Furniture Refinishing · St. Louis
The table your grandmother kept. The dresser that doesn’t match. The antique you couldn’t leave behind.
We’ve been refinishing furniture since before most St. Louis refinishers existed. 36 years. Still hand-stripped, never dipped.
What we refinish
Furniture refinishing was the foundation of this business. Sue has been doing it since 1989 — long before architectural woodwork became the focus. That history shows in how we approach every piece.
Dining tables & leaves
The centerpiece of the room. Stripped to bare wood, repaired, stained, finished.
Chairs & sets
Individual chairs or full sets. Consistent color and finish across the set.
Dressers & bedroom furniture
Drawers, case pieces, nightstands. Hand-stripped and finished to original or updated spec.
Antiques & heirlooms
Old-growth wood, original joinery, irreplaceable pieces. Treated accordingly.
Sideboards & buffets
Large case pieces with multiple surfaces. Finished for both beauty and durability.
Hutches & display pieces
Glass-panel cases, interior and exterior surfaces, detailed molding — all done by hand.
Accent tables & occasional pieces
End tables, sofa tables, coffee tables. Small doesn't mean easy — every piece gets the same attention.
Other freestanding wood furniture
If it's solid wood and it needs refinishing, call. Takes 30 seconds to find out if we can help.
We do not refinish floors, decks, or outdoor furniture. If you’re unsure whether we can help, call — it takes 30 seconds.
The process: same method we apply to doors and staircases.
We take pieces to our shop, work in controlled conditions, and return them when done. No rush. No shortcuts. The climate-controlled environment produces a more consistent cure than in-home work — and keeps dust and fumes out of your space.
Assess the piece
Wood type, existing finish, damage assessment. Is the joinery solid? Are there veneer issues? Is there lead paint? The assessment determines the approach — and you hear all of it before we start.
Hand-strip
Never a dip tank. Dipping destroys old-growth joinery — the glue joints fail, veneer lifts, grain raises — and leaves the wood looking flat and processed. Hand-stripping is slower. It’s the right way.
Finish
Stain or clear coat, matched to original or updated per your preference. Topcoat selected for the piece — oil-based or water-based polyurethane, applied in the shop, cured before delivery.
Why hand-stripping matters especially for furniture.
Chemical dip tanks are especially destructive on antiques and older furniture. The immersion process fails glue joints that were designed for different adhesives, lifts veneer that was never meant to withstand that exposure, and raises grain in ways that can’t be sanded back without losing surface material. A dipped antique looks dipped — flat grain, compromised joints, finish that never sits right.
Hand-stripping preserves the piece’s original character. The wood that comes out of a proper hand-strip is the same wood that went in — just clean.
For pre-1978 painted furniture, there’s a second concern: lead paint. Old painted pieces — especially pieces that were enameled white or cream — frequently have lead paint in the layers. Sue Wheeler is an EPA Certified Lead Removal. Every piece with suspected lead paint is handled under proper protocols: containment, HEPA filtration, documented cleanup.
Color and finish options
Matching original is always possible — and often exactly what people want when they’re restoring a family piece. But updating is equally valid. Go lighter, go darker, try a different stain tone, or skip stain altogether and let the wood speak. All of it is on the table.
Stain options
- Match the original stain color
- Update to a new tone — lighter or darker
- Color-correct across mismatched pieces in a set
- Clear coat only (no stain) to show natural wood grain
Topcoat options
- Oil-based polyurethane — warmer tone, high durability
- Water-based polyurethane — clearer finish, faster cure
- Sheen: matte, satin, or semi-gloss
- Sue recommends per piece — not a one-size answer
“Sue refinished a dining table that had been in my family since the 1940s. I couldn’t believe what was under years of wear.”
— Central West End homeowner
Common questions
Let's talk about your piece.
Free estimate. No obligation. Sue answers every call personally.