Hello- We just purchased our Eichler in Granada Hills. The last owners did a great job of bringing back the mahogany walls in the living/dining room, but there are several holes where they hung their TV, pictures and lighting fixtures. Does anyone know how to patch these holes without having to replace the entire panel?
Small nail holes can easily be filled in with wood putty. It is hard to match the color so I actually use a combination of three shades: red mahogany, walnut and colonial maple to get the right look. Take a pinch of each and roll them together to make a color blend.
I've had some success fixing larger holes using multiple applications of wood putty. Put a glob in the hole, let it dry for a week or two then lightly sand it down and fill in gaps with another glob of putty... repeat as needed. It can be a bit tricky to fill the hole without pushing the putty all the way through into the wall. Once the hole is filled you can use retor-a-wood to try to blend it in better so it is not too obvious.
Good luck!