Hold My Wine Refinishing & Restoration, LLC

09/11/2026

SOLD!

09/11/2026

I am so excited to be part of this special event!

Meet the ReIMAGINEERS for the Inaugural ReStore Your Passion Event. Shannon Oakes is the owner of "Hold My W**e Refinishing and Restoration." When we were looking for makers and designers for our first RYP event, Shannon was a shoo-in. She spends her days bringing life to old furniture. Her designs blend form and function. We can't wait to see what she creates with her item from the ReStore. You'll want to see this!

Learn more at: https://loom.ly/kgHaURg

09/11/2026

✨ From loved… to loved again. ✨

This beautiful vintage Baker Furniture piece, featuring gorgeous burl wood, just received a little restoration love and is ready to shine again. 🩷

This one was especially meaningful because it belongs to a client in Granger who has absolutely loved this piece over the years. In her words, it’s her baby. 🥰

The top had unfortunately picked up some dye while she was working on a flower project, leaving behind some unwanted color and buildup. Thankfully, we were able to carefully remove it and bring that beautiful burl wood back to life.

There’s something so rewarding about restoring a piece that already has a special place in someone’s home and heart. I’m so happy we could give this one the fresh start it deserved while preserving the character that made her love it in the first place.

Because sometimes, you don’t need a new piece—you just need to restore the one you already love. 🩷

09/11/2026

✨ She's Beautiful! ✨

This stunning antique curio cabinet just received a little love and is headed back home to a Middlebury Client. 🩷

This was a particularly fun piece because there was so much beautiful wood grain hiding underneath years of history.

I carefully repaired some issues then, stripped the cabinet using acetone and denatured alcohol, followed by a light sanding to prepare the wood while preserving its character.

I then finished it with Aged Barrel stain and sealed it with Satin Polyurethane for a durable finish that still allows the beauty of the wood to shine through. I then did a light antiquing touch up with Annie Sloan US black wax.

And just look at that grain! 😍

The carved details, curved glass, original mirrors, elegant hardware and those gorgeous legs are what make antique furniture so special. My goal wasn't to make this piece look new—it was to bring it back to life while honoring what made it beautiful in the first place.

And because I'm always keeping it real around here… 😂 My new garage is still a work in progress, and the lighting just isn't the same as my dining room for the final photos.

So, the first photo you see here is a little help from AI to give it a prettier setting. Because behind every pretty finished photo is usually a garage, a sander, a pile of tools… and a woman covered in sawdust. 😂

I'm not just refinishing furniture. I'm preserving stories. 🩷

09/07/2026

Happy to be working in my garage today - even on a holiday. I love the flexibility of being a small business owner.🥰

09/03/2026

A Little Appreciation for the People Behind the Scenes ❤️

Today I want to give a very special shout-out to my brother-in-law, Kevin. He has become one of the people my husband and I can count on when it comes to hauling, loading, unloading, and moving furniture. And let me tell you… some of these pieces are NOT exactly lightweight! 😂

Kevin has given his time, his muscles, and more than a few hours of his life to help make my little business possible. But more than that, every time he shows up to help, he’s helping me carry a little piece of the dream. And that means more to me than he probably realizes. ❤️

I also want to say thank you to Amy and Brielle. Because every time Kevin helps us, that means time away from his own family—and I never take that for granted.

Small businesses are often built with the help of people who never get their names on the sign, and Kevin, Amy, and Brielle are absolutely part of the team behind mine.

Thank you, all three of you, for supporting me, supporting Tony, and supporting this crazy little dream of mine. I appreciate you more than you know. ❤️

09/03/2026

A Small Change to My In-Home Estimate Policy ❤️

As my little business continues to grow, I’ve had to take a closer look at how I’m spending my time—and, as a one-woman business, my time is a pretty important part of what I have to offer. 😊

In the past, I’ve been happy to travel to South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, lower Michigan, and surrounding areas to provide complimentary in-home estimates for custom furniture refinishing projects.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that I’m often spending an hour or more traveling, plus fuel and time away from the workshop, only to have the project ultimately not move forward. While I completely understand that sometimes the estimate simply doesn’t fit someone’s budget or plans, I also need to be mindful of the time that takes away from the pieces currently in my shop.

So, moving forward, I’m making a small change:

🪑 In-home estimates within Elkhart County will remain complimentary.

🚗 For custom refinishing consultations requiring me to travel outside of Elkhart County, there will be a $60 consultation/travel fee. If you choose to move forward with your project, the full $60 consultation fee will be credited toward your final invoice.

That $60 covers my time, travel, and fuel to come to you, look over your piece in person, discuss your ideas, answer questions, and provide a detailed estimate for the work.

And as always, there is absolutely no obligation to book the project after the consultation. I completely understand that budgets, plans, and circumstances change. ❤️

This change simply allows me to continue providing the personalized, one-on-one service I’m known for while also making sure I’m being fair to my business and the time I put into each project.

Thank you, as always, for understanding and for supporting my little furniture-restoring adventure. Every piece I work on is important to me, and I’m incredibly grateful that you trust me with your family treasures. ❤️

— Shannon

08/27/2026

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! I'm in my happy place and finally getting to work on this beauty. I have been itching to restore her!!

08/27/2026

Goshen Historic Elkhart County Courthouse - Chairs, Chairs, and more Chairs

The first dozen are complete. These are vintage chairs getting a light color refinishing to match the darker-original interior of the space.

08/26/2026

Talk about being unapologetically who you are. ❤️

Smart. Talented. Prodigious. Tenacious. Funny. Outspoken. Ambitious. Completely unmistakable.

Dolly Parton never made herself smaller to make other people more comfortable. She leaned into the hair, the clothes, the voice, the humour, the business brain — all of it.

And underneath all that fabulousness is a woman who knew exactly what she was capable of and backed herself.

There’s something wonderful about a woman who decides she doesn’t need to tone herself down, tidy herself up or become more palatable.

Be clever. Be ambitious. Be ridiculous. Be serious. Be soft. Be formidable.

Just don’t waste your life trying to be easier for other people to digest.

RIP ❤️