When thinking about how to finish furniture, you must consider a variety of factors, including intended use case, appearance, and both short term and long term maintenance. Most types of finish will either be a synthetic topcoat style (such as polyurethane, spray varnish, lacquer, shellac, etc.), or a more natural blend of hardwaxes and/or penetrating oils.
The former topcoat style tends to sit on top of the wood and attempts to create a barrier between the wood and moisture and air. The latter (oils/waxes) tends to bond to or penetrate into the wood, allowing you to feel and smell the actual wood (rather than encasing it in plastic). But not all hardwax and oil finishes are created equal, and some provide much longer lasting protection and durability, while others provide less moisture resistance (such as Osmo or Odie’s Oil) or require much more maintenance and regular reapplication (such as tung oil or Danish oil).
Rubio MonoCoat, for Furniture and Art
For furniture we most often use Rubio MonoCoat, which is durable, easy to apply, and easy to maintain (as well as spot fix and refinish). Rubio MonoCoat is a plant-based hardwax oil finish that is VOC-free, meaning there are no harmful volatile organic compounds present, and it is LEED verified. This European style hand rubbed finish offers a natural and subtle soft matte finish, allowing you to feel and smell the natural state of the wood itself. We use Rubio products for a variety of reasons, and find that it is best for both highlighting the natural beauty of wood, as well as ease of maintenance over the life of a piece.
Furniture that is covered in some kind of topcoat (such as poly spray) may seem to offer more initial protection (by creating a plastic barrier on top of the wood), but over time this will be less durable and harder to refinish when the inevitable bumps, scratches, and bruises come with regular use. When a topcoat finish is significantly scratched or damaged, usually the entire surface must be resanded down and refinished with the same spray, as it is difficult to spot fix and have the finish match with what was previously created. With Rubio MonoCoat, the affected area most often can simply be retouched by lightly sanding to alleviate the marks or damage, and then Rubio can be reapplied in that affected area only, buffed off, and it does not leave lap lines or notable color differences. For heirloom quality pieces designed and built to be passed on, this is a significant consideration.
For more information on applying Rubio MonoCoat, please see our step by step guide How to Apply Rubio MonoCoat to Furniture.
For more information on maintaining furniture finished with Rubio MonoCoat, please see our step by step guide How to Maintain Furniture with Rubio MonoCoat.
For more information on completely refinishing furniture with Rubio MonoCoat, please see our step by step guide How to Refinish Furniture with Rubio MonoCoat.