The Refinishing Touch Blog

While enjoying the latest issue of Hospitality Design Magazine, I noticed a few trends.


It seems that plush fabrics, loud colors, and smooth lines are all in vogue. Granite in hotel rooms is becoming more common than in previous years, particularly lighter colored granite. Clean profiles were also consistent among guest suites, with bold pieces of art being the main focal point. Bright colors, such as bold reds and rich browns were common across all interior design content within the publication, but the most important color in interior design is green - people are concerned about the environment, and they are concerned about expense.

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we have some ideas of our own. The thing is, you don't need to run out and buy new furniture when redesigning a room - you can use what you've already got. Whether its hotel furniture, motel furniture, university dorm furniture, or casino furniture, it can be re-imagined to fit in with your design aesthetic. It's not a matter of simply touching up the furniture - a splash of paint here, a dab there isn't enough - we totally re-engineer the piece, and our techniques are specific to each individual project. The result is furniture that's not just as good as new. It pretty much is new.

Quality furniture, environmentally friendly furniture, cheaper furniture, furniture that adds value to its home - those are the trends we continue to follow.

Labels: About The Refinishing Touch, Green, Hospitality, saving money, trends

Tonight Monday, July 28th at 7pm EDT, The Refinishing Touch will be featured on the Discovery Channel's Planet Green network! We will appear on the new show called the G Word in an episode about "Chemical Cleanup" showcasing how TRT modifies armoires for the hospitality industry as well as our strategies to help them minimize their carbon footprint.


The G Word is a great new show dedicated to giving viewers advice for better environmental living. We filmed the piece with the Planet Green network in Anaheim, CA at the Crowne Plaza resort, where we were completing armoire modifications for the hotel. We were able to give G Word's, Evette Rios, a hands-on demonstration of how we modify an armoire efficiently and environmentally friendly, all on site.

Working with Scott Mathews, the general manager of the property, as well as the G Word's team of field producers and host was an experience of a lifetime. We are eager to see the segment this evening and excited share our mission to help companies not only save their bottom line but also help them become greener in their business operations. Please watch and let us know what you think!

Labels: About The Refinishing Touch, Green

It all started back in the 70's when Mario Insenga, the Principal of The Refinishing Touch (TRT) was just finishing his undergrad at Arizona State University. Mentor and Friend, the late Mr. Paul Franklin, suggested that he should peruse a career in the furniture restoration business.

Mario grew up as a 3rd generation musical instrument restoration expert, which gave him the talent and drive to succeed in the furniture restoration industry. At Mr. Franklin's proposition, Mario took on the task of restoring 40 hotels nationwide. The soft business that started in the 80's out of a Dodge station wagon blossomed into something a lot more complex.

Through relocating to the east coast, some trial and error, and some good contacts, The Refinishing Touch began to take on its name as a company. In the early 90's, TRT had a strong presence in the hospitality and university industries. From Five Star Hotels to State Universities, TRT was on the map and out of the station wagon.

In the 90's, Mario's vision moved towards government housing, while simultaneously functioning in university and hospitality industries. In 1998 TRT was awarded its first Federal Government schedule. During the Clinton - Bush transition, TRT had the honor of refinishing and restoring furniture in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

What started as a college student finding his way in life has grown into a prosperous business venture. The Refinishing Touch influences social change while promoting industry and the environment.

To learn more about The Refinishing Touch visit our About Page

Labels: About The Refinishing Touch

The Refinishing Touch is a furniture asset management company that has been in service for over 30 years. We specialize in the hospitality, government, and university markets, restoring and maintaining resources. The Refinishing Touch's home base is in Alpharetta, GA, a suburb of Atlanta, but we operate all over the United States and overseas. Our day-to-day expertise is on-site furniture restoration, ranging from reengineering existing assets to upholstery and armoire modification.


The Principal, R. Mario Insenga, started TRT in 1977, taking the new furniture industry by surprise. Over 20,000 customers have been serviced by TRT, saving money and the environment at the same time.

The mission at TRT is to help business owners make an educated decision about asset management. The Refinishing Touch is based on financial, legal, and environmental principals.

Financially, our projects make sense. Saving money is one of the biggest concerns of the average business owner and our projects save them up to 80%. Instant ROI is a feature of our practices that not many companies have. Return on investment is crucial to maintaining a successful business, and we, at The Refinishing Touch, help business owners meet instant ROI goals.

Legally, our practices support USC Title 40, Executive Order 13101, the Pollution Prevention Act, the Clean Air Act, and ISO 14001. Our procedures are not only financially responsible, but legally conscientious as well.

Environmentally, we reduce the carbon footprint, save trees, and save air and water. We use environmentally friendly chemistry to refurbish furniture. Smog and particulate matter is also reduced by using our services. We are the winner of the prestigious GSA Evergreen Award for innovative and environmentally friendly practices. See our environmental impact by clicking here.

At the Refinishing Touch, we think both inside and outside the box. We would like to welcome you to our blog and invite you to share your ideas and thoughts with us.

Labels: About The Refinishing Touch

About the Green Team

The Green Team is made up of employees at The Refinishing Touch's headquarters, from accounting to marketing personnel. We are excited to share our ideas and insight on every aspect of our work here at TRT and we look forward to becoming more in touch with our clients' thoughts and ideas.

We will write about news around the TRT offices, furniture refinishing and management topics, as well as topics relating to our University, Government, and Hospitality projects.

We always want to hear from you so if you have any questions or ideas, please comment on any post.


About Mario

Mario Insenga is the founder and President of The Refinishing Touch.

Mario serves as a member of the GSA National Furniture Center QPC Board of Directors. Mario leads The Refinishing Touch in successfully completing projects ranging from large hotel groups and universities to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. In the past 30 years, The Refinishing Touch has restored over 1.5 million rooms of furniture.

Over the years, Mr. Insenga combined his broad knowledge of furniture remediation with his experience in asset management to change the face of unmanaged and unplanned furniture assets. Mario will blog about his thoughts on asset management, environmental issues, and his expertise in various industries.

We would like to welcome you to our blog and invite you to share your ideas and thoughts with us.

Labels: About The Refinishing Touch