Windsor Chairs- The usual finish for most chairs is Milk paint, a wonderful product that is a mixture of lime, casein (milk protein), pigment and water. The best things about milk paint are the many different effects that can be obtained. It can be put on thick, which gives a dead flat color. Or, it can be put on very thin, almost like a stain, allowing the grain of the wood to show thru. It can also be layered. On my chairs I like to put Lexington green first, then barn red, then I put a thin coat of black on, allowing the red to show thru. The chair is then top coated with a wiping varnish, which adds depth to the color and protects the chair. As the years pass, the  finish is worn away in some places, and this allows the layered paint to come thru. All of this results in a chair that gets more beautiful with age.

Furniture- Most of my hardwood (cherry, maple, walnut) furniture is finished with an initial coat of linseed oil, followed by several coats of a wiping varnish, which adds depth and gives great protection. Sometimes, on pieces that will not receive much hard use, a wiping oil can be used instead. The pieces are then given a coat of paste wax, which gives a silky feel. My pine furniture is usually painted, either with milk paint or an oil-based enamel. The same milk paint effects seen on the chairs can be done on the case pieces.