When someone only sees a furniture item before it is renewed or after it is renewed, there is no perspective of how considerable and how impressive the transformation has been. This and the other galleries in this section show several of the transformations we have had a hand in creating.
This is a beautiful marble topped solid mahogany entry table. The lyre design is a characteristic element of Duncan Phyfe styling. The really interesting thing about this piece is that the marble is the characteristic marble pattern preferred in the nineteenth century and not one commonly used in the mid twentieth century when this piece was made.
Some boxes had been sitting on top of the marble when there was an unexpected source of water coming down from above! The marble became dirty and discolored and the water that pooled on the harp and base below badly discolored the finish. We removed the damaged finish, cleaned the marble and refinished the base. We think it turned out quite well. How about you?
One other interesting note is that almost all the color in the finished piece below was simply the wood, sanded and wetted by the finish. Dry and before sanding it looks yellow and bleached out.
We love to see both the transformation that can take place on hopeless looking pieces of furniture and the delight this brings to the owners.
This pair of night stands appeared destined for the dumpster. However the owner had the hope that there might still be something nice hidden behind the badly marred surface.
She was right! As you can see, once the damaged finish was removed, the wood still looked very attractive.
After stripping, the only remaining damage was oil spotting on the top surfaces which you can see in the photo above. It was a challenge to draw the oil out sufficiently to obtain an evenly colored appearance after staining. To the right you can see we were successful.
Our customer wanted the most natural appearance possible. We used a "natural" stain which adds just a hint of an amber tone but more importantly accentuates the contrasts in the grain pattern.
The original designer made brilliant choices, a beautiful and dramatic cut for the tops, a book matched, almost "flame" pattern for the drawer fronts, surrounded by the contrasting pattern of the yellow prima vera band of veneer.
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Now that you have seen what we have done for others, what can we do for you? CONTACTING AND FINDING US
We are impressed with imaginative ways of combining concepts to create something new. Think lazy susan mixed with lamp table in this piece of furniture. Drawers and cubbys surround the perimeter of this table. When what you want is on the other side, what do you do? In this case, simply rotate the top and it is right next to you. Great idea! Possibly not a great lamp table though, if your lamp has a cord.
In addition to refinishing this table, we rebuilt the top, it was coming apart, and we replaced the leather top.
The dark colored crown had been stored separately from the rest. The hanging goose was a typical decoration from this era. We finished it with walnut crystals and a satin finish.
Especially when there has been damage to a part, often a top, just that part needs to be refinished. Matching any existing finish is a challenge, especially when it is a decorative finish as this one was. What makes it decorative (and more challenging)? All the darkened stripey lines are glazed highlights. In addition, a speckley distressing effect was added. Creating the fairly bright base underneath these effects was also essential.
After some of the other refinishing jobs we have presented, this can seem pretty ordinary. For the customer who brought this in it was important and that made it important to us as well. Removing paint and finishing with a wood finish is a very common request but we haven't yet found a customer who is common, everyone is very unique! In a good way. And we want to help them accomplish their unique goals for their furniture.