GENERAL
Do you have a retail location?
No, not at this time. However, on the first Saturday of every month, we host Open Studio time for local customer visits. We often do an Instagram Live to provide a little tour of what we’ve got going on in the shop that month.
We are also happy to book private viewings. Just click to schedule.
How do I pay for my item?
We accept multiple payment methods, including Shop Pay Installments, Paypal, Venmo, Visa, Mastercard,
Are returns allowed?
Please see our Return Policy for details. Note there are separate policies for art and furniture.
SHIPPING & DELIVERY
How does shipping work?
Local Pickup is always free.
Local Delivery within the Portland Metro Area is $200.00, Delivery can usually be arranged within a week or so.
Nationwide Shipping is provided by a private network of white glove shippers. Lead times range from 2-12 weeks depending upon season and distance. Your zip code determines the rate at checkout.
Pieces smaller than 30" on all sides can be shipped in a double-walled box via USPS, UPS, or FedEx Ground. Arrival is usually within 14-21 days.
How much does shipping or delivery cost?
Your zip code and the size of the item determine the rate at checkout. There is a shipping calculator on every Rescue or Refinished item listed for sale.
How long will it take to get to me?
Delivery time ranges from 2-4 weeks depending upon the distance from Oregon and the season. If you need a piece by a certain date, please let us know either at checkout or email us here to check before purchase.
What if my piece is damaged during shipping or delivery?
Each piece will be wrapped individually by the shipper under our direction. We find that it is important for the shipper to see the anatomy of the piece. Shippers have to rearrange their loads to accommodate deliveries and additional pickups along their routes.
Our shippers understand the rare nature of the furniture we sell and that it’s highly likely we could never replace it. However, if there is damage, you must notify the shipper and notify us at the time of arrival. That is the best time to determine if the item needs to be returned to us. Each shipment is insured, so any damage will be covered.
CARE
How do I care for my lacquered furniture?
Our lacquer finish is fully catalyzed (2k) with every coat. It is a very durable finish and will endure for decades with proper care. We also provide you with a touch-up kit. Check out our Care and Maintenance page for full directions.
How do I care for the hardware?
The hardware will either be new or the original. Unless you specifically ordered or requested unlacquered brass, the hardware will be polished, and protected to inhibit future tarnish. We do not spray-paint any hardware gold, but we can re-plate vintage hardware, if the original plating has worn off. Most of our new hardware is lacquered to inhibit tarnish as well unless our listing specifically says “unlacquered” brass.
If it is unlacquered, our recommendation is BarKeeper’s Friend or Brasso for cleaning periodically. However, please remove the hardware from the furniture before cleaning. Do NOT attempt to clean the hardware while it is still installed on the furniture.
CONDITION
Is my item going to smell like a thrift store?
We air out and clean all of our pieces thoroughly with a specialty product before sanding, prepping, and painting. In addition, we use a furniture salve or beeswax to ensure that you receive a lovely-smelling piece!
Will the piece look like new again?
The short answer is no but the long answer is that we try hard to get it as close to new-looking as possible. All of our pieces are vintage and have been previously loved for many generations so there are some small imperfections. That said, we spend countless hours sanding, applying grain fill, sanding more, priming, and sanding again to cover every ding and scratch. But real wood is finicky and old finishes are hard to work with, so they will never be perfect. We believe this “patina” is part of their story and their charm.
PROCESS
Where do you find your furniture?
We have written several blog posts about how we source furniture. There are many good tips to help you get started.
What is your painting process?
We finish our pieces in a fully catalyzed (2k) high gloss lacquer. The process includes 8-10 layers of primer, color, and top coat, and sanding between every layer. 2k means that we add a catalyst product to the lacquer at each step to enhance durability. Lacquer and especially catalyzed lacquer is very different than paint. The consistency of lacquer is closer to water and has no body or thickness to paint with a brush. The product must be professionally sprayed. It also dries in 7-10 minutes so you can keep your process moving. But it’s total “open” time before it totally hardens is 1 hour. So you must have completed your spray pass
It is quite technical but we believe the extra effort is worth it. Our final stage is a 4-step buffing process to achieve that piano finish. This includes a wax coat or ceramic coat at the end, just like with automobile finishing. We clean all remaining residue with this product.
What finishes are available?
Our specialty is high gloss, but we can also do satin or matte. All of our pieces are finished with an industrial water-based lacquer product.
We also can achieve a ceruse finish. Ceruse is a specialty finish that is intended to highlight wood grain. It involves a base color and then a lime wax process buffed on and wiped off to reveal the grain. We typically put a topcoat over the ceruse for additional protection.
Please contact us with any additional finish requests.
Where do you get your hardware?
We have many resources for hardware. I have a curated Etsy collection with some of my favorites. Modern Matter, MyOhAmerica, and others offer beautiful high-end hardware.
What products do you use?
We use a variety of industrial water-based wood coatings, mostly available to contractors only. We do not use paint, but instead lacquer with an added catalyst which speeds up dry time and adds durability. The products we use have a very thin consistency and must be sprayed with professional equipment. It is not a product that can be brushed on.
Do you paint the insides?
It depends upon the piece. We mostly stick to spraying the most visible parts. That includes drawer fronts, but not insides/sides. If multiple drawers are stained or damaged, we will often add a wallpaper finish. This can be a beautiful addition but adds quite a bit of cost. Cabinet door front & backs are always sprayed, and often the interior of a cabinet section, unless it’s quite clean already.
Do you paint the backs?
We do not paint the backs of the items unless it is a piece that was intended to be viewed from behind (as opposed to against a wall where most furniture is placed). We also do not paint any original markings of any vintage pieces, such as the underneath of a table that might indicate the maker. These maker marks are often on the backs and might be useful in the future to preserve the value of the piece.
CUSTOMIZATION
Can you refinish a piece of furniture I already own?
Yes, we can. If you are out of state, we can help arrange shipping to us as well. If you are local, we can also arrange pickup and delivery as well. Just drop us a line.
Do you have other pieces I can customize?
Yes, just check out our Rescued section here to see unfinished pieces or those in progress. We can also search for a specific piece you have in mind.
Do you have a specific color palette?
We do not. The lacquer product we use can be customized to hit almost any color or swatch. However, you can view all the colors we have done. Use the Shop All Furniture link on the home page, then filtering by color family. You’ll be able to search by color family and see actual pieces finished in various colors.
Can I get a custom color?
We are happy to consult with you on custom colors or work with you if you have a specific color that you are trying to match. We general stick to the Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams palettes, however the Home Depot Behr and PPG swatches are also popular.
