The hardware was polished to add slightly more change to the dresser.

This is a table that my grandfather made well before I was born. As seen in the before pictures, the top was severely water damaged. The second picture shows how the correct technique can remove water damage even on veneered tops. The table received a complete transformation from its original finish to the rich dark distressed look I chose to give it.

First off, I could kill myself for not taking before pictures of this piece. The original finish was a cross between dark brown, green and mud. Like a lot of furniture. this piece was made of solid hardwoods laminated together. The object of the previous finish was no doubt to mask the laminated woods and to create an even production finish. After stripping the finish I saw a beautiful cherry wood that was begging to be brought out and accentuated. After sanding the wood I chose to start the finishing process with a medium walnut colored Danish oil rub, which brought out wonderful depth and sparkle to the natural cherry. After letting the finish dry for several days I then followed my regular finishing steps. I chose to add contrast to the desk by finishing the crown, feet, and some trim and edges in black, as these were secondary pieces of wood not made of cherry . The last thing that stands out from this piece is the fact that the top was separated from the base and a new bottom on the top section was constructed. The desk can be separated as in the picture with items displayed on top of the desk to create a truly unique effect. Overall this was a very creative conversation piece that was a bargain for only $50.

This client’s fireplace was a dated, 80s looking oak that had grown dull. They wanted a richer, dark cherry stain to tie in with their antique dining table. I matched the table’s finish, and used multiple layers of stain to bring a depth and brilliance to the mantle. The client was thrilled with the result and said many of their guests thought they’d actually installed a new mantle.

Another project that unfortunately I don’t have any before pictures of to show the transformation. This very old armoire was removed as a permanent closet in a bathroom at a very old house. Like a lot of very old furniture, the piece had been waxed many times over the years; this is a very classic look and really shows its age. I chose to continue this process by first very lightly cleaning the armoire and then slowly building up the finish by hand waxing until I created what I felt was a uniform appearance. There was a good amount of repair to make the wardrobe structurally sound. It breaks down into several pieces and is only held together by hooks on the top and bottom, but was definitely worth the initial $50 investment.

This project was another in which the clients had a house that was dated by dull, yellowish oak cabinets. In this case, the lackluster finish had also suffered water stains and gouges. Careful sanding, repair and refinishing made the cabinets look like new. The clients said if they’d known what an extreme transformation could be achieved with refinishing they would never have painted the kichen cabinets white. Their realtor said this update actually improved the value and desirability of their home.

This is the project I feel most people can relate with– a dresser I had for over 10 years and never paid much attention to other than as a place to store junk. It wasn’t until I needed a new project to occupy my spare time with that I knew what a treasure I had. The credenza is made of solid and veneered walnut; its dark finish helped to mask the transition of the two. I knew I didn’t want to finish credenza in the same dark color but knew I could have some work ahead of me. With some personal projects I don’t have my mind made up as to the actual end result; I sometimes let the wood show me what direction it wants to go. After the previous finish was removed I realized what the dark stain and finish had been hiding for so long– scratches, dents, and holes I didn’t know existed. This is similar with painted finishes, where you never know what treasure you will uncover. I thought that with all of the filling and touch up I was going to have to do that it would really help to slowly build the overall finish color by shading and hand glazing color in light steps. I used all the knowledge I have learned over the years in finishing this piece. I believe the overall finished appearance to be my proudest work. I imagine everyone else out there has a similar piece or two that is just waiting to be uncovered.

This customer showed me a picture from a magazine of a cabinet that had the look and style she loved, and wanted to know if I could replicate the look by refinishing her old, dated china cabinet. She wanted to match the china cabinet to the armchairs of the dining set she was purchasing, which were black with gold trim. The customer also inquired about having mirrors installed to the back panel for a completely new look. She was more than happy with the finished product and exclaimed that she never thought it would look so good. She said that she inherited the cabinet 30 years ago and was pleased to be able to keep it and have it match her new décor. The customer felt that the finish on this china cabinet was much richer and deeper compared to pieces costing three times as much.

This client asked if there was anything I could do about a rocking chair she had that had been chewed up by a dog. I told her that I could try to make it look better. Because none of the damage affected the structure of the chair I was able to use a hard filler to get the shape back, then proceed to touch up the repaired areas with background color, wood grain with distressing and finally matching finish.