The high gloss shellac finish on this dining room wainscot restores the original “glow” of the quartersawn oak.
Rehabilitating an older home requires an understanding of historic materials and time-tested craft… plus the ability to integrate both into a contemporary work environment.
In this project, the quartersawn oak dining room wainscot needed substantial love and care. Over the years, it had been abused by the sun, refinished with a variety of different materials, and stained several different colors. After exploring various options for restoration, we settled on going back to the original gloss shellac finish.
Shellac is a traditional material used to create a glossy finished surface. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. A properly applied shellac finish makes the wood glow with a deep red-orange color. Our artisans use opportunities like this as learning opportunities. They are constantly engaged in understanding the proper application techniques and details, often consulting experts in the field and doing their own research.
This photo shows the results!