Finishing

Lacquer Finishing

Sprayed catalyzed lacquer for furniture that gets used — an even, durable finish in flat, satin, or gloss, built up in thin coats.

Photos coming soon

In short Lacquer finishing is a sprayed furniture finish built up in several thin coats, cured to a hard, even surface that resists daily handling far better than a hand-rubbed shellac. It has long been the standard production finish for wood furniture, and it's what our workshop applies to the majority of pieces we refinish. Lacquer can be repaired by scuffing and recoating rather than stripping the piece back to bare wood, and it is offered in three sheens: 1 (flat), 3 (satin), and 5 (gloss).

Sheens available

1 — Flat
3 — Satin
5 — Gloss

A good fit for

Dining tables, desks, and other surfaces that get daily use
Case goods — dressers, credenzas, sideboards — where an even sheen across large panels matters
Pieces that need a finish repairable by recoating rather than full stripping
Matched sets, where every piece has to end up the same color and sheen

Not the right fit

Outdoor and poolside furniture, where sun and salt break a film finish down
Pieces where an original historic finish is intact and worth conserving as-is
Bar tops and other surfaces that take standing water or sustained heat, where a catalyzed polyurethane holds up better than lacquer does

Lacquer has long been the standard production finish for wood furniture, and it’s what our workshop applies to the majority of pieces that come through. It is sprayed rather than brushed or padded, which is what lets it lay down evenly across a wide tabletop or a run of drawer fronts without the lap marks a hand-applied finish leaves behind.

Clear and opaque finishes

A lacquer finish can be clear, letting the grain and the stain underneath show through, or opaque, covering the wood in a solid color. For opaque work we currently match to Benjamin Moore colors, which means you can choose a color the same way you would for a wall — by name or code — and we match the sprayed lacquer to it.

Clear finishes work differently. A stain is transparent, so the species underneath drives the result as much as the stain does, and the same color on oak, maple, and walnut gives three different outcomes. That is why clear-finish color is matched against your actual piece rather than chosen from a chart.

Why it suits furniture that gets used

A cured lacquer film sits on the surface of the wood and takes the wear so the wood underneath doesn’t. That matters most on the pieces people actually touch every day — dining tables, desks, dresser tops, the arms of a chair. It handles handling, wipes clean, and holds its sheen.

The tradeoff is honest and worth stating. Our catalyzed lacquer closes most of the durability gap with polyurethane — it is not the same as an older nitrocellulose lacquer, which gives up considerably more ground on water and heat resistance. Even so, a catalyzed polyurethane still edges it out against standing water and sustained heat, and for a bar top or a hard-used hospitality surface we’ll often recommend one instead. What lacquer gives up in that narrower margin it returns in repairability and in a clearer, thinner-feeling film at the same coverage.

Matching an existing piece

Where a set has to match — a dining table and its chairs, a credenza and a matching sideboard — spraying is the only practical way to get every piece to the same color and the same sheen. Color is matched before any topcoat goes on, and the sheen is chosen once rather than per piece.

About shellac and French polish

Shellac finishes, including hand-applied French polish, are a different craft with a different result: warmer, deeper, and repairable with their own solvent, but softer and more easily marked by water, alcohol, and heat. We don’t offer French polishing. Where a piece carries an intact original shellac finish worth conserving rather than replacing, we’ll say so and talk through the options rather than stripping it by default.

Step 1

Assess and strip

The existing finish is evaluated, then removed down to sound wood so the new film has a clean, uniform surface to bond to.

Step 2

Repair and prepare

Loose joints, veneer lifts, and surface damage are addressed before any finish goes on, and the piece is sanded through progressive grits.

Step 3

Color and seal

Stain or toner is matched to the color you asked for, then locked in under a sealer coat that is sanded smooth.

Step 4

Build the topcoat

Lacquer is sprayed in several thin coats rather than one heavy one, with the chosen sheen applied last.

Step 5

Cure and inspect

The finish is left to harden, then checked over the whole piece for evenness before it goes back to you.

How this compares

How the common wood finishes differ. Which one suits a piece depends on how it will actually be used.
	Lacquer	Polyurethane	Shellac	Penetrating oil
Durability	Catalyzed (conversion) lacquer closes most of the gap with polyurethane; a straight nitrocellulose lacquer does not, and stays softer against water and heat	Generally the most resistant of the four to standing water and sustained heat, though a catalyzed lacquer runs close	Softest; marks from water, alcohol, and heat	No film at all — the wood itself takes the wear
Look	Even and clear across large panels; flat to gloss	Heavier film than lacquer — the tradeoff accepted when the extra durability is what a piece needs	Deep and warm, with visible hand-rubbed depth	Matte and natural; grain stays open to the touch
Repairability	Scuff and recoat, usually without full stripping	Generally needs sanding back before recoating	Dissolves in its own solvent — spot repairs blend well	Simply re-oil the worn area
Typical use	Most refinished furniture that will be used daily	Heavy-wear tops, commercial and hospitality settings	Antiques and pianos where the original finish is shellac	Teak and mid-century pieces meant to look unfinished

Common questions

What sheen should I choose?

We offer three: 1 (flat), 3 (satin), and 5 (gloss). Satin is the most common choice for dining tables and case goods because it hides fingerprints and light scratching better than gloss while still looking finished. Flat suits pieces meant to read as natural wood; gloss suits formal pieces and anywhere you want the grain to reflect light. If you're unsure, say how the piece will be used and we'll recommend one.

Is lacquer more durable than the finish that's on my piece now?

Usually, if what's on it now is an older shellac or a worn oil finish. Compared with a modern catalyzed polyurethane, lacquer is slightly less resistant to water and heat but easier to repair later without stripping the piece. We'll tell you which is the better match once we've seen photos.

Can lacquer be repaired if it gets scratched later?

Yes, and that's one of its practical advantages. In most cases a damaged area can be scuffed and recoated so the repair blends into the surrounding finish, rather than the whole piece having to be stripped back to bare wood.

Do you spray on site or in a workshop?

Furniture is finished in our workshop, where the spray environment and dust control are controlled. Storage is available during a project for a fee if you need the piece out of your space for longer than the work itself takes.

Can you match a specific paint color for an opaque finish?

Yes. For opaque, solid-color lacquer finishes we currently work from Benjamin Moore colors, so you can pick a color the same way you would for a wall and we'll match the lacquer to it. Bring a color name or a code, or tell us the room it needs to live with and we'll help you narrow it down.

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