Beauty from a Beast

This past week several pieces of furniture that seemed to have serious problems turned out to be real treasures and, in one case, was the impetus to explore offering another level of beautifully restored Redeux vintage furniture.

The first piece to drive me a bit crazy was a compact chest or console (see the "before photo above and the "after" photo at top of this Posting). Very different from most anything I’ve had so far, this piece mixes woods – solids and veneers, styles – carved drawer fronts mixed with carved and molding details elsewhere, and turnings. And somehow it all comes together into a really eye-catching piece of art furniture. The first problem encountered was the chipped top veneer. Having experienced this before with other pieces such as “The Three-Legged Dog” (see previous posting), this piece had something about it that demanded it be saved and preserved as best as possible rather than scraped. This required first a very careful removal of years of old shellac / varnish. Next was re-staining the top and applying several coats of shellac. The top was then finished with a hand waxing. The drawers, once so badly covered in grime that the type of wood could not be determined, were restored to reveal the carvings and moldings. The base, with its wonderfully turned legs, was likewise restored. This piece will be fitted with a glass top to protect it for years to come.


Restored and immediately placed with a new home was a coffee table with carved legs and leather top. Several days in the Redeux Spa fixed a mahogany top that had been badly damaged by water / liquids and rejuvenated the leather top that had wear and tear typical of 60 -70 years or older leather. The Redhead was sorry to see this baby leave.

One of the benefits of Redeux is the interaction with all of you. Ideas, suggestions and lots of encouragement have been given to me and all of it is appreciated. Last week Gina came by to look at several painted pieces. While looking at them she noticed the tall dresser that seems to have a Dutch influenced design, stained a brown-orange (sounds odd but really works well with this piece) but has a painted top. It is the top that does not work and has been awaiting just the right approach to fixing it. Gina suggested painting a design on it rather than a solid color. The “Aha” moment had arrived. Next week a noted area folk-artist will take a look at it and we’ll come up with a solution that will make this piece a one-of-a-kind treasure. If interested in this piece let me know.


Recently arrived at Redeux are:


A very nice secretary desk made by the old Maddox Tables and Colonial Reproductions of Jamestown, NY. It’s in very nice condition and has the key to lock the top and each of the drawers!


A drop leaf gate-leg table will be undergoing the treatment soon. This piece promises to be a real beauty.

Finding a Bent Bros. chair is always nice and I just found a nice little maple chair that has some nice turnings. Bent Chair Company went out of business about ten years ago and is yet another of the great Gardner, MA furniture manufacturers gone forever.


For those having an office or classroom setting and in need of a filing cabinet, I have one for you. Made of oak with a glass front, this cabinet stands about six feet high and has storage below the numbered file slots. Artists and collectors may find this piece useful, too. Beautiful and different!

Bring the spa to your home with an “Astro-Bilt” make–up table and chair. Dating from the early 1950’s, ladies can paint their nails using the convenient swing out arm rests for ultimate comfort! It comes with a nice low-backed chair.

If you have a piece of Redeux furniture we'd love to have a picture of it where you now have it and are using it. Stop by with a photo anytime or just email it to me. The Redhead and I would enjoy having a display showing where all our little treasures have found new homes and new uses!

As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcomed and appreciated.

Looking forward to seeing you very soon!

Bill

Past Mistakes

Have you ever made a mistake and not been aware of it? Or done something wrong and just couldn’t figure out how to make it right? Sometimes, it may take one hundred years or so for somebody to find out.

Recently, I picked up a rather interesting oak china cabinet. It seemed to be about a century old and more of a “country “piece than a fancy display cabinet. Oddities were everywhere found – inside and out. Small nails had been hammered into the inside back of the cabinet along the top edge. Something had been hung on these nails. Could it have possibly been dipped candles being suspended by their strings? Below these nails were also numerous tacks - all in a straight line along the back and side boards. A scrap of tell-tale paper, still affixed to a tack and wedged into a seam, gave away their purpose. Someone, a long time ago, felt the inside of the cabinet needed to be “gussied up”. Tack up some decorative paper and…Voila!

Yet, what nagged at me most was the fact that the cabinet doors just could not latch. The small cast iron hook just didn’t stay up in order to grab the lip of the retaining plate. Perhaps an interior spring had broken. Nowhere could I locate a replacement part for this piece. So, the next best thing would be to try to make one. So, off came the iron hook for closer inspection. A small retaining pin held the hook and base parts together and was easily removed. No springs. Nothing. The hook was end-weighted so that it simply dropped down. But, it needed to go upwards to catch the retaining plate.

Now, Mrs. Giblin did not raise a fool. It did not take me all day to figure that the hook had to be reversed in order to drop and that the retaining plate had to be on top of the shelf – not under it. Had somebody incorrectly changed the position of the hook when, perhaps, cleaning the cabinet doors? No. It had been installed that way from the day it was built - upside down. And, the original owner/builder just could not figure it out. That accounted for the eye and hook they later added to keep the door closed. 100 years to discover a mistake that must have bothered several generations.

Finding that mistake led to something else…the realization that this cabinet, with its quirks and oddities, was hand made -this was no production piece.

 

Sometimes it’s the flaws that make something special, one-of-a kind, something to be treasured and more valuable.

Stop by soon,

Bill

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