"Greg Johnson restored four pieces of contemporary furniture for me, a Wharton Esherick table, a bench by Garry Knox Bennett, and blanket chests by Wendy Maruyama and Judy McKie. These works had been in constant use by my family of 5 since the 1980's. The significant aspect of Greg's handling of my studio furniture is that he removed only the misuse. Damage such as water rings, scratches, grime as well as deep stains vanished under his sensitive and scientifically based restoration skills. Most meaningful, was the fact that Johnson did not return each piece in a fresh-out-of-the-shop condition. He skillfully removed only the damage, not the patina of works that are aging gracefully."
–Judy Coady, Coady Contemporary, Santa Fe

"Greg Johnson ran my finishing department for 11 years. During that time he produced finishes of every type, even developing new ones for my work. Finishing is a highly specialized field. Not only does Mr. Johnson produce beautiful finishes, he produces finishes which hold up for years to come. These are true museum-quality surfaces, as dozen of the pieces he has finished for me are now in permanent museum collections. Mr. Johnson is also a very talented restorer and refinisher. He is a skilled woodworker, so he is able to make missing parts, repair veneer, and complete other jobs which require an understanding of construction. Mr. Johnson is a talented and sensitive craftsman, capable of restoring mid-century modern works, art furniture, and of course, antiques. I highly recommend him for all finishing and restoration jobs."
–Wendell Castle, Scottsville, NY
 

"I have had a number of Wendell Castle's pieces restored by Greg Johnson. The repairs have involved a number of different materials and finishes. A lamp had a fiberglass shade and a wooden base with a marbled lacquer finish, both of which needed extensive repair. Another piece involved reattaching the bottom of a wooden door that had been broken off and refinishing of the gold leaf and clear lacquer finish. A trompe l'oeil piece required repairing holes and a split caused by one of the holes and refinishing of the wood, since different sections had faded at different rates. In all cases the quality of the restoration has been excellent. In fact, it has been beyond my expectations. He has been helpful in other ways as well. His familiarity with Wendell Castle's work due to his employment in Wendell's studio for 11 years enabled him to point out a picture of Wendell working on the trompe l'oeil pieces I sent to Greg for repair. I was not aware of the photo or even the book in which it appeared but was quite pleased to learn of its existence. Some pieces I now own had been repaired before I bought them. And the way I know is that the repairs show. In the case of the repairs Greg has done for me I cannot see any sign of the repairs even though I know exactly where to look. I would not hesitate to use his services in the future."
–Gordon Callahan, Washington, DC
 

"Greg Johnson is the only finisher I have ever been comfortable sending my work to. For the last 25 years I have been trying to make furniture of uncompromised integrity, with an obsessive attention to detail and perfection. It's been just about impossible for me to ever send work outside my shop and immediate control, but with Greg I feel completely confident that the finishing will meet my expectations. Greg brings the highest level of integrity to the profession...the quality of his work is unimpeachable, as are his qualifications and background. I love visiting his studio and seeing what he has under restoration. I'm always amazed at the magic he can work on a piece of furniture that looks like it's been damaged beyond hope, be it a masterpiece or modest antique. But what I value most in Greg is the excellent communication that we have, and the feeling that he takes every aspect of the work as seriously as I do. And I'm a pretty serious guy! The stress level in my life has gone down considerably since I started having Greg do my finishing, and for that I am deeply grateful."
–Richard Scott Newman, Rochester, NY


"Temple Sinai contracted with Johnson Furniture Restoration to have restoration work done on furniture designed and made by Wendell Castle and inscribed W. Castle 68. The specific pieces that were done included a lectern used by Rabbi Katz and the Ark that stores our Torahs on the Bima in our Sanctuary at Temple Sinai. Greg Johnson did a magnificent job, restoring the furniture to their original look and finish. There were cracks in the Ark and lectern that were repaired perfectly. Greg presented the Temple with a detailed estimate and the work was done in a timely manner. I would recommend Johnson Furniture Restoration without hesitation."
–Karen Reese, Rochester, NY