Feeling Mahvelus, Dahling

Feeling Mahvelus’, Dahling!

So said the newest Redeux beauty queen upon returning from her Spa makeover, the former Three Legged Dog. Spifffed up, with a newly finished top of four layered coats of paint and new wooden knobs, in addition to her old brass pulls (a girl can’t give up everything!), the TLG is now, Lady Redeux. Come, say hello to the girl!

Several new additions have come into the shop and, since the weather has been great, many have been restored and ready for their new homes. A country style pine chest with a nice green finish is a bright new item. Also in is an 1890 – 1925 era compact oak chest with a pickled, natural finish. It would be a great piece for a hall or guest room. Awaiting makeovers are an oak dresser that will be stripped and refinished and a charming country pine chest that likely will be painted. I could be persuaded to strip this one and refinish it with a stain instead. If interested, stop by and take a look within the next few days and put in a request for color or to have it refinished.

A very different cedar chest has come in this week. It has footed legs and a painted floral design on the front. It is a bit taller than our previous chest and would make an interesting hall settee or bedroom piece. This will need some work, although it is very strong and intact structurally. Unusual.

An older Hale Furniture Nursing Rocker has come in and is again ready for rockin’ that little baby. It is quite comfortable and would also make a nice occasional chair. It’s really nice and has what appears to be the original finish.

Because of several requests, the chiffarobe that is in the shop may be repainted a different color. Some want a pastel. Some think a dark green color, matching the newly re-finished Berkley & Gay dresser would be stunning. One other suggestion was a unique Country Red. If you liked this great piece but felt the present off-white color just wasn't right for you, call or stop in ASAP and let me know which color would work best.

Thanks to all of you for making Redeux such a wonderful way for me to spend time with great old furniture and new friends. Stop by and say hello... Tea is on!

Bill

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beatiful!

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful!

This was the message given to all the other pieces of furniture at Redeux as the Berkley & Gay dresser emerged from her week at the Redeux Spa. With her complete facelift and brilliantly restored hardware “bling”, it is no wonder that the former B&G dresser prefers now to be referred to as simply, “Rula Lenska”.

Redeux has gotten in several new dressers and cabinets. Most date from the early 1900’s and one, perhaps, the late 1800’s. Each is very interesting and is of different woods. A dresser with an “Art Deco” type of inlay on the front and a tilting mirror is really dramatic. One or two of these pieces are candidates for either painting or restoring to a natural wood finish. One pine chest in particular, after a trip to the Redeux Spa, could easily give “Rula” a run for her money. Stop by. If a piece interests you there is time to talk about finish options.

The Three Legged Dog is currently undergoing the full treatment. This will be a great piece for either an entryway or room.

Thanks to all who responded to my question about what to do during the winter months. There was a 100% vote to continue throughout the cold weather. So, Redeux will be open on the lower level of our home, but only for folks on this list or those they refer. Details will soon follow

Hope to see you soon. Stop by, see the new pieces and say hello to Rula!

Bill

Birdseye. Maple that is. Soft, golden yellow with wonderful patina and graining, this birdseye maple chest and dresser set is a rare find. They appear to date from the 1930’s to very early 40’s (the New Haven furniture company that originally sold them closed in 1949). Both have pivoting, beveled mirrors set between a pair of tall, gracefully curved mountings. The legs have wheels. This is truly the most interesting dresser and chest set Redeux has had. It was a real pleasure bringing these beauties back to life!

This past week the Wanamaker secretary desk was given a bit of a new look. Solid, with lots of character this desk can hold books, curios, mementoes and lots of other things in its many cubby holes and drawers. The Victorian cylinder roll top desk would also be a great addition to any office or study. Just in is a compact, Governor Winthrop style, slant-top desk. It may be restored by early next week. For all those of you that have asked for this style desk – stop by soon to see if it fits your needs.

A small, simple bookcase has come in and is now ready. It has been stained and given two coats of shellac. Also, a child’s rocker has been refinished. It has a rustic look with a slat seat. It would also be ideal for a little girl’s doll.

The Berkley & Gay dresser and the “3 legged dog” chest are still a source of bafflement for how to proceed with refinishing. The prep work has been completed on the Berkley piece and the final finishing choices are being narrowed down. Thanks to all of you that have stopped by and shared your thoughts.

Several new pieces are scheduled to come in by this weekend. Whenever I go about seeking new pieces for Redeux your wish list comes with me and hopefully that list will continue to be fulfilled.

I need your thoughts to help me make a decision that must be made soon. With winter coming in a few months (yes, only a few weeks ago the heat was stifling) it will be impossible to do the refinishing and display the furniture in the Redeux garage when the temperature drops below a certain point. I expect it will be late November when the temps drop to that level. These past several months have been really wonderful. So many beautiful pieces have been restored and have found new homes. So many of you have become “regulars” at Redeux and I always look forward to our chats about the furniture, design, history, literature and so much more. So, when the cold weather comes I must make a decision to A) stop everything until spring and then open again. B) Continue to work and display the furniture in our home's lower level. Doing this would require that I be “open” only for those folks that have already stopped by the Redeux garage and are on this mailing list. The inventory would be limited. But, the question is, would you be comfortable with this type of setup – coming into the lower level of the house? This set-up would last until about March.


Please let us know your honest thoughts on this by either stopping by or sending me an email. Please!

Stop by. See what’s new at Redeux. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to do something that is so very enjoyable – restoring beautiful American-made furniture and finding them new homes. Hope to see you soon.

Bill

Three Legged Dog To Be Revived!

Make hay while the sun shines was certainly the motivation this week at the Redeux garage. With a drop in the humidity and a break in the excessive heat these past couple of days, progress was made in restoring several pieces of furniture.

Finally the chiffarobe has been painted! Selected as the color was a nice, soft ivory. The small carved detailing shows nicely and the overall appearance is much more inviting than the previous darker wood. The vintage character still remains, yet it now has a completely different look that will be a great addition to many rooms and uses. Thanks again to The Redhead for her help in color choice and to our friend, Jeanne Boyd for suggesting to add more depth to the color. I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

The other piece that has been completed is the small mahogany side table. Having classic lines and a lyre design at the ends, this piece has been stripped of its old, darkened shellac and given a hand-rubbed oil finish. The graining shows beautifully.

After weeks of hair pulling (not easy for me) I’ve decided how to proceed with restoring the Berkeley & Gay chest of drawers. Manufactured by a prestigious American company, this chest had seen lots of wear and some tear. Yet, it remains intact and the details and carvings add real character. But, I knew refinishing this piece was going to be a problem. My friend and on-call furniture historian, Rachel Casillo, suggested painting it in a period accurate color. A selection of 1920’s colors is being examined and surface restoration / preparation is fully under way. While a shade of blue is the strongest contender right now, other colors may go equally well. If you are thinking of adding an interesting accent or bedroom piece to your home you may want to consider this Berkeley & Gay beauty. Stop by this weekend or within the next few days or so to take a look.

Just arrived is a compact sideboard. It appears to be made of walnut and date from 1900-1925 or so. This should be ready within the week. At about 42 inches long, it’s perfect for entryways or a cozy dining room. An unusual find!

A three legged dog. That’s how my little yellow chest has been described. But, the skeptics are wrong! I see an elegant piece with beautiful lines. She’s strong with graceful curves and has all four legs. This will be a challenge, but this Golden Lady will shine again. Stop by and wish her well as she enters the Redeux Spa!

More goodies are due in this weekend. I look forward to seeing you, sharing some tea and time while you browse through American furniture history at Redeux.

Thanks to you all for helping to make this such fun.

Bill

Vintage cupboard & china cabinet now available

Vacation time is over at Redeux and it’s been back to work in overdrive for the past week.

Our stock has been replenished and despite the weather I have managed to restore several pieces that are now available for you to see.

The cupboard that has been in the shop for a couple of weeks has been repainted a softer yellow and has been fitted with country style wood knobs. It still retains an aged look but has been cleaned up and the color is just right for any décor.

The china cabinet with the half-latticed door is ready. This turned out really nice with the wood graining showing through. I believe the wood is walnut and the piece seems to date from the 1930’s. There is a matching server / buffet that I am hoping to have ready by this coming weekend.

An interesting country dresser is also ready. Painted a red clay color, it is chunky and very solid while sporting some unusual lines and a gracefully curved top drawer area. It’s different and might have several uses other than only as a bedroom dresser.

I have also managed to locate another nice desk, a smaller maple chest, several chairs a bookcase and a small side table. All will be restored ASAP. If you see something that you need soon, let me know and I’ll move it near the top of the “to do” list.

In addition to the above we have quite a nice assortment of goodies to choose from including: the Victorian commode/chest; the Victorian music stand; the blanket chest with art-noveau carving (a great coffee table); the rectangular coffee table; the roll-top and secretary desks and a few more that have arrived in the past few weeks.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Bill