Expert: Greg Scholl - 1/25/2009

Question
Currently I own thomasville furniture the Encounter series and some of the pieces have sun or water damage. I found the paperwork and it states it has quarted ash veneers and other hand-selected hardwoods. Also states: Quartz, a clear, satin finish that shows off the natural blond tones of the wood.(???) My question is can it be refinished and what is the easiest way to do it. If possible can I refinish it to a dark brown. The reason I ask is, I purchased a brand new home and the kitchen cabinets and built-in (in the dining room) are a very beautiful olive green and I think the light wood many not go with it. Any advice would be helpfull. If pictures or more info is need please email. Thank you ---Cassandra

Answer
Hi Cassandra, typically this is well made furniture, and will refinish just fine. Ash is similar to Oak and quite hard, so staining it dark can be a bit tricky. You'll want to strip them with a good stripper, and sand very carefully, if at all. You'll want to investigate dye based stains, as these stain darker than oil stains, without getting "muddy". These pieces are likely finished with lacquer, and they also use "toning"(colored clear coats), to enhance the stain and add depth and character to the finish, usually darkening the edges slightly, and then coating the stain coat to add richness to the overall color, and then finish with multiple clear coats. In order for you to end up with a professional looking job, you'll need to have some serious knowledge about this type of finishing. If you've never done finishing like this, I would recommend going to a Pro to have it done. It's not something I can teach you here, and takes experience to master... and you'd have to have the proper materials and know the techniques to do it. Lacquers and lacquer toners are available in aerosols, but again, you need to be familiar with the techniques to apply this type of finish, it's not an easy thing to learn.....not the same as a coat of oil stain, and a few coats of Poly, and if you try to finish these pieces that way, you won't get any where near the same look as these high quality lacquered finishes. Hope that helps- post back if need be- Greg