Our Process

We restore furniture the way it was built — one piece at a time.

Every piece that comes through the Marbach Lane workshop goes through the same eight-step process. No assembly line, no rushed finishes, no subcontractors. Just a single craftsman taking the piece from estimate to delivery, with full transparency at every stage.

Call (210) 251-3019 Start with a free estimate

Quick answer

How does professional furniture restoration work?

Professional furniture restoration begins with a free craftsman's assessment, followed by a written estimate. After approval, the piece is picked up and documented, stripped, structurally repaired with hide glue or matched adhesive, surface-prepped, finished in shellac, lacquer, or French polish to match the era, quality-checked, and delivered. Most pieces take 3 to 8 weeks from approval to delivery.

The 8-Step Process

Every restoration moves through these eight stages. Some steps run longer or shorter depending on the piece, but the order and the standard never changes.

Free Initial Assessment

Most estimates start with photos sent through our quote form, but for larger or more complex pieces we schedule an in-person look at the workshop or at your home. The assessment covers structural condition, finish condition, original construction quality, and whether the piece is a candidate for restoration at all. We'll tell you up front if a piece isn't worth the work — that's a service we provide for free, and it's the conversation that protects your money.

What you'll see

A 15-30 minute conversation with a craftsman, photo or in-person review of the piece, and a plain-English explanation of what's wrong and what we'd do about it.

Why we do it this way

Bad estimates come from bad assessments. Most chain restoration shops dispatch a sales rep, not a craftsman, and the rep upsells to a script. We send a craftsman because the bench is where the real questions get asked: is the joint failure structural or just dried glue? Is that veneer salvageable or does it need a flitch match?

Written Estimate

Within one business day of the assessment we send a written estimate that lays out scope of work line by line, materials and finishes called out by name, expected timeline window, and the total price. There are no verbal quotes, no surprise charges, and no pressure to decide. The written estimate is good for 30 days, and the price holds even if material costs shift inside that window.

What you'll see

A written PDF estimate by email, with line items you can read, prices that don't move, and a place to ask questions before approving anything.

Why we do it this way

Verbal quotes are how customers get burned. By the time you find out what something actually costs, the work is done and the leverage is gone. A written scope means you know what you're paying for, and we know what we're committed to building.

Pickup & Documentation

Once you approve the estimate, we schedule pickup. Most San Antonio jobs are picked up within a few days; Austin metro is typically scheduled inside a week. At pickup we wrap each piece in moving blankets, tag it, and take a complete photo set — every angle, every existing scratch, every soft spot, every existing repair. The photo set serves three purposes: condition documentation if anything shifts in transit, baseline for your insurance claim if applicable, and a before-and-after record for you to see at delivery.

What you'll see

Two-person pickup team, blanket-wrapped transport, complete photo documentation of the piece's condition before it leaves your home.

Why we do it this way

Insurance-grade documentation matters when a piece is being restored under a homeowner's claim — the carrier needs proof of pre-existing condition. It also matters for our own internal record. We've had pieces with hidden damage that nobody noticed at pickup; the photo set protects everyone.

Stripping & Cleaning

How we strip depends entirely on the piece. Modern lacquer or polyurethane comes off with a chemical stripper applied by hand, scraped off in passes, and neutralized. Old shellac or French polish often comes off with denatured alcohol — much gentler on the wood. Painted pieces with multiple finish layers may need mechanical removal in places where chemicals would attack the underlying wood. Antique pieces with original surface get either no stripping at all (we preserve the patina) or selective spot work only.

What you'll see

Bare wood by the end of this stage, ready for inspection of structural issues that were hidden under finish.

Why we do it this way

The wrong stripper destroys wood. Aggressive strippers raise the grain and dissolve hide glue in joints — which means the joinery work multiplies. The right stripper for the right finish protects the wood and shortens the rebuild.

Structural Repair

With the finish off, we can see and address every structural issue: loose joints, cracked rails, missing parts, separated veneer, broken legs. Joints get re-glued with hide glue (reversible, used on antique work) or properly-rated PVA (used on modern construction). Missing parts are turned, carved, or fabricated to match the original wood and grain. Splits get internal reinforcement that's invisible from the outside but holds for the long term. Drawers get re-runnered if they've worn.

What you'll see

Photo updates from the bench when major repairs are uncovered. Anything outside the original estimate gets a written change order before we proceed.

Why we do it this way

Modern adhesives like polyurethane construction adhesive are stronger than hide glue, but they're permanent. The next restorer in 2080 can't undo a polyurethane joint without destroying the surrounding wood. Hide glue can be reactivated with heat and moisture and the joint comes apart cleanly. That's why conservators specify it on heritage pieces.

Surface Preparation

Once the structure is solid, surfaces are prepped for finish. Sanding works through progressive grits — typically 120, 150, 180, then 220 or 320 depending on the wood and the planned finish. Open-grain woods (oak, ash, walnut) may get grain raising and a second light sanding to lock down fibers that would lift under stain. Some woods get conditioner applied first to even out absorption — pine, cherry, and maple all blotch without it. The whole surface gets vacuumed and wiped down before any color goes on.

What you'll see

Smooth, uniform bare wood ready for color. The piece looks raw at this stage — that's the point.

Why we do it this way

Finish doesn't hide poor sanding — it amplifies it. Every scratch, swirl, and uneven spot shows under stain and topcoat. Spending the time on prep is what separates a restoration that looks new from one that looks refinished.

Finishing

The finish gets matched to the piece, not chosen from a menu. Antiques typically get shellac or French polish — period-correct, repairable, beautiful under direct light. Mid-century pieces often get oil finishes (tung or Danish) that highlight grain. Casual furniture gets lacquer for durability. High-traffic pieces (dining tables, desk surfaces) get conversion varnish or a hand-rubbed urethane for the toughness modern life demands. Stain matching is done by eye against the customer's reference — original color, lighter, darker, or new direction. Color goes on in thin layers; topcoat builds in multiple coats with sanding between each.

What you'll see

Color and depth coming back to the wood. Most pieces require multiple finish coats with cure time between, so this stage typically runs 1 to 2 weeks.

Why we do it this way

There is no one finish that's right for everything. Polyurethane on a 1900 mahogany sideboard is wrong. French polish on a kitchen table is wrong. Matching the finish to the piece's era, use, and material is what makes a restoration look like the original — not like a refinish.

Quality Check & Delivery

Before anything leaves the shop, every piece gets a final inspection: hardware tightened and lubricated, drawers and doors aligned, finish wiped and polished, hidden surfaces checked. We deliver in-house with the same two-person team that picked up. Pieces are placed exactly where you want them, leveled if needed, and any in-room adjustments (sticking drawer, slightly proud joint after settling) are corrected on the spot. We don't leave until you've looked at the piece and signed off.

What you'll see

White-glove delivery, on-site final adjustments, walk-around with the craftsman to confirm the work meets expectations.

Why we do it this way

Delivery is where most shops drop the ball. They contract out the move, the piece arrives without anyone who knows the work, and any remaining touch-up has to be scheduled separately. We deliver with the craftsman because the piece isn't finished until it's in your room.

What Makes Our Process Different

Six specifics that show up in the finished piece — and that you won't get from a chain restoration shop.

Traditional joinery, by hand

Mortise and tenon, dovetail, dowel, and pegged joinery cut and fit by hand where the original construction calls for it. Machine joinery is faster but rarely as durable on heritage work.

Hide glue on antiques

Reversible, conservation-grade adhesive used on pre-1950 pieces and any work with collector value. The next restorer in 2080 can undo what we did. Polyurethane joints can't be undone — they have to be cut out.

Hand-rubbed finishes

Topcoats applied in thin layers, sanded between coats, and rubbed out by hand on the final pass. The depth and feel of a hand-rubbed finish is something spray-only shops can't replicate.

Stain matching by eye

Color match is done at the bench against your reference — not chosen from a sample card. We mix custom blends to hit the exact tone of the original or the new direction you want.

In-house, end to end

Nothing is subcontracted. The craftsman who quoted your piece is the one who repairs and finishes it. There is no chain of custody to lose and no one passing the work along.

One-year structural guarantee

Frame, joinery, and spring repairs are warranted against repair failure for a full year. If something we fixed comes loose, we fix it again at no charge.

Materials & Techniques We Use

The right material is matched to the right piece. Here's a short reference of what comes off the shelves at the workshop.

Hide glue

Animal-protein glue used since antiquity. Reversible with heat and moisture. Standard on antique restoration and any piece where future repairability matters.

Shellac

Resin from the lac bug, dissolved in alcohol. The original clear furniture finish. Repairable, beautiful, but not water-resistant — used on pieces that won't see drinks.

French polish

Shellac applied by hand with a rubber pad in dozens of thin layers. Builds extraordinary depth and gloss. The finish on most fine antique furniture before lacquer arrived.

Lacquer

Fast-drying spray finish, durable and clear. Used on mid-century and modern pieces, kitchen furniture, and high-traffic surfaces. Repairable with the right solvent.

Conversion varnish

Two-part catalyzed finish with extreme durability. Used on commercial work and high-wear surfaces (bar tops, restaurant tables) where lacquer wouldn't hold up.

Tung and Danish oil

Penetrating oil finishes that bring out grain depth. Used on mid-century pieces and any furniture where natural-feel finish is the goal. Renewable — you can re-oil indefinitely.

Milk paint

Casein-based traditional paint. Used on primitive and farmhouse pieces where authentic period finish is the goal. Adheres to bare wood without primer.

Beeswax & paste wax

Final protective and softening layer over shellac, lacquer, or French polish. Hand-applied and buffed. Adds depth and a soft touch to the finish.

8-way hand-tied springs

Coil springs tied with jute twine in eight directions for a uniform, supportive sit. Standard on traditional upholstery construction. Lasts decades longer than sinuous springs.

See the full glossary of restoration terms

What We Don't Do

Honesty section. There are jobs and methods we refuse — and the reasons matter.

We don't use polyurethane on antiques

Polyurethane is durable, but it's permanent and visually wrong on pre-war furniture. The look is plastic. The reversibility is zero. On heritage pieces we use shellac, French polish, or lacquer — the finishes the piece was built for.

We don't strip pieces with collector or museum value

Original surface is irreplaceable on serious antiques. Stripping a Federal-period sideboard or a documented craftsman piece destroys the patina that proves age. On pieces with provenance, we do conservation only — clean, consolidate, spot-repair. Never refinish.

We don't take work that compromises the piece

Sometimes a customer wants something done that would damage the piece long-term — painting over original veneer, replacing solid hardware with reproduction, “updating” a piece in a way that strips its value. We'll explain the consequence and decline if the customer wants to proceed anyway.

We don't restore particle-board furniture

Particle board, MDF, and hollow-core construction can't hold a real repair. Once water-damaged or structurally failed, these pieces are at end of life. We'll tell you that on the front end rather than take the work.

We don't subcontract

Every piece is handled by the craftsman who quoted it. No pieces shipped to a third party, no piecework outsourced to off-site finishers. The chain of custody stays inside the workshop from pickup to delivery.

Timeline Expectations

Real-world timelines from approval to delivery, by service type. Every estimate includes a project-specific window — these are typical ranges.

Service type	Typical timeline
White-ring or finish blush rescue	1 to 2 weeks
Single-piece structural repair (chair, side table)	2 to 4 weeks
Furniture refinishing (table, dresser)	3 to 6 weeks
Antique restoration (case piece)	6 to 10 weeks
Reupholstery (sofa or chair)	6 to 10 weeks
Water damage restoration (single piece)	4 to 10 weeks
Multi-piece flood / fire restoration	8 to 16 weeks

Note: water damage timelines include the controlled-drying period (2 to 6 weeks) before any restoration work begins. Reupholstery timelines depend on fabric availability — COM (customer's own material) often runs faster than custom-ordered fabric.

What You'll See During the Process

Restoration is slow craft. We keep you informed without overwhelming you, and we always escalate problems immediately.

Status updates at major milestones

You'll hear from us at four points: pickup confirmation, end of structural repair, end of finishing, and delivery scheduling. We don't flood you with daily updates — we send substantive updates when something has happened.

Photos at the bench

When something interesting comes out of the finish or a hidden repair surfaces, we'll send a photo. Customers with antique pieces often get a small album of in-progress shots they can keep.

Immediate escalation if scope changes

If we open the piece up and find damage that wasn't visible at the estimate (hidden joint failure, internal rot, a prior bad repair to undo), you get a written change order before we proceed. No surprise charges, ever.

Delivery scheduled to your calendar

When the piece is finished, we coordinate delivery to your schedule — not ours. Same two-person team that picked up, blanket-wrapped, placed where you want, with on-site adjustments before they leave.

Ready to start the process?

Free written estimates. Send photos through the form, or call the workshop directly. Most estimates come back within one business day.

Call (210) 251-3019 Request a free estimate