Wooden Accents - Wood Restoration, Furniture Restoration and Repair in Colorado Springs, CO

Wood Furniture & Sculpture Refinishing & Restoration Services

If you have a wooden piece of furniture, sculpture or any wooden decorative item that is broken, shuttered or missing an element, you came to the right place. I love wood restoration and will tackle a small as well as a big job. I can provide a complete breakdown restoration and refinishing. I can restore finishes, carvings, structure and replace any missing or broken component.

Because of logistic reasons I can offer restoration of wooden furniture and any bigger wooden pieces in 60 mile radius off Colorado Springs, CO. So if you live in Colorado Springs, Denver, Parker, Woodland Park, Peyton, Pueblo, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Franktown, Elizabeth, Palmer Lake, Manitou Springs, Cascade, Fountain, Pueblo and any other town in between call me and we will arrange a pick up.
Smaller pieces could be shipped directly to my shop in Colorado Springs.

this oak dining table and chairs got a new look with a bold cherry and walnut distressed finish

broken pieces of this antique sculpture bought by my client's grandma in Denpasar, Bali in 1939 has been put together, the sculpture has been cleaned and restained

need an existing Victorian porch bracket recreated or restored? We can do it.

broken finials repaired at historic mansion in Colorado Springs, CO

knight's missing hand recreated

antique desk repaired and refinished, carved appliques restored

Cabinets refinishing, painting, glazing or distressing

Dear guest don't forget to grab my 10% discount coupon for all types of wood carving
and furniture repair projects! Valid in Colorado Springs, Monument, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Denver, Black Forest, Falcon, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, also military discounts, senior discount.

Call to schedule a FREE on site estimate!

719-432-9547

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custom wood carving, wooden furniture onlays, wooden jewelry, woodwork in Colorado Springs, wood carving in Colorado Springs, wood sculptures, wood carved door panels, woodworkers in Colorado, artist in Colorado, Polish artist in Colorado Springs. Wooden furniture, furniture restoration and repair in Colorado Springs, handmade wooden cabinet handles, wooden knobs, hand carved wooden corbels in Colorado Springs, hand carved wooden newel posts and balusters in Colorado. Decorative wall panels hand carved in Colorado Springs by Polish artist Darek Sokol. Wooden decorations handmade in Colorado Springs, wood and natural wall decor, wooden furniture refinishing in Colorado Springs, wooden sculpture repair in Colorado Springs. Wooden Accents offers furniture repair, refinishing, restoration, and reproductions of modern and antique styles. Fine custom furniture and cabinetry, fireplace mantels, doors, and architectural detailing. Hand carved wood signs for business and residential. Exceptional custom hand carved religious and secular wood sculpture and expert custom hand carving. Traditional hand woodcarver specializing in restoration and custom wood carving in Colorado Springs. Wooden Accents offers custom wood carving, wooden furniture onlays, wooden sculptures, wood carved door panels, wooden corbels and fireplace mantels, woodwork in Colorado Springs, wood carving in Colorado Springs, wooden finials, wooden newel posts and balusters. I specialize in Hand carved architectural Wood Carvings such as Corbels, Rosettes, Fireplace Surrounds, Millwork, mouldings, Appliques, Carved Column Capitals and Pilasters, Stair Parts, Urns, Door Panel, Carved Pillars, Carved Table Legs, Decorative Wood Ornaments and various other furniture components for cabinets and interior house furniture. Wooden Accents wood sculptures and hand-carved architectural embellishments are created in a studio located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We hand carve incredibly detailed wood carvings which are incorporated into doors, fireplace mantels, wall panels, bar backs, carved corbels, and all types of furniture. We are primarily known for wood carved into detailed wildlife scenes. However, our gallery of carved wooden designs is incredibly diverse. We have designs that replicate antique wood furniture and many horse and cowboy themed designs. Signs that appear individually hand-crafted communicate to your customers that you are a one-of-a-kind business that sets high standards for itself. The personal touch and vintage feel suggested by a carved storefront sign provides an inviting sense of familiarity that draws customers in and makes them feel more at ease. Wooden Accents is the leading provider of carved signs in Colorado and we'd love an opportunity to show you the quality of our craft. Hand carved signs for business, community, and residential properties give your signage a classic appeal. Sand-carved wood signs in Colorado Springs, CO. We also offer high quality hand painted signage in Colorado Springs. TROPHY CARVINGS Darek can work from photos or just measurements to create a lifelike replica of your trophy catch. Rustic carved $15 per inch, Finished carved $20 per inch. $250 minimum order. FISH CARVINGS By combining traditional techniques with modern materials, these oversized carvings can be displayed indoors or outdoors. Available one or two sided in sizes from 2 to 8 feet. WOOD SIGNS Darek will work directly with you to create a unique sign for your home, business, or cottage. All designs quoted on request. Why are mantel shelves so popular? Fireplaces are an instant focal point in any room, and one thing that really draws attention is the mantel. With the modern, open-concept designs that so many people are leaning toward these days, full-sized mantels have a bit of competition when it comes to the stylish mantel shelf! These versatile pieces are available in a variety of sizes, carvings, and finishes. From clean and simple lines to more ornate and intricate patterns, we have a shelf to suite every home decor. Mantel shelves are easily mounted to the wall and appear to be "floating" above the hearth. This magical charm is one of the many reasons that our customers are choosing this technique to adorn a newly installed fireplace insert or give an existing feature a facelift. We have also found that many people use mantel shelves as freestanding wall displays for artwork and antiques, while others have paired them with a set of decorative corbels and fashioned unique headboards for their bedrooms! Additionally, fireplace mantel shelves make a terrific heat shield for those who prefer to mount their flat screen TVs over the hearth. You can see now why these versatile home decor pieces are trending! Can I customize my wood mantel shelf? Yes! Wooden Accents has an assortment of wood mantel shelf styles available, with or without decorative molding. They are crafted from quality materials with a patented U-Core design to prevent warping and cupping. We do offer a selection of our own specialty blend finishes for your mantel shelf, but should you choose to paint or stain this piece on your own, that is definitely an option. (We can also take care of priming your shelf for a nominal fee, which means less work for you!) What particular style of wood mantel shelf is trending right now? Honestly, the mantel shelves that you see on Wooden Accents are a collection of today's most popular styles. Which design you choose really depends on your personal taste and home decor. Many people prefer the rustic look of rough cut lumber, in which case we have the simple and affordable Emerson Rustic mantel shelf. For those who prefer to make a bolder statement, we also have log style mantels that can be customized to your specifications! What do I need for installation of my mantel shelf? Other than a few basic items from your toolbox, nothing! We've included the instructions, mounting board, and all of the necessary hardware to make installation of your wood mantel shelf a snap! Hand carved architectural and ornamental elements Wildlife, plant and floral carvings, Fine furniture, Custom cabinets, Built-in furniture, Mantels, Sculpture, Portraits, Design and drawings, Carved entrances, Moldings, Corbels, Decor, Brackets, Columns, Blocks, Plinths & Rosettes, Columns, Capitals, Pilasters, Corbels & Brackets, Decorative Stackable Paneling - TG3D, Finials, Keystones, Moldings, Crowns & Frieze, Onlays, Scrollwork, Swags & Medallions, Panels & Partitions, Themed Collections, Window & Door Trim in Colorado. Range Hoods, Blocks and Onlays, Cabinetry and Doors, Carved Panels, Columns and Newel Posts, Corbels and Plinths, Reproduction and Restoration Carvings, Whimsey, Custom Quotes For a quote on a completely custom piece please email us with your best estimate on the quantity, dimensions and preferred wood type. Also include any available photos so that we may accurately estimate the design time required. We prefer multiple angles in good light (with no flash if possible) so that we can have as much visual information on the piece as possible. If you don't have photos a sketch and description will do. Please tell us if you are seeking a piece that is as exact as possible or work that is simply inspired by the original as this will affect design costs and what type of source material we require to create a 3-D computer model. Once the quote is approved we will confirm all the final details of quantity, dimension, wood type etc. When the 3-D model is complete we will send multiple views of the 3D model for your approval before we carve your custom piece. Reproduction Sourcing period reproduction carvings can be a challenge in your home restoration process. Wooden Accents is proud to offer a reproduction service for carved ornament. Whether you are looking to duplicate a mantle, add period trim to your new kitchen remodel, or replace a damaged exterior applique, Wooden Accents can create custom pieces for you. We can reproduce molding, door frames, corner blocks, appliques, mantels, stair case risers, corbels, newel posts and more in most any wood. Once an order is created our designers use the latest technology and an experienced eye for detail to create digital models based on your samples or photos to create your period woodwork. Even incomplete or damaged pieces can be reproduced or modified to create new components in the style of your existing ornament. As part of an order, we provide computer renderings for your approval prior to carving to ensure your satisfaction. custom carved wooden signs, made from pine and cedar. Home signs, cabin signs, cottage signs, business signs, company signs, bar signs, restaurant signs, farm signs, personalized signs, and basically any type of sign that is made from wood. Handmade wooden benches, custom made, and perfect for quaint settings. Handmade wooden jewelry boxes, Handmade wooden headboards & footboards, king size beds, queen size beds, Handmade wooden coffee tables, Handmade wooden picture frames. Custom house painting and decorating in Colorado Springs, professional color consultations, free painting estimates, house painting and repainting, professional prep work will make a difference, European Painter also offers quality house painting, deck and wood siding staining, decorative concrete staining and much more, professional painting, painter, painters, faux painters, faux painting, decorative painting, murals, stencils, marbling, faux marble, woodgraining, faux techniques, faux paint, European painter, European painters, Darek Sokol, Dariusz Sokol, Polish artists, Polish artist, Polish painter, Venetian Plaster, faux leather finish, fresco, textures, Sokol, painters in Colorado, painters in Colorado Springs, painting contractors in Colorado. Faux painting, Venetian Plasters, murals, furniture refinishing and decorating, marbling, faux granite and marble kitchen counter tops, Tuscany Murals by European Painter - Colorado Springs, Christian Murals by European Painter, Stencils by European Painter, Italian Murals by European Painter - Colorado Springs, kids rooms and furniture decorating by European Painter, Murals by European Painter - Colorado Springs, Faux Marble, Marbling, Marbleizing by European Painter - Colorado Springs, Ceiling Murals by European Painter, Kids Murals by European Painter, Signs and Stencils by European Painter, guide to decorative painting on the Internet, Decorative Painting Studio specializing in Italian Plaster, Antique Restorations, Trompe L'Oeil, Painting Restoration and more, it is my mission to foster and promote excellence in restoration and conservation with a historically faithful preservation approach. Our knowledgeable tradespeople, artisans, scholars, and business professionals are experienced in the use of traditional methods and materials. They advocate for the integrity of the original design intent, the preservation of architectural fabric, and the coordination and cooperation of trades within a framework of owner/architect/contractor collaboration; painting Denver, Wall Murals Denver, Faux Finishing Denver, Denver Murals, decorative artist offers hand painted wall murals and decorative wall paintings, canvas murals, hand painted furniture, The Pikes Peak Chapter of the Society of Decorative Painters, decorative artisan specializing in Faux finishing, European plaster and custom decorative painting, European Painter serves Colorado Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Denver, Longmont, Parker, Franktown, Larkspur, Pueblo, Manitou Springs, Cascade, Woodland Park, Divide, Black Forest, Fountain, Peyton, Falcon. Over 20 years of experience in decorative painting. Serving Denver metro area and Colorado Springs. Call me for a free painting estimate (719) 432-9547 today.. Need a place to hide your personal belongings while adding a rustic touch to your home? Look no further! Dimensions: Shelf: L: About 24 inches W: 9 inches H: 4 inches Hidden compartment shelf: L: 20 1/2 inches W: 7 1/4 inches This item was hand crafted using pine wood to create a sturdy and durable shelf that will last you for many years to come! Pine wood was hand cut, assembled, and stained using a beautiful dark walnut color to add character and depth to any wall. The shelf was also coated in polyurethane to add a smooth and long lasting finish. This shelf is perfect for adding a rustic feel to any blank wall as well as organizing and displaying items in any room of your home such as the kitchen, living or family room, or your bedroom. The possibilities are endless! This unique wood floating shelf is not only for displaying items on your wall, but it also has a hidden compartment to hide your treasured and important items! A hidden wood shelf was added to the wall bracket of this item to allow you to conceal important items in your home in a place no one will think to look. Small items such as passports, money, keys, credit cards, handgun, etc. fit perfectly in the compartment. This floating shelf is ready to hang. A wood bracket is included (as shown in above pictures) that you can drill into to the stud of your wall to ensure easy and sturdy installment of this shelf. The shelf then slides onto the wall bracket. Hardware and instructions included. ***Note- This item is what as known as a diversion safe. It hides your items out of sight, but there is no locking mechanism included on or with the shelf. This item does not replace a gun safe. Buyer accepts all responsibility when purchasing the shelf, and the buyer accepts all responsibility for what the buyer wishes to store in the shelf***** Custom sizing and stain colors available by messaging shop owner. Showcase your own style and bring your favorite rooms to life with a wide assortment of fireplace mantel designs from the Wooden Accents. Complete your contemporary or classic decor with an impressive fireplace mainstay or design a special piece with a particular theme. The Wooden Accents brings years of experienced workmanship into all unique fireplace mantels and gives you exquisite, handcrafted pieces at affordable prices. These extraordinary mantels make a grandiose statement and highlight storied beauty of historic homes. Choose from top-quality hardwoods including oak, cherry, poplar and maple and make your specifications for each mantel to create your very own unique furniture piece. All mantels are handmade in Colorado Springs, CO and in-house manufacturing processes keeps costs low so you enjoy exquisite, customized mantelpieces without undue expense. Browse our extensive online catalog or see the video gallery to visualize your unique fireplace mantel. Order online at your convenience and have your mantel shipped free anywhere in the continental U.S. Red Oak Wood Fireplace Mantels Red oak is one of the most commonly used hardwoods in furniture manufacturing. The fact that red oak was used to make wagon wheels and railroad ties is a testament to its remarkable durability. We offer a wide selection of red oak fireplace mantels featuring the distinctive reddish-brown hue and prominent wood grain patterns that so many homeowners find appealing. Poplar Wood Fireplace Mantels Poplar is a fairly soft wood that is also less expensive than many other wood types. While poplar in its natural state is light in color and often contains brown or green streaks, it can be easily painted to achieve the desired finish. Our selection of poplar fireplace mantels offers an unbeatable combination of stability, aesthetic appeal and affordability. Maple Wood Fireplace Mantels Maple wood can be hard or soft, although even the softer variety is one of the hardest woods found in nature. When it comes to furniture making, maple offers the benefit of being extremely easy to work with. Homeowners love our maple fireplace mantels for their superior strength and durability, along with the alluring fine, straight grain patterns that distinguishes maple from other wood types. Cherry Wood Fireplace Mantels Our cherry wood mantels are always in high demand! Cherry wood features a rich reddish-brown color that tends to darken as it ages, which provides an antique look and feel that other woods cannot achieve. Cherry is also easy to stain/finish, making it an extremely adaptable wood for use in furniture making. You can enjoy the beauty of a cherry wood mantel in your home for years to come. Furniture Restoration and Repair Services Wooden Accents is a full service furniture shop. We are one of the nation’s premier furniture restoration and repair companies; we also custom build and manufacture fine furniture. The simplest way to describe the services we provide is to say, 'at Wooden Accents no job is too big or too small because if it matters to you it matters to us.' Yes, the presumption is that simple. The woodworking services Wooden Accents provides range from tightening up the legs of a dining room chair to repairing a priceless 18th century piece of American history. Whatever your need the woodworking craftsmen and craftswomen at Wooden Accents are willing and able to deliver the finest result. Our master woodworking services fall into four primary categories: 1. Proper Wood Furniture Restoration Proper furniture restoration will preserve your fine furniture pieces for generations to come and ultimately help you avoid the substantial loss of original parts. While some would have you believe cleaning up and reestablishing an antique furniture piece or family heirloom piece of furniture is likely going to cause a severe loss in monetary value, the reality is almost every worn and destabilized piece of fine or antique furniture is enhanced in value by being lovingly restored by the experts at Wooden Accents. Even the piece you purchased at a rummage sale or found by the side of the road will greatly benefit from stopping at Wooden Accents before you bring it home. Worn, peeling or damaged finishes not only look unsightly, the failing wood finish leaves the piece susceptible to changes in temperature, humidity and spills of ANY kind. Once the elements have easy access to the wood; glues begin to fail and joints loosen, beautiful veneers begin to lift and break off, once flat table leaves begin to warp and twist, etc. Loose joints on a chair or table can lead to catastrophic failure and many times this results in a piece of otherwise fine furniture being hidden away so that it cannot be used in the common living spaces of a home where the piece belongs but it will continue to deteriorate just the same. The artisans and expert craftsmen at Wooden Accents are legendary for taking any piece of furniture that looked old and tired; with the beginnings of structural degradation and making it more solid than the day it was built, with a look so fine, owners fall in love with their cherished furniture piece all over again. 2. Wood Furniture Alterations Furniture Alterations are one of the more unexpected aspects of what the master craftsmen and women of Wooden Accents do. So many times an existing furniture piece is personally connected to a family. While people's needs and living space may change the beloved furniture piece remains the same. At Wooden Accents we love to see the wonder in people's eyes when they see their old twin-size bed frame become their new king-size bed frame and yet it still looks like it was always a part of their bedroom set. Making a smaller furniture piece larger often times seems like magic. It is equally impressive to take a furniture piece that is too tall or big for a living area and alter it to make the furniture piece ideally suited for its intended space with a result so precise even the most discriminating furniture expert can't be sure if the furniture piece has been altered. At Wooden Accents the answer is 'YES', we can rework your furniture to be exactly what you want and need. 3.Wood Furniture Reproduction Furniture Reproduction is a service Wooden Accents offers that leads to repeat furniture reproduction business in an interesting way. Many times a customer comes to us with a furniture piece that has a severely damaged door or drawer front or is missing altogether. Once they see the absolutely perfect match of the new door/drawer in every detail to the remaining original 'untouched' door or drawer front, the wheels start turning; 'We could use another dresser,' and so it begins. Wooden Accents master craftsmen and master craftswomen can build an exact replica of the original dresser in every detail including wood, antique woodworking construction techniques like handmade dovetail joinery, even hand cut nails and screws! The reproduction furniture piece is an exact match EXCEPT that it is built to the exact specifications required by the proud owner. Maybe you need one more end table to fill out a living room or den, maybe you need eight antique dining room chairs and you only have six. Yes, that is right Wooden Accents will make exact replicas of antique or heirloom dining set chairs. In fact all Wooden Accents reproductions are so precise in every detail we feel ethically bound to literally brand our duplicated furniture as reproductions so they cannot be passed off by someone of any description that is unscrupulously selling those reproductions as original antiques. Do you want another piece of furniture just like the one you currently have? At Wooden Accents we can't wait to amaze you with every detail of your fine furniture reproduction. 4. Wood Furniture Repair Furniture Repair is a big part of the furniture industry. Any furniture, including antiques or family heirlooms can suffer instant damage at the muzzle of a playful puppy or degradation over a long period of time due to fluctuations in temperature and/or humidity. The uncontrolled expansion and contraction of your wood furniture can leave table veneers and furniture joints susceptible to destabilization, water spills, and even insect damage. Some of the most breathtaking work we do at Wooden Accents is rebuilding fire or water damaged furniture pieces. Often times a customer has a furniture piece with complex exotic wood inlay work de-laminating from a table top or drawer front that seems hopeless until it is restored to 'better than remembered' condition by the Wooden Accents team. Our woodworking artisans replace chewed up claw feet on antique chairs or tables so precisely the owner many times cannot be sure which foot has been repaired. Even fine antique wood carving is perfectly replicated in the repair of fine furniture at Wooden Accents. If you have a broken or damaged piece Wooden Accents can make your furniture piece as good or better than the day it was made. 10 Tips For Restoring Old Furniture Professional furniture restorers and hobbyists alike all have one thing in common: the desire to pluck a piece of furniture off the side of the road and restore it to its former glory. What's not to like? You're saving something from a landfill and breathing new life into a forgotten item. The former owner only saw a table with broken legs and a surface marred by water rings. As a furniture restorer, you see possibility. Furniture restoration involves tackling any aspect of work that's required to get an old dresser or chair as close to the original condition as possible. Often, it's more than just a facelift - it's making the item usable again and possibly even adding value. Here are 10 tips that can help you make the old new again. Make Sure You Have Time to Devote to the Project You've just found the perfect end table for the right price: free. It's sitting on the curb, and all it needs is a little tender loving care. You can already see how it'll look sitting in your living room. However, it's important to remember that a small side project can quickly turn into a time-consuming chore, depending on your restoration skills and how many free hours you have to devote to the work. The more complex the task, the longer it'll take to finish, so be sure you have enough time in your schedule - or are willing to give up several weekends - to finish your piece. Deep carvings can take many hours to strip and refinish. Slats and spindles are not easy to redo. If you have to remove rust, that step alone can take days of work, which is something you should keep in mind before deciding whether or not to haul that table home. Research and Inspect Do a little research to determine your piece's value before you restore it. Inspect it for marks or labels that may indicate its origin. If you suspect it's worth some money, consult a professional before proceeding with any work. Take photos of any markings or tags for your records. Removing a collectible antique's finish could lessen or void its value, so hold off on stripping or sanding until you know exactly what you have. If you're not an expert furniture restorer, don't worry. It's easy to look for a few telltale signs of age. Feel underneath for dull interior corners. Partially unscrew a screw and look at the threads. If they have inconsistent widths between them, then the piece is probably pretty old. Remove a drawer and see if it has dovetail joints. If you find any of these things, the furniture is likely old and well made, and you should have a professional antique appraiser value the piece. Establish a Budget Once you've determined whether your found treasure is actually worth any money, you need to decide how much cash you want to sink into it. Yes, you might love the challenge of furniture restoration, but if the piece isn't valuable, you'll need to figure out how important it is to you. Is it something that can be repaired relatively inexpensively? Will the project cost you less than buying a new piece? Is it worth your time? Some projects may just need a few simple fixes you can quickly complete. Others may be more involved and could wind up costing you way more than you intended to spend, which could be the reason the furniture was sitting on the curb to begin with. Know What You Want It to Look Like It's happened to every restorer: You pull a wooden table off the curb, thinking its color will nicely match the rest of the furniture in a given room, only to discover after restoration begins that the piece is actually made from lighter-colored wood and doesn't match at all. Luckily, with a little examination, you can get an idea of the true grain's color. Find a spot that's been protected from everyday wear, such as the back of a drawer front. Taking a peek at an unworn area will give you an idea what the the finished product will look like. Safety First When embarking on a furniture restoration project, be sure you have safety in the front of your mind. The last thing you want to do is have a splinter of wood accidentally lodge itself into your eye or be overcome by harsh fumes. Make sure you wear long-sleeved clothing to protect your skin from harmful chemicals found in wood strippers and varnish. Use safety glasses to shield your eyes. If you’re stripping or varnishing a piece, wear a mask and work in a well-ventilated room to keep strong vapors at bay. Clean Before You Start Before whipping out your sandpaper and paintbrush, give the piece a thorough cleaning. After years of neglect, it's likely to have a patina of dirt and grime. Removing the buildup can reveal a nice finish underneath, so a good cleaning and buffing may be all that old table needs to look new again. Give the furniture a thorough scrub with a sponge and some vegetable-based oil soap and warm water. For detailed pieces, use a soft toothbrush to get into the nooks and crannies. To get between tight spots, pick up a slender wooden dowel rod and sharpen it like you would a pencil. Then use the sharp end for digging out grime. If you need to use steel wool on some stubborn wax buildup, go with 0000 grade (the finest grade available), and use a light hand. Too much pressure can dull the finish. Repair Next, repair or replace any broken parts. You may luck out and stumble across a identical leg or knob at an antique store, estate sale or on eBay, but don't count on it. In most cases, a perfect match will require custom-made parts. Additionally, unless you consider yourself pretty handy, you may need a professional's help with tougher repairs like leg replacements or almost anything relating to the structural integrity of the piece. However, tightening screws may fix wobbly tables and chairs. Find the culprit by turning the piece over and inspecting each leg where it meets the body. If it shakes, check out the screws. If they're in good shape, tighten them down. If they're rusted out, carefully remove and replace them. Join small breaks with wood glue, and fill in small cracks with like-colored wood putty. If you plan to use stain as your finish, make sure you buy a stainable putty. Refinish or Paint Refinishing the piece means taking off the old finish and creating a new one. It's physically demanding, so be prepared to use some elbow grease for this messy and cumbersome job. For a do-it-yourselfer, it's best to use a combination of chemical strippers and sanding. Above all, be patient, even though some finishes can be stubborn to remove. Trying to speed up the process could result in even more repair work. Research the type of stain you'll need for your wood. If it's not worth staining, you can always paint the surface. Just be sure it's not a valuable piece, because it won't be once you paint it. Before painting, sand the finish to smooth out any bumps. Regardless if you're staining or painting, you'll want to give the piece another good cleaning once you finish stripping and sanding to ensure that you end up with a professional-looking finish. Keep A How-To Guide Handy If you haven't done much furniture restoration, you'll likely find it helpful to keep a guidebook on hand so you can quickly find answers to any questions that come up over the course of your project. The library is an excellent resource for manuals and other furniture reference materials. Of course, The Internet is also a great resource for information and videos in which experts guide you through each step of the restoration process. Tools of the Trade You'll need some tools to make your project happen. Take a trip down the sandpaper aisle and get a variety of grits. Buy both the moderately rough stuff (80 to 120 grit) and the finest grades (300 to 600). Get a couple of putty knives, one plastic and one metal. Also pick up some 0000 steel wool and a liquid stripping gel. You'll need Phillips head and flathead screwdrivers for tightening joints and a small hammer and rubber mallet, which will allow you to adjust the wood without leaving a mark. Also have the following items on hand: Wood glue, Wood putty, Oil soap, Measuring tape, Plastic gloves, Respirator, 2- to 3-inch (5.08 to 7.62 centimeters) angled paint brush, Toothbrush Now that your toolbox is full and you're armed with these tips, you're ready to begin restoring your furniture to its former glory. As Good As New Expert tips on reviving and repairing worn damaged finishes. We all wish that every piece of wood in our home could stay as fresh and beautiful as the day it was first finished, but that simply isn't possible. Each day the wood around us, from floors and woodwork to furniture and fine antiques, is subjected to sunlight, grit, dust, moisture and dry air. Fortunately you can simply call an expert refinisher to both roll back time and protect your wood for years to come. One must keep in mind that not all clear finishes are alike. They have different chemical components that aren't always compatible with one another. For example, no finish will adhere to paste wax. If you suspect a piece you are about to restore has been waxed, remove the wax with a soft cloth dipped in mineral spirits. The three finishes you are most likely to encounter - shellac, lacquer and polyurethane - can be identified by simple tests on an inconspicuous spot on the piece. If a cotton ball dipped in denaturated alcohol softens the finish, it is shellac. If lacquer thinner softens the finish, it is lacquer. If neither solvent affects the finish, it is polyurethane. Wood Sculpture and Carving Restoration Work Wood Sculptures can develop problems over time from ageing or damages sustained from various causes. Wood shrinks from changes in humidity, causing stress cracking from the differential between tangential and radial shrinkage rates. Physical repairs to wood typically consist of Dutchman inlays into splits, if appropriate, or disassembly and rebuilding joinery to compensate for shrinkage of joints. Very similar to problems with furniture. Paint, gesso underlying water gilding, and clear finishes suffer from the effects of wood shrinkage. The size of a wood surface can shrink significantly over the years, and continues for centuries. Other finishes glued to solid wood are stressed by not only long-term shrinkage, but seasonal and weather related changes in humidity. The stresses cause the separation of glued elements, or delaminating or flaking off of finishes. Mechanical damages can result in the loss of parts which can be re-carved and inlaid into the sculpture. It is especially important to match the "hand" of the original sculptor or artist, using the same size gouges and technique of carving, which can vary widely. Few sculptors possess this skill to match the hand of another carver, or even the ability to match the gross shapes accurately. How to protect wood from sun and dust Most folks who spend any amount of time in the Valley of the Sun know to avoid the sun’s rays whenever possible. But did you realize that your mom’s heirloom dining table or your grandma’s treasured linens should be afforded a similar protection? They get dry, brittle and damaged as well, but with some fairly simple and common-sense moves, you can help lengthen the life of your wooden furniture and treasured textiles so that you and your family can enjoy them longer. The easiest way to protect wooden pieces from the sun is to keep them out of it. In other words, don't place furniture near a window where it receives direct sunlight. The sun’s rays "eat" and degrade the finish and can cause yellowing and bleaching over time. Objects placed on a piece furniture, like a lamp on a table, can leave behind dark spots on a bleached-out piece. Heat from other sources than the sun - such as a casserole dish straight out of the oven - can also be problematic. So use trivets or place mats when possible on dining tables, because steam that gets absorbed into wood can leave a cloudy or whitish ring or mark. Such damage may not even be noticeable until a few weeks later and can be difficult to treat. Homeowners may also be surprised to learn that frequent polishing of wooden furniture is not advised. Instead, occasional dust of older wood items with a 100-percent cotton rag slightly dampened with water, followed by another pass with a clean, soft, dry cloth. This approach not only cleans the wood but also gently moisturizes it. Sometimes, you can use a polish, but it has to be something without any harsh chemicals, like alcohol. One brand worth recommending is Old Masters for older furniture with a finish. Most other well-known commercial polishes are "too greasy," and that greasiness attracts dust, leading to a vicious cycle of cleaning that's not only unnecessary but also harmful to the finish. For unfinished furniture, linseed oil is best. Avoid temperature changes, water Two other homeowner-caused mistakes also land furniture in a repair shop, the worst one being pieces placed during a move - or, maybe worse, just forgotten about - in the garage or outside. When people move, they tend to leave the furniture in the garage and, in the heat, the wood tends to shrink a little bit. Then, when you put the furniture in the house and it experiences that temperature change of 20 or 30 degrees, the wood starts expanding and it can start cracking or the finish can start cracking, or the glue will dry out and the whole item can become loose. Sometimes, this can happen on the (moving) truck, too. The other thing to avoid is wrapping wooden furniture in plastic, either to protect it or to prep it for moving. "The wood will 'sweat,' ". It will start getting wet, and when the water goes into the wood, you'll get a big spot from water damage. So use clean sheets or specialized furniture protectors to keep dust at bay, and always make sure that moving crews wrap wooden furniture in blankets first before securing it in plastic wrap.