About the Studio
A Workshop Built Around Second Chances
Kodabo Wuhofo Studio started as a small side project fixing up secondhand chairs for friends. It grew into a full workshop on Burr Ridge Parkway, one refinished tabletop at a time.
How We Got Here
Most of what we know about wood and fabric was learned the slow way, by taking things apart and figuring out why they were falling apart in the first place. A dining chair with a wobbly leg usually has a story: a joint that dried out, glue that gave up decades ago, a repair someone attempted with the wrong kind of screw. We got curious about those stories before we ever thought about starting a business.
What began as weekend work in a garage turned into a proper studio because people kept asking the same question: why buy new furniture when the old piece just needs some attention? That question is still at the center of what we do. Chicago has no shortage of solid, well-made furniture sitting in basements and estate sales, overlooked because the finish looks tired or the fabric is dated. We think that furniture deserves a second look before it deserves a landfill.
What Guides the Work
We try to repair before we replace, even for small parts. A cracked spindle gets glued and clamped if it can be. A drawer that sticks gets planed and waxed rather than swapped for a new box. This slows some projects down, but it keeps more of the original piece intact, which matters if the furniture has history attached to it.
We are also fairly picky about materials. Stains and topcoats are chosen for durability as much as looks, since a finish that chips within a year defeats the purpose of restoring something in the first place. Fabric selections lean toward performance weaves for anything that will see daily use, though we carry linens and velvets too for pieces that are more decorative than functional.
Finishes We Work With
Hand-rubbed oils, brushed lacquer, chalk paint, milk paint, and cabinet-grade enamel, mixed and tested on-site before application.
Fabrics We Offer
Performance weaves, linens, velvets, and boucle in a wide color range, plus the option to bring your own fabric to the project.
Furniture We Handle
Dining chairs, tables, desks, cabinets, dressers, sofas, loveseats, and select antique or heirloom pieces.
Where We Work
Based in Chicago, serving homeowners across the surrounding suburbs with pickup and delivery service.
Two sets of hands on a single cabinet restoration, checking the finish under natural light before the final coat.
A Note on Timing
Restoration work is not always fast, and we try to be upfront about that. A simple refinish might take a week or two. A full reupholstery job with custom fabric on order can take longer, particularly if the fabric has to ship in from a supplier. We would rather give an honest timeline than a rushed one, since the whole point of this work is doing it properly.