Altadena sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains with a character entirely its own. The neighborhoods here are filled with Craftsman homes that date back to the early 1900s, each one a testament to the Arts and Crafts movement that valued natural materials, hand craftsmanship, and attention to detail. These homes weren’t mass produced. They were built by people who understood wood, who knew how to join pieces properly, and who took pride in their work.
The Challenge of Time on Craftsman Architecture
But time is hard on even the best craftsmanship:
A century of California sun beats down on exterior wood
Interior finishes darken and crack
Built in cabinets lose their luster
The woodwork that defines these homes starts to look tired
When that happens, homeowners face a choice. Preserve what’s there or replace it with something new.
For anyone who understands Craftsman architecture, preservation is the only choice that makes sense. The wood in these homes is not like modern lumber. It came from old growth forests where trees grew slowly, producing dense grain and natural resistance to rot. You cannot buy this wood anymore. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
Ensuring that details which make Craftsman homes distinctive remain authentic
Restoring Door and Window Casings
Take door casings as an example. In a Craftsman home, door and window trim isn’t just flat boards nailed around an opening:
The pieces have profiles, often with gentle curves or beveled edges
The joints are precise
The wood choice was intentional, selected to complement other woodwork in the home
Stripping and refinishing this trim brings back depth that makes each element stand out as the intentional design choice it was.
The Built In Cabinetry Challenge
Built in cabinetry is another defining Craftsman feature:
Bookcases integrated into living room walls
Window seats with storage beneath
Dining room hutches built into the architecture
Bedroom storage that’s part of the structure
This built in furniture wasn’t meant to be replaced. It was meant to be part of the house forever. When the finish wears down, refinishing restores these pieces to their original beauty.
Working With Built Ins: Special Considerations
The challenge with built ins is that they can’t be removed and taken to a workshop. All the work has to happen in place. This requires:
Protecting floors, walls, and ceilings
Working in less than ideal positions sometimes
Reaching into corners or working overhead
Patience and precision because there’s no opportunity for do overs
The Process for Built In Refinishing
Marco’s approach to built in refinishing starts with thorough preparation:
Step 1: Protection and Hardware Removal
Everything around the built in gets covered and protected
Hardware is removed and labeled so it goes back in exactly the right place
Step 2: Careful Stripping
Then stripping begins, carefully removing old finish without damaging adjacent surfaces.
Step 3: Understanding Quarter Sawn Oak
Craftsman homes often used quarter sawn oak for built ins. This cutting method produces a distinctive grain pattern with rays that reflect light. When properly refinished, quarter sawn oak has a shimmer that’s unlike any other wood. But achieving that appearance requires understanding how to sand and finish oak specifically:
Too much sanding removes the features that make quarter sawn oak special
Too little leaves an uneven surface
This is where decades of experience matter.
Exterior Door Restoration in Craftsman Homes
Exterior door restoration in Altadena Craftsman homes presents its own challenges:
The Construction of Craftsman Doors
Often three inches thick
Multiple glass panels set into the upper half
Substantial wood frames around each glass panel
The Restoration Process
The wood frames around each glass panel need careful attention:
Old glazing compound has to be removed without breaking glass
Wood is inspected for rot, especially at the bottom rail where water can collect
Any damage is repaired with matching wood before refinishing begins
Color Matching for Craftsman Aesthetics
The stain colors typical of Craftsman homes range from medium to dark browns with reddish or golden undertones. These weren’t arbitrary choices. They were selected to harmonize with the natural materials used throughout the home:
River rock of fireplace surrounds
Exposed beams of ceilings
Natural wood built ins
When refinishing work is done on a Craftsman home, color matching needs to respect these relationships.
Climate Considerations for Altadena
Altadena’s climate adds urgency to exterior wood restoration:
The dry air and intense sun are brutal on wood finishes
Without proper UV protection, even newly applied stains fade within a few years
The products used for Craftsman home restoration need to include modern UV inhibitors that weren’t available when these homes were built
Interior Restoration Lighting Considerations
Interior restoration faces different challenges. Many Craftsman homes in Altadena still have original lighting fixtures, and the relatively low light levels they produce means wood finishes need to look good in subdued light as well as bright sunlight:
Choosing the Right Sheen Level
Too glossy and woodwork looks artificial under low light
Too flat and it appears dull
The right level of sheen, something in the satin to semi gloss range, brings out depth without creating glare
Craftsman Home Floor Refinishing
Floors in Craftsman homes are typically oak, often in narrow strips. Edge grain wear patterns develop over decades in traffic areas:
Understanding Wear Patterns
Paths from kitchen to dining room
Entrances from outside
Areas in front of sinks and stoves
These worn spots tell the story of how the home has been used. Professional floor refinishing addresses this wear while maintaining the character that makes old floors appealing.
The Philosophy of Restoration vs Renovation
There’s a tendency among some restoration enthusiasts to want everything to look brand new, as if the house were just built yesterday. That’s a mistake with Craftsman homes:
Part of their appeal is the sense of history and life they convey
Refinishing should respect that
The goal isn’t to make a hundred year old home look like it was built last week
The goal is to make it look like a well cared for hundred year old home
Repair Work Standards
This philosophy extends to decisions about repair work. When a piece of trim is damaged beyond refinishing, it needs to be replaced with something that matches the original:
Not something similar
Something that matches
Same wood species, same profile, same joinery technique
Anything less compromises the integrity of the home.
What Altadena Homeowners Value
Altadena homeowners who understand Craftsman architecture appreciate attention to these details:
They’re not looking for the cheapest option or the fastest turnaround
They’re looking for someone who will treat their home with the respect it deserves
Someone who understands what makes Craftsman design special
Someone who has the skill to execute restoration work at a level that honors the original builders
The Value of Experience in Craftsman Restoration
That’s exactly what 38 years of specialization in wood restoration provides. Marco Romani has worked on enough Craftsman homes to understand:
The philosophy behind the design
The techniques that were used in construction
The approaches that work for restoration
Every home is different, but the underlying principles remain constant.
The Transformation After Proper Restoration
When restoration work is completed properly, the results speak for themselves:
Wood that looked dull and lifeless suddenly has depth and warmth
Details that had faded into the background become focal points again
The entire home feels more cohesive because all the wood elements are unified by consistent color and finish quality
For anyone in Altadena with a Craftsman home that needs wood restoration, the question isn’t whether the work is worth doing. The question is who to trust with work that will affect the character of the home for decades to come. Experience, skill, and respect for Craftsman architecture all matter.
Contact Romani Restoration to discuss your Craftsman home wood restoration project in Altadena.
Restoring Craftsman Homes in Altadena With Authentic Wood Refinishing
Altadena sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains with a character entirely its own. The neighborhoods here are filled with Craftsman homes that date back to the early 1900s, each one a testament to the Arts and Crafts movement that valued natural materials, hand craftsmanship, and attention to detail. These homes weren’t mass produced. They were built by people who understood wood, who knew how to join pieces properly, and who took pride in their work.
The Challenge of Time on Craftsman Architecture
But time is hard on even the best craftsmanship:
When that happens, homeowners face a choice. Preserve what’s there or replace it with something new.
For anyone who understands Craftsman architecture, preservation is the only choice that makes sense. The wood in these homes is not like modern lumber. It came from old growth forests where trees grew slowly, producing dense grain and natural resistance to rot. You cannot buy this wood anymore. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
What Makes Craftsman Restoration Different
Craftsman home wood restoration is about more than making things look nice. It’s about:
Restoring Door and Window Casings
Take door casings as an example. In a Craftsman home, door and window trim isn’t just flat boards nailed around an opening:
Stripping and refinishing this trim brings back depth that makes each element stand out as the intentional design choice it was.
The Built In Cabinetry Challenge
Built in cabinetry is another defining Craftsman feature:
This built in furniture wasn’t meant to be replaced. It was meant to be part of the house forever. When the finish wears down, refinishing restores these pieces to their original beauty.
Working With Built Ins: Special Considerations
The challenge with built ins is that they can’t be removed and taken to a workshop. All the work has to happen in place. This requires:
The Process for Built In Refinishing
Marco’s approach to built in refinishing starts with thorough preparation:
Step 1: Protection and Hardware Removal
Step 2: Careful Stripping
Then stripping begins, carefully removing old finish without damaging adjacent surfaces.
Step 3: Understanding Quarter Sawn Oak
Craftsman homes often used quarter sawn oak for built ins. This cutting method produces a distinctive grain pattern with rays that reflect light. When properly refinished, quarter sawn oak has a shimmer that’s unlike any other wood. But achieving that appearance requires understanding how to sand and finish oak specifically:
This is where decades of experience matter.
Exterior Door Restoration in Craftsman Homes
Exterior door restoration in Altadena Craftsman homes presents its own challenges:
The Construction of Craftsman Doors
The Restoration Process
The wood frames around each glass panel need careful attention:
Color Matching for Craftsman Aesthetics
The stain colors typical of Craftsman homes range from medium to dark browns with reddish or golden undertones. These weren’t arbitrary choices. They were selected to harmonize with the natural materials used throughout the home:
When refinishing work is done on a Craftsman home, color matching needs to respect these relationships.
Climate Considerations for Altadena
Altadena’s climate adds urgency to exterior wood restoration:
Interior Restoration Lighting Considerations
Interior restoration faces different challenges. Many Craftsman homes in Altadena still have original lighting fixtures, and the relatively low light levels they produce means wood finishes need to look good in subdued light as well as bright sunlight:
Choosing the Right Sheen Level
Craftsman Home Floor Refinishing
Floors in Craftsman homes are typically oak, often in narrow strips. Edge grain wear patterns develop over decades in traffic areas:
Understanding Wear Patterns
These worn spots tell the story of how the home has been used. Professional floor refinishing addresses this wear while maintaining the character that makes old floors appealing.
The Philosophy of Restoration vs Renovation
There’s a tendency among some restoration enthusiasts to want everything to look brand new, as if the house were just built yesterday. That’s a mistake with Craftsman homes:
Repair Work Standards
This philosophy extends to decisions about repair work. When a piece of trim is damaged beyond refinishing, it needs to be replaced with something that matches the original:
Anything less compromises the integrity of the home.
What Altadena Homeowners Value
Altadena homeowners who understand Craftsman architecture appreciate attention to these details:
The Value of Experience in Craftsman Restoration
That’s exactly what 38 years of specialization in wood restoration provides. Marco Romani has worked on enough Craftsman homes to understand:
Every home is different, but the underlying principles remain constant.
The Transformation After Proper Restoration
When restoration work is completed properly, the results speak for themselves:
For anyone in Altadena with a Craftsman home that needs wood restoration, the question isn’t whether the work is worth doing. The question is who to trust with work that will affect the character of the home for decades to come. Experience, skill, and respect for Craftsman architecture all matter.
Contact Romani Restoration to discuss your Craftsman home wood restoration project in Altadena.