Expert: Jamie Yocono - 7/7/2005

Question
Hello

I have a question about wood refinishing.

I have been looking for a dining table with a glass top and wood base which matches my kitchen cabinets but have been unsuccessful in finding one in the right finish.  I have looked everywhere in sight including all internet furniture stores without success.  Even if i find one that looks close, it is difficult to match a wood finish over an internet picture.

So my question is....

Is it practical to buy a new piece of furniture (IE a dining table) and have the base refinished in a different finish of my choice?  I know old furniture is commonly refinished, but what about a new piece?  Do you know the approximate cost of doing something like this, and would it ruin the table in any way?  Do you think it's possible to order furniture from a furniture company without the finish?  


Thanks!


Answer
Hi Manish,

Your question about refinishing is somewhat outside the scope of what I do. I build custom furniture, and even then- I only use Danish oil finishes, so that puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage to answering your question regarding finishes.

However- the good news is- I have had a few customers such as you, who want a finish to match something they already own. In your case, this would be your kitchen cabinets. When I build a piece and the requested finish is NOT what I usually apply (oil)- I usually send my work out to be finished by someone who is an expert. In my case, there was a local guy who did excellent work for a reasonable price, and frankly, I was often tempted to send all of my unfinished pieces for him to finish. In some cases, he could do it much better and more cheaply than I could. I know that sounds weird, but he often had huge vats of Danish oil, and could dip and soak a piece for 15 minutes what would normally take me 2 hours to accomplish.

Anyway, getting back to your question- I certainly think it's reasonable to ask if you can purchase the piece unfinished from the manufacturer. I guess what I'm saying is- it never hurts to ask, and in some cases, I think they would agree to it. I wouldn't expect a huge break in the price; it's probably more of a pain for them to pull a table base off the production line and send it out, than it is to actually apply the finish. It sort of breaks their rhythm and they're likely to not LOVE doing it, they'll just be doing a favor to the vendor.

Next- you could take one of your cabinet doors off and take it around to some refinishers in your area, asking them to evaluate the finish and see if they can duplicate it. There are a few things to think about, so I'll discuss them below.

You can't make one specie of wood look exactly like another. The grain is going to be different, as is the coloring, even if it's stained. So if your table base is Oak, for example, and your cabinets are Hickory- it's just NOT going to be an exact match, no matter how good the refinisher is. Also- solid wood will accept a finish somewhat differently than veneered wood (as in plywood) so be aware that even if you're dealing with the same specie, the "cut" of the wood might be different. I've seen veneers develop a sheen to them, due to the glue underneath seeping through and (in a way) sealing the pores of the wood. So here's the deal- to make the two pieces exactly match- they have to be the same wood and the construction, be it solid, or veneer.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

No, I'm kidding- I feel like I gave you some negative advice here, or like I'm trying to talk you out of it, which I am not. I just want you to be aware you have a few hurdles to jump to achieve your final goal of a matching kitchen. I think it's possible, but you'll need to do some work -getting the manufacturer to agree to selling the unfinished base) and then finding a good refinisher to match your cabinets.

Something just crossed my mind- did you ever think about just having the table base built locally out of the same wood? You probably could find a custom furniture maker in your area to build you a piece. Here's a suggestion- there is an organization called the Furniture Society (www.furnituresociety.org) that has members in most states. You could go to their website and do a member search for your area, thus locating someone fairly easily. Or if you want, you can write back to me and I'll look it up for you, I just got my 2005 directory, and I am a little familiar with many of the members, especially back east, where I used to live. I'm now in Nevada, but might be able to recommend someone in your area.

Good luck, I hope this helps. Feel free to write back with any other questions you might have after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV