Five Hearts Refinishing

10/15/2026

Ever wonder why two quotes for “furniture refinishing” can look so completely different?

​When folks reach out to Five Hearts Refinishing, one of the most common questions is what actually goes into an heirloom-grade restoration versus a quick cosmetic makeover.

As a solo artisan, every single piece that enters my shop is touched solely by my hands.

​If you’ve ever wondered why professional restoration requires a different level of investment, here is an honest behind-the-scenes look at how I build durability into your furniture:

​1. Complete Stripping vs. "Scuff & Paint"
A quick cosmetic fix usually means scuffing up an old, failing finish with sandpaper and brushing a coat of paint over the top. I don't paint over past problems. I take the time to chemically strip original finishes down to bare raw timber. I clean the grain pores, hand-sand through successive grits to protect delicate vintage veneers, and prep the raw wood properly so new stains and topcoats bond at a cellular level. Prep work alone often takes me 15 to 25+ dedicated hours at the workbench.

​2. True Structural Rebuilding vs. "Quick Glue & Screws"
When an antique chair or vintage dresser wobbles, squeezing glue into an open seam or driving a screw into the frame won’t fix the foundation—it just masks the break until humidity shifts. I completely disassemble failing joints, mechanically clean out brittle, century-old glue, drill and replace broken dowels, true up out-of-square frames, and re-clamp with industrial joinery adhesives under balanced pressure. My goal is to make sure the structure is just as sound as the day the original craftsman built it.

​3. Controlled Spray Systems vs. Brushes and Cans
A finish should feel like glass and withstand everyday life—coffee mugs, kids, and pets included. Rather than brushing on retail store paints that leave streaks, drips, and brush marks, I use professional HVLP spray equipment inside a dedicated, filtered spray environment. By layering barrier coats, hand-blended toners, and measured commercial-grade clear coats, I produce a cured, factory-smooth finish built to last for decades, not months.

​4. One Artisan, Total Accountability
When you hand over a family heirloom or a beloved statement piece, you aren't dealing with a revolving door of staff or a casual weekend side project. You are working directly with me from the initial quote to the final polish. I invest in commercial tooling, proper ventilation, and the trade precision needed to guarantee clean grain clarity, exact color matching, and rock-solid joints.

​To me, restoration isn't about slapping on a trendy coat of paint for a quick turnaround - it’s about preserving a functional piece of history so it can stay in your family for the next 40 years.

​Have an antique or vintage piece that needs more than just a surface touch-up? Send me a DM with a few photos, and let's talk about bringing it back to life from the frame up.

Katerina
Owner, Five Hearts Refinishing

10/14/2026

1 week later and the shop is heated and ready!



Work was completed by the following companies:

KryoBreeze Inc. : heater, exhaust, intake
CDN Controls : Electrical

10/08/2026

Noooo!!!

10/08/2026

The cold and rainy day, won't keep the heater install at bay!

KryoBreeze Inc. is here in the shop getting the radiant heater and exhaust fan all set up to keep me and your beautiful projects nice and toasty!

Kyle (Owner) has been absolutely fantastic to work with - from the initial consult all the way to install day. He's also a small business Owner here in Grande Prairie - so if you're looking for work to be done in your own home, shop or business, give him a shout.

Once he is all done - I'll post the final pictures!

10/08/2026

10/07/2026

Yay!

Exciting news!

With snow in the coming forecast 😳 the heater and exhaust fan install couldn't be coming at a better time.

That being said, the shop is temporarily shut and all projects on hold until work is complete the and the shop is back together ❤️

With winter right around the corner, this upgrade is going to be amazing.

In the meantime though...the shop is a disaster 😑

10/05/2026

There are several pieces that I have had the privilege of working on over the last 5 years of business that have truly had a remarkable history before landing in my shop; and this one is an exceptional one.

When my client and I first started working together, I was commissioned to refinish her solid oak, claw foot dining table for their new home. While in conversation, she mentioned that she has an extremely heavy butcher block that she would like me to work on at a later date. Heavy is an understatement - this solid wood hard maple butcher block likely weighs about 250lbs!

I began by cleaning it with a degreaser and then using my belt sander to remove the initial layer of old wood, oil and grime to reveal beautiful fresh wood. The top maintains some of it's original staining - the darkest spot being his favorite corner to butcher in.

Stain color used: Jacobean
Topcoats: Satin polyurethane

The story is as follows:
"Dad‘s name was Joe. He owned Graw’s butcher shop in Hythe Alberta. The butcher block went with him and Mom to the Beaverlodge IGA after selling his little business and going to work for Walker‘s IGA. From their mom and dad went to the new Beaverlodge IGA that was built but butcher bloc was replaced with new. Fast forward 40 odd years later I was in Physio and my Physio guy came around the corner and said hey what are you looking at and I said I’m looking for an old butcher block to incorporate into my kitchen of my new house. For a pass time he bought and sold old antiques and stuff and he was telling me about a butcher block that he had and it came from an old grainery out by Beaverlodge. It somehow ended up out there when the old Beaverlodge IGA closed down. So I asked him did it look like this, did it have legs like this, and he said yeah how would you know that and I said well that sounds like my dad’s butcher block from 40+ years ago, can you send me a picture. So he did and there was my dad’s butcher block that I grew up with and watched him work on every single day of my little life in the Graw’s butcher shop in Hythe, Alberta. And now it is mine in my new home right where he wanted it to be."

I consider myself extremely lucky to work on such beloved pieces. Stories like this is why I do what I do and LOVE doing it.

Thank you to my wonderful client for allowing me to work on her beautiful dining table and this very special butcher block to be showcased in their new home.

10/03/2026

Puppy approved!

This old butcher block is almost done ✔️ and will be heading home soon.

The garage will be undergoing some renovations very soon as the new radiant heater, exhaust fan and intake are being installed to make the space warm and safe. To say I'm excited is a dang understatement...it's getting chilly here quick!

Those yellow screens you see in the images are my sprayer tent panels - they're actually welder panels! My previous spray tent made the space feel so closed off and dark and I was hating it - almost felt claustrophobic! Once I found the screens as an option, I tore down the tent and got rid of it. When the exhaust fan and intake are installed, the whole garage becomes an enclosed zone, so I can safely spray without worry. The screens act as physical barriers to the overspray to help keep the surrounding zones clean. The best part, the screens fold into themselves and can be pushed aside until I need them.

I need to make some proper work tables to replace the ones I currently have to better utilize the space and efficiency. I'm not a professional "woodworker" but I've found some plans that will get me what I need without breaking the bank or my back.

A few more upgrades need to happen before winter hits to keep the space nice and warm and energy efficient for the upcoming winter, but being in this space, above ground, without stairs has been the absolute BEST.

Once this butcher block project is fully complete, I'll snap her.glamour shots and share them here with you all.

Still lots going on in the shop to finish up before I take on the BIGGEST project of my career to date. So stay tuned friends!

10/01/2026

These will look familiar to a few of you 😉
Guess the year!

09/21/2026

Who doesn't love a good REPURPOSE & UPCYCLE!?

This is spalted maple 🍁- it once lived in my clients home as their hardwood flooring. When they sold their home, all the flooring that he loved so much was removed for LVP 😞. He was able to save quite a few planks from the pile and asked me if I would build him something useful out of them for his new home. Of course, I said yes!

Spalted maple is special in that the distinct dark, wavy, pen-like lines running through the boards are "zone lines" created by fungi interacting within the wood fibers during the early stages of natural decay. Not only is each individual plank unique in its own pattern, this type of wood is widely prized for decorative tabletops, accents, and turned items due to the high-contrast patterning against the light sapwood.

And now - my client has a custom made, one of kind coffee table for his home, made by me 😀

I'm super happy with how this project turned out and so is the client. Happy client. Happy me! Win win!

I've had a few customers bring me upcycle projects and I love collaborating with them! WINTER bookings are now open, if you have something you'd like made, repaired or restored, please reach out! Limited spots are available.