Grand Rapids is full of historic commercial buildings — century-old churches, landmark hotels, classic restaurants, and downtown offices with woodwork you simply cannot buy anymore. When that woodwork wears out, replacing it strips away the character that makes the building worth visiting. Restoration saves it.
Match the original, don’t modernize it
The first rule of historic restoration is respect for what is already there. Wood Menders matches period finishes, repairs damaged sections instead of swapping them out, and refinishes in place wherever possible, so a hundred-year-old surface still looks like itself — just cared for. The same approach applies to period furniture: a carved Victorian settee, a worn church pew, a battered bar top. The piece stays original; the wear goes away.
What we restore in historic commercial spaces
Churches and sanctuaries, hotel lobbies and guest rooms, restaurant dining rooms and bars, office paneling and reception areas, golf clubhouses — anywhere the wood is part of the experience. Tables, chairs, bars, counters, paneling, doors, and trim: if it is wood, veneer, or marble, and it matters to how your space feels, it is worth restoring rather than replacing.
Keep it looking right, year after year
Historic buildings earn their wear honestly — every guest, every service, every season adds up. A maintenance contract starting at $199 a year keeps the woodwork, tabletops, and furniture in your building touched up on a schedule, so small wear never becomes a major restoration bill.
Wood Menders is a Michigan licensed general contractor (#2101107922) serving Grand Rapids and West Michigan. Call 616-805-9663 to talk about your historic building.
