hey chris!
thank you so much for your reply.
i think you are right about there being too much reflection. i was trying to emphasize the light coming from the stained windows, but i guess i overdid it.
about the scratches... i was trying to figure out a way to make the faults more apparent along the natural lines and fibers of the wood, and especially in the KNOTS of the wood (which by the way hardly exist in the wood shader 
) which is what seems to happen with real wood.
i finally gave up. the wood does feed into the bump map, and i combined it with some noise as well, but as you see it's still not convincing...
i am such a beginner, that the project cost me a lot of sweat and tears, so i had to take a break from the computer to prevent my whole body going rigid, which is the reason it took me a while to get back to you, and why i won't be able to upload any wireframes in the near future... i'm writing from an internet cafe!!! 
anyway, thanx again. it's a great help.
d
