JC Wood Blog

Furniture Finds & Unexpected Treasures: Refinish Wood Furniture

Redecorating can make us critical of the wood furniture we own... But before you decide to toss that old worn and scratched wooden table, you may want to give it a new life by having it refinished. 

Decor changes, such as deciding to renovate and update colors are an inexpensive way to breath new life into old furniture.

Sprucing up an accent piece can revitalize and give a whole different look and feel to a room.  By sprucing, what we mean is to refinish furniture or refurbish furniture to give it a whole different feeling.

Wood furniture can be stripped and refinished to the natural beauty of the wood, or colored with a fashionable accent stain.  Washes and glazes add dimension to wood, and colored wood stains can be either natural colors or enhance colors in transparant that let the grain show through the wood, or opaque, where the resulting finish is a solid color.

Unlike do it yourself results, which sometimes have a tacky, sticky feeling,  professionally refinished furniture is lustrous and resistant to weather related fluctuations.  In fact, there are special treatments for different situations and conditions that can extend the life of your furniture.  For example, marine situations are exposed to water and possibly salt, and the finishes will be more durable for wood furniture exposed to these conditions than the finish applied to a delicate antique that will reside in a climate controlled and air conditioned environment.

Bottom line, though - it's much less expensive to have your existing furniture refinish done by a professional, and have many more years to enjoy using it, than to buy new.  Plus, with the exciting new colors and finishes, you wind up with unique, quality pieces that are matched to your taste and color scheme.

Criteria To Determine When To Refinish Antique Furniture

When antique furniture is inherited, it's not uncommon for most people to wonder about it's value.  Everyone secretly wishes to find some incredible treasure in the attic. Of course, some furniture, which may have been in the family for years may have intrinsic value based upon its history. Other pieces may have true value based upon factors that may seem obscure to the casual observer.

The television show Antiques Road Show, has popularized the notion that there must be a fortune lurking in one of those aged tables or dusty, tattered chairs. However, not every older furnishing valuable, and not every person who inherits furniture has the opportunity to find competent antique valuation services. Reliable resources to determine the value of antiques is important to collectors, investors and casual buyers of antiques.

The single most important factor in determining whether to restore antique furniture or refinish antique wood furniture is the value.   

Refinishing antique furniture is an art, and it's something that should be done by a professional. While it may seem tempting to pick up a product at the local Lowes or Home Depot be aware that you could be greatly reducing the value of the piece.  Restoring wood furniture is an art that JC Wood has practiced for years.  We understand how to refinish furniture and restore wood while preserving it's value. Before deciding whether to attempt to restore the wood yourself, have a professional craftsman evaluate it for you. (We offer this service at no charge).

Just as in Kelly blue book, antique furniture is subject to different categories of valuation.  These multiple tier values for antiques are based upon who is the purchasing agent. Here is an explanation of what these levels of pricing are: 

1. Insurance Value.
Insurance value is generally the highest retail value of an item. It is the replacement cost of the antique if it is stolen or destroyed. The insurance value is a formal appraisal that is put in writing.

2. Fair Market Value
Fair market value is the price a buyer and a seller agrees upon when neither one is under any pressure to buy or sell the item. Both parties need to be aware of any relevant information and facts about the particular item.

3. Estate or Tax Value

Estate or tax value is determined by the IRS by averaging the actual auction prices of similar items.

4. Retail Value  

Retail value, or retail price, is the price an item sells for at an antique shop.

5. Wholesale Value

Wholesale value is the price that an antique dealer generally pays for a piece. It is approximately 1/3 to ½ less then the item would sell for on the secondary market.

6.. Auction Value

Auction value - the open market price the item would generally sell for when neither the buyer nor seller is in a forced sale position.
Most of these values are given in a dollar range rather then a specific figure.

If you are located within the Chicago metro area, and have a question regarding inherited furniture or possible antique furniture, whether it's restoration or valuation, the experts at JC Wood are available to guide you.  Although we are not licensed appraisers, we can connect you the the appropriate professional.   

How To Repair Leather Chairs And Renew Leather Furniture

Leather furniture is prized for it's durability and regal look.  Unfortunately, leather, while strong, is not resistant to staining or tearing. 

Especially because repairing leather furniture can be pricey, it's important to have

the leather furniture professionally repaired.  There are, however, several things you can to to prevent the destruction of  your valued leather armchair or leather ottoman...

1. Be sure to maintain the leather.  Periodically, use a good leather conditioner to re-introduce moisture to the skin to keep it from cracking.

2. Leather that is exposed to the elements should be treated with a preservative or leather treatment.  

3. Stained leather can be cleaned professionally.  Suede can be cleaned by using a suede brush, but it cannot be washed like other clothing. Some dry spray-on agents can help to remove dirt and improve the color of your suede, but generally, it's best to keep suede away form heavily soiled situations.

4.Small scratches in leather can be removed using leather conditioner.  This will also make the leather supple and smooth and can remove imperfections that result from dryness. 

5. Don't use shoe polish.  The last thing you'd want is for the shoe polish to rub off onto light colored clothes.  That's one thing that truly would be negative idea...

To keep leather furniture looking it's best, be sure to clean the leather periodically as well as condition the leather periodically.  Preventative maintenance is much less expensive in the long run. 

Of course, if you have additional questions, or a more extensive repair concern, call the experts at JC Wood... 

Become A Facilities Hero: Maintain Office And Restore Furniture

When it comes to office furnishings it's a known fact that they take a beating.  Whether it's the waiting area  or the cubical, the elevator cab or the conference room,  the amount of traffic and wear and tear on furniture in the office is much greater than a residence.

It's important for professional office furniture to look great all the time.  Visits from customers and potential clients result in visual inspection that reveals a lot about your company.  Weary, threadbare sofas in the lobby and a marred conference table with scars from use will imply that your organization may not be successful.  

Facility managers are faced with the task of maintaining a professional environment, managing costs, and keeping the office updated. 

The current economic climate has resulted in budget restrictions and reduced capital budgets.  Some facilities managers have resorted to replacing unservicable furniture with inferior pieces.  However this can also result in the impression that the company is floundering.

Rather than the capital expense of new furniture, some facilities managers are becoming heros by restoring office furniture or refinishing wood furniture to recapture the original beauty for a fraction of the price.  This new way of preserving furniture or refurbishing desks, refinishing conference tables and restoring chairs and cabinets typically runs less than 50% of the cost of new furniture and also has the advantage of being 'green'.  Less new furniture purchased results in less trees being sacrificed, and that's a goal for renewable energy.

A maintenance contract for office furniture is one way to assure that the furnishings are inspected on a regular basis and repairs made as needed.  Preventative techniques for preserving wood furniture help to assure the longevity.  Most offices are furnished in classical or contemporary style, therefore the furniture is likely to become worn before it has lost it's visual appeal. 

When evaluating a service agreement for office furniture there are three things that the facility manager should take into consideration:

1. The reputation of the supplier
2. The time the supplier has been in business
3. The knowledge that the supplier has with regard to furniture restoration, furniture repair and furniture refinishing

Overall, a maintenance agreement could be a great way to reduce costs, yet still have that professional and successful image that a corporation's office should convey.  Being a thrifty facilities manager does not have to mean threadbare chairs or scratched, marred desks. 

Be a facilities hero and your conference table's lustre will shine for years, as will your reputation.

 

Removing Odors in Furniture - Ozone Treatments

Ozone treatments are very effective for removing odors in furniture like smoke, mold and animal odors. Treating furniture with large amounts of ozone not only eliminates odors, but also kills germs.

High Ozone Shock Treatments should only be used when people, animals and plants aren't present, due to their toxic nature. Air Purifying uses a minimal level of ozone, and does not require such restrictions.

What's Your Favorite Color?

Did you know JC Wood mixes our own colors and can custom match your color request? A designer just selected raspberry, blueberry and chocolate at JC Wood’s shop.

So get creative and pick a color that makes a statement. What about an eggnog kitchen table?

Don’t stop there, upholster you chairs, have fun, and put some rum in your eggnog!

Furniture Quality

Furniture manufactured overseas, while relatively inexpensive, is made to last only a short period of time, compared to furniture manufactured in the United States. Inexpensive upholstered furniture can mask several problems, including poor structure, unsteardy joints and inadequate foam/dacron.

Furniture made the old fashioned way is built to last with nails, screws and glue, not staples. The next time you need a new piece of furniture, ask yourself if you’re buiyng this for a few years and a lifetime in a landfill, or a lifetime of use to pass on to the next generation.

Wood Color May Change With Age

One of our clients recently had some doors, finished according to specifications, installed in a new office building. When they were installed, the property manager noticed that they were lighter than doors that had been in storage for some time, awaiting installation.

Different types of wood age differently. Cherry wood darkens with age, no matter what semi-transparent finish is applied. Walnut reacts just the opposite; over time, the wood gets lighter, especially when exposed to light.

Holiday Candle Safety

Yes, this is the time of year where candles are used most often.
Candles can be festive and can damage furniture.
Some basic info we have all heard is:
Never leave a candle burning unattended.
Always protect the surface the candle sits on (use a glass plate etc)
Now, how do we handle a wax spill from candles on furniture?
My first answer is “always ask an expert?”
So now that you have asked me let me give you a few tips
To remove the wax drippings, use an ice cube or ice pack to the wax to harden it. Easily scrape off as much wax as you can using a plastic credit card or a thin, dull butter knife. Take your time so not to scratch the wood surface. Some of the wax residue may remain on the wooden furniture, using a soft, clean cloth and apply a bit of cream furniture wax to the area. Rub gently and remove the remainder of the wax residue.
Did you know that JC Wood sells furniture polish and Furniture wax?
Happy Holidays and may your candles burn safely
Linda S

Where it Begins

This is a photo of a poplar tree,
They are among the fastest-growing trees in North America and are well suited for the production of painted furniture and millwork. With the exception of the more arid regions, hybrid poplars can be produced throughout most of the continental U.S.
Members of the willow family, hybrid poplars are closely related to cottonwoods and aspens; Poplars were used as windbreaks around fields, and fast-growing varieties were selected by farmers. Poplars also provide increased year-round habitat for birds and small mammals compared to annual row crops.