Years ago, dark, heavily stained finishes on furniture were popular. Since that time, the natural aging process has served to make those old finishes turn even darker. Some now look nearly black. But fashion changed, and here we stand today, surrounded by all this old, dark woodwork, furniture and paneling, wishing for something lighter in color and more natural. Nearly everyone wants the faded ”driftwoody” English country look.

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If there’s anyone in this country who hasn’t stripped and refinished at least one piece of furniture or woodwork, I have yet to meet him or her. This is a job nearly everyone feels qualified to tackle, yet in most cases I have seen, the job wasn’t really done right. The most common problem? Overkill. At the very least, overkill involves more work than necessary. At worst, it ruins the piece you are trying to save.

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One of the worst fates a furniture refinisher can face is the sight of fish eyes staring at him or her from the surface of a freshly finished piece of furniture.

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