Uncovered Beauty

Last week’s reopening of the Redeux garage after the long winter was a great success. Many friends from last year stopped by and quite a few new faces were drawn to the shop when they saw the activity going on inside. Seeing you all, having a chat and sometimes having a cup of tea is really part of the fun at Redeux.


Lately, we’ve had quite a few folks asking about queen sized bed frames. Since they are the most popular bed size in the U.S. today, most folks hold on to them or pass them down. Thus, we see less of them on the secondary market. Twin size beds are very commonly found for a variety of reasons. But, the main reason that Redeux does not usually have them is that they are too “new”. The Simmons Company introduced the first standardized queen sized mattress in 1958. At Redeux we have “vintage” furniture. I’d like to keep thinking that vintage still means older than me! The Redhead has her own thoughts on that.

Just acquired is an interesting little make-up table with chair. It is made mostly of pine and has a lovely golden patina of a natural finish. Made by “Aristo-Bilt” furniture, one of the first and best made “self-assembled” furniture companies in the USA. Introduced in 1941, the “Aristo-Bilt” brand was first registered in 1947. This was likely due to being engaged in other manufacturing during the war years. Aristo-Bilt remained a popular and sought after furniture line through the 1950’s or so. This piece is in overall wonderful condition with a minor flaw at the bottom of one leg – the likely result of someone’s or something’s teething. This piece should be ready by next week.

Completed this week is a really nice cabinet / bookcase. When first found, it was black with age and grime and had some unsightly scratches on the top. It appeared to be mahogany but it was difficult to tell. Well, after stripping off the old varnish and grime and some very judicious sanding of the deep scratches (I avoid sanding on real antiques and important pieces and use this method sparingly on some vintage furniture), a real little beauty was uncovered. The mahogany has a beautiful patina and an unexpected raised detail appliqué of what seems to be burled maple highlights the front on either side of the glass door. A light stain was added to bring out the beauty of both wood types and small castor wheels were added on the bottom for additional functionality. The piece was then given a hand-waxed finish. Lovely!

This week Redeux will be open from
11:00 A.M. until 5:30 P.M. Wednesday through Friday.
This Saturday we will be open only until 12:00 noon.

I hope to see you soon!

Bill

Redeux is Back

Winter’s gone. Spring is here. The birds are back and so is Redeux!The Redeux “Garage” will open its doors for the new season again Friday morning, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st at 9:00 A.M.

From then on you can stop by the Redeux workshop

Wednesday through Friday 12:00 - 5:30 P.M.
Saturday 9:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

Remember to look for the signs or call 203-414-1727!

There are lots of interesting pieces including dressers, chests, cabinets, bookcases, coffee tables and chairs that have been refinished and restored these past few months. Also, there are a number of other pieces still being worked on – some to be painted. For these, color choices are still available.

During the past several months I have been busy not only working on the several pieces found during this past winter but also learning some new techniques and researching American furniture companies. It’s been a journey into the past and a look into the future.

Amesbury, Massachusetts is home to Chatham Furniture. Owner Paul Kapela and his partner, Russell recently gave me a tour of the factory. We went from the lumber receiving room to the assembly and finishing areas to the final inspection and shipping areas. Quality materials, skilled craftsmanship and attention to every detail were evident in each piece of furniture bearing the Chatham name. Because of my interest in restoring older furniture, I really wanted to see just how a Chatham piece was put together. Modern, state of the art, wood working machinery produces parts with incredible precision. Sanding is done in such a way that even the unfinished wood parts have a glass-like smoothness. Special stains and finishes are applied by a master craftsman. Each piece during manufacturing is inspected and re-inspected for quality. American materials. American craftsman. An American company. We own a piece of Chatham furniture – bought before ever having met Paul. It is, simply, one of the finest pieces of furniture I’ve ever owned. Having seen how it was made and having met the folks who made it makes it an even more treasured piece. To view the Chatham Furniture catalog click here: Chatham Furniture

Paul or one of his assistants will happily answer your email enquiries about contacting a nearby Chatham dealer.

On another note, the famous and excellent Nichols and Stone Chair Company of Gardner, Massachusetts is no longer. Its designs and logo were sold to another company which may manufacture overseas. However, the quality of Nichols and Stone is gone forever. And, so are the jobs of its workers. The factory was demolished this past December. Redeux Vintage American Furniture will do everything possible to acquire and restore furniture from this wonderful American company.


I cannot say too often how important it is for us, all of us, to “Buy American”.  Please, support American manufacturing.

Hope you can stop by this weekend. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again!

Best regards,
Bill

Adopting a Dog

Taking refinishing lessons from Gary Wood, master- wood worker from New Hampshire, has been a two-edged sword. Stains, dyes, waxes and every conceivable type of finish are part of the tools of his trade. Blending age-old techniques and materials with modern knowledge and his own formulas, Wood brings unexpected life to every piece of furniture he touches. Learning from him has been both an invaluable experience and a reminder of how much more there is to learn.

One of my more recent finds was the dresser that was mentioned in a recent Redeux blog post. That piece has benefited from Woods’ instruction and has also taught me a few lessons.

Used and abused, this piece of furniture had so many issues that after it was really inspected it came close to being abandoned for scrap. Close, but not quite.

The top, as shown in the photos, was damaged with burns, had its finish damaged with various liquids and was stained. The frame had come loose as did also the drawers. An assortment of nails and screws had been inserted here and there over the decades and the original drawer hardware had been replaced with some type of appliance or auto door handles. Lovely. When it was picked up must have been a day I wanted a real challenge or thought it would be a better substitute than adopting a stray dog - which The Redhead has been hinting at. At least this dog had no fleas!

The first step at restoration was stripping the old finish then strengthening and re-setting the frame. Next was filling the various holes and then on to the burn mark and stain remediation. This was done by a combination of judicious sanding (only as a last resort) and applying several colors of oil-based wood stain. This took a surprising bit of time and effort. Next, came applying several coats of shellac. Using techniques taught by Wood, the dresser really started to look like something. The finish was completed by adding a hand-rubbed wax top-coat.

Still bearing some healed scars like a battle tested warrior, this dresser went from junk yard dog to a lovely piece of vintage furniture... ready again for many years of service!

Oh, and the biggest lesson this piece taught me? Never, ever, pick out pieces for Redeux the same day that The Redhead has been talking about rescuing an unwanted dog!

Other pieces about to be restored are a small drop-leaf side table, a wheeled serving cart and a chiffarobe. This last piece will be painted. If you have been looking for a piece like this and have a color choice let me know. Also just in is an interesting mahogany coffee table. This piece has a leather inlay top and very interesting carved legs. It appears to be at least 70 years old.

Spring seems just around the corner and with it comes the return to the garage shop. If you are thinking about picking up a nice piece of vintage furniture for the spring you may want to check out our current inventory now. It would be worthwhile to us both!

Remember – when the Rocking Chair sign is out in front…I’m hard at work inside. Stop by, say hello and see what’s being given the Redeux treatment!

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Bill

Avoiding Furniture Damage

Refinishing and restoring furniture reveals that most defects, blemishes and damage can be corrected or at least minimized. Doing so while still protecting and preserving the initial integrity and antique or vintage quality of a piece requires much thought, skill and understanding of what, exactly, a piece is. It is interesting, too, to find how much damage is often done to furniture by either neglect or willingly. The vintage piece I am currently working on is a prime example of both types of damage often found by furniture restorers.

Initially, most apparent was the damage visible to the dresser's top and the improper installation of drawer hardware. The top damage seems to be the result of perfumes and other liquids having an alcohol base spilling and leaking onto the wood surface. Besides damaging the varnish / shellac finish, there is some stain damage to the underlying wood. This is likely the result of some of the spilled products having had a tint added to their ingredients or of having sat in one place on the dresser for an extended time. Other discovered damage included holes drilled into the drawer fronts to accommodate the mismatched hardware, duct tape used to secure loose drawer bottoms and some nails used to strengthen drawer joints. All of this damage was very unnecessary.

Here are some simple tips in order to avoid some of these very common problems on your own furniture:

Always use a make-up tray to store your perfumes, lotions, after-shaves, etc. These can be very simple trays or more elaborate, decorative trays with glass, mirrored or stone bottoms. Whatever the material, the bottoms of the tray should be non-porous.

Never place a hot or cold cup or glass on furniture. Always use coasters or pads.

Tighten drawer pulls and handles properly. Loose hardware can damage the furniture finish when it moves from side to side.

If a drawer is loose do not nail it. Instead, use the correct type of glue: carpenters glue or hide glue. Never use “crazy glue” or duct tape on your furniture.

Use a quality furniture polish or wax sparingly on your furniture. Avoid using products with silicone. They do make the wood look shiny but they also choke it. Mostly, dusting is sufficient with only periodic, once or twice per year, polishing or waxing.

If you have any questions about what to do with a particular piece call me or stop by. Remember to look for the Redeux Rocking Chair sign out front. When it's up...I'm in. Stop and say hello!

Now, back to the Redeux Spa to continue restoring my newest treasure!

Getting off the rocker

Have you ever come to the realization that too large an amount of time has passed while you were distracted from what you were supposed to be doing? Exactly that happened while moving the furniture to the Redeux “winter quarters”.

Had I known how much stuff had been accumulated in the workroom and how long it would take to get rid of or organize, I would have started in August rather than December! It wasn’t a complete loss, however. A photo album of the kids when they were little (how did that get there?) and a few other interesting tidbits were found, making the effort all worthwhile. In addition, an older Oreck air filter was found and put into use again. The “Redeux workroom” has never been better.

During these past few weeks I also managed to take a class on wood finishes with a master wood worker/restorer from Vermont. Several interesting tips, methods and insights, as well as being introduced to some great materials – waxes, stains and various sandpapers, made the time spent very worthwhile.

Now, back to work. I need it.

Working with the furniture has always been a pleasure. But, it has become more. Each piece I touch brings thoughts of the many folks that built it and then used it over the many decades. When it leaves Redeux, each piece begins a new life. And I wonder, where it will be and who will be using it 20, 40 or 100 years from now.

Redeux started as a hobby. Each of you has made it a gift.

Since getting back to work a nice little oak chest has been given the “Redeux treatment”. A new set of period-correct hardware pulls were also installed. There is some checking and board shrinkage on the top that adds character. See the photo.

Just in is a dresser that appears to be 80-100 years old. It has legs with wheels and a small top crown. The current hardware is not original and does not match. After re-working it, this piece will be given proper hardware. It may be made of cherry, but, only after some work will I be able to tell. It’s very nice, with graceful, simple lines.

Several of you on the list have asked when you can come around and take a look at some pieces. The idea of putting the tag sale sign in front of the garage doors did not work well. So, give me a call to arrange a time. Or, if passing by, look for the red sign with a rocking chair hanging in front of the garage. Then, I’m inside working away. Come around to the back or ring the front doorbell. Again, this is only for you folks that have been by before and are on the list.

I look forward to seeing you and... tea is always on!

Bill