Care and Maintenance Guide
Investing in handmade furniture means bringing a piece of natural art into your home. These care guidelines are designed to help you preserve the rich character, warmth, and structural integrity of your piece for decades to come. With just a few simple habits and regular, minimal upkeep, you can protect the hand-worked finish and keep the wood looking as beautiful as the day it left the workshop.
About the Finish
The craftsmanship behind the sheen. Every table receives five hand-applied coats of finish across the top, bottom, and sides: three coats of oil followed by two coats of a custom oil and wax mixture. This meticulous, hands-on process takes a significant amount of time, but the results are absolutely worth the effort. Unlike mass-produced furniture coated in a thick, plastic-looking spray, these tables are entirely handmade, and the finish is worked into the grain by hand. This creates a rich, durable sheen that sits perfectly between too shiny and too dull. It is built to last for generations, but as a natural living material, it simply asks to be treated like the fine piece of furniture it is.
Heat and Moisture Protection
Coasters are your friend. Please do not place anything hot directly on the wood surface without a coaster or thick pad. Putting a hot pot of soup or tea directly on the table will cause a permanent heat ring. Similarly, please use a coaster for all drinks to prevent water damage and water rings.
Spills and Cleaning
Keep it dry and simple. Liquids are the enemy of any wood finish, and the longer they sit, the more damage they can cause—please wipe up all spills immediately. For regular cleaning and dusting, all you need is a slightly damp, clean cloth with water or a mild cleanser. Gently wipe the surface and then immediately dry off any excess moisture.
Scratches and Gouges
Accidents happen, but depth matters. Both walnut plywood veneer and solid walnut hardwood share that same awesome, rich walnut color and unmistakable natural glow, but they handle everyday abuse differently. Deep scratches and gouges typically cannot be completely restored in walnut veneer tables because the top hardwood layer is thin. While solid walnut hardwood tables can withstand more aggressive sanding and deep repair over their lifetime, severe gouges in any wood are rarely fixable back to their original, flawless form. Surface scuffs can be refreshed, but deep physical damage to the wood fibers is often permanent.
Renewing the Finish and Questions
Built to be restored. If after a few years the wood starts to look a bit dull, or if minor surface wear happens to the finish, don’t panic. This finish is fairly easy to renew and bring back to life. Just send me a note and I will gladly give you the step-by-step instructions on how to reapply it. If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Weight Limits
No dance parties on the table. While the five-coat finish is incredibly tough, the structural wood and legs have their limits. The finish will survive a dance party, but the table itself will break. Thank you for reading the care instructions! 😄