An American Princess

Have you ever seen a photograph of an aged princess and wondered what she might have looked like in her youth?


On our recent trip to Maine we actually met one. When we first met her she was sitting, aloof, by herself. There were a few acquaintances of hers, recently met, hovering nearby, but none had any real idea of who she was…or had been. How could they?

Scars from some unfortunate accident mingled with those of abuse. How this might have happened to such a one as her is anyone’s guess. But, happen it did. Some type of reconstructive surgery had not gone well, either. When the Redhead and I approached her she started to tremble a bit. Her legs, while still shapely, were weak from age and seemed barely able to support her. “How are you”, we asked, not knowing what else to say. No answer. She knew we could see for ourselves how she was. Bending down, I asked if there was anything we could do for her. Quietly, very slowly, she answered, “Take me away from here”. We did. A request from a princess cannot be refused.

Grace is a true American Princess (yes, America does have princesses). She has the lineage of a somewhat rural bloodline, rather than that of a capitol city such as New York, Boston or Philadelphia. Yet, the signs are there. Grace is now undergoing some surgery and spa treatment at Redeux. She welcomes visitors, even during this sometimes painful period. Such a lady! After her makeover, Grace, herself, will choose where she will reside in the future. Isn’t that just the way with royalty!

Hitching a ride back from Maine with Princess Grace were two sturdy fellows. One was an oak Mission style desk and the other was a nice looking, compact, farm table that could very well be a desk since it has a nice drawer. It, too, is made from oak. The desk should be ready by this weekend. The table can be ready soon afterwards.

Just back from the spa is a display cabinet / bookcase. With glass doors and sides it can really show off any collection. It is finished in a nice shade of green with black distressed undertones. Small wheels add to its charm and convenience.


Some folks have asked for pieces that would be a nice addition to a hallway or entryway. Two of our large mirrored chests would do very nicely. One has a marble top. Both have plenty of room for gloves, scarves, umbrellas or would make a handy place for arriving guests to place their hats, etc. Of course, being practical additions to a dining room or large bedroom would be suitable as well. Stop by and take a look.


Hope to see you again very soon!


Best regards,


Bill

The War is Over...

The war is over. America is victorious. Time to return to a peaceful life. Back to work, starting a family, building things not meant for the military.


2010?  No, it’s 1946 and a Connecticut furniture manufacturer starts to once again build furniture for the home. One of these items is a country-style cupboard made of solid maple. But, memories of the war years are still very fresh and the builders of this cupboard decide to add a special something – something to commemorate what had just been accomplished. An American eagle, carrying a victory banner, is the final touch and tribute to those men and women who gave so much. For those that came home to work for and in America, a better symbol could not be found.

It was an honor to work on this piece and to give it a new, yet timeless, look. Painted a special Redeux Barn Red, this solid wood cupboard is ready, once again, for active duty.

Redeux has located several smaller dressers and chests that will be painted. Of course, refinishing beautiful furniture with stains, shellacs, oils, varnishes and waxes will always take place at Redeux. But, we are ever mindful of the importance color took in the lives of our ancestors, especially those New Englanders looking to brighten drab winters. So, we are going to add some splashes of color that may remind you of what you see around you at various times of year: barn reds, oak leaf gold, yellow and orange, moss greens. If you have a color in mind for a special piece, let me know.

A china cabinet has just been spruced up with a spicy orange interior that really highlights the cabinet’s natural wood grain. It also has a lighted interior to show off your collectibles and crockery!

Our Ladies’ Writing Desk has just returned from having a few days at the Redeux Spa. The writing portion of the desk has been lightly sanded to remove some surface scratches and then given a durable varnish finish. Patina and normal wear indications have been left intact. It looks great.


I look forward to seeing you soon!


Bill

Diamonds in the Rough

Last week The Redhead and I were up in Maine visiting family. No trip up North seems complete without at least a quick search for some buried treasure – some special piece of American vintage furniture that may need a little Redeux TLC to make it, once again, someone’s prized possession. A treasure we did surely find.

Several generations ago – before the internet, the telephone and certainly before the “electronic hearth” (a term heard at this weekend’s Podunk Bluegrass Festival in East Hartford to describe televisions) replaced real conversations and correspondence – people wrote letters. With real paper and real ink. It took time. But people took the time because sending someone a letter or note was important. Most often, folks had a special place in which they preferred to write. To have a real writing desk was both a luxury and a blessing. A desk to keep your pens, papers, diaries, stamps and other necessities for writing let you retreat into a special place – allowing you to converse with another – on paper. There is nothing like it. Having a hand-written letter from someone is really having a piece of them to hold on to forever. Our latest Maine search turned up something quite extraordinary – a virtual time machine. We found a truly vintage Ladies Writing Desk made of mahogany and having the required nooks and crannies, sliding writing surface and elegantly turned legs and beadwork trim to make this someone’s “special place” once again.

Once back home our search for special pieces did not end. Several folks asked me to keep an eye out for a drop-leaf table with leaves that would accommodate larger gatherings. Finally, I located a beauty. Having saber-type legs capped in brass, this table can accommodate from two to probably ten people. It comes with 4 chairs with nice floral printed seats.

A compact server was also found. Nicely detailed, this server is a great dining room, hall or living room piece. For those needing a full-sized server (side-board), we now have two in stock. Both are striking.

Despite the really warm weather, a tall oak dresser with clear glass knobs was finally finished and is ready for a new home.

A Nichols and Stone rocker is also ready as well as a B. Altman red painted Windsor style side chair. Just in, too, is a china display cabinet. The large glass front and light interior really shows off your china or collectibles.


You may have noticed that Winthrop style slant front desk sitting in the corner for some time. I just could not figure what would be best for it to show it off and make it beautiful once again. Decision made… it will be painted. Researching my traditional furniture style books, painting this is in keeping with Federal period tastes and applications. Possible colors are green(s), red or maybe, black. If interested in this piece and would like a particular color, see me asap!


This week, weather permitting, I will be stripping several pieces and prepping others for painting.  Stop by.


Hope to see you soon!


Bill

PolyAnna

Hot summer days are meant for iced tea, shady nooks and good books. Yet, when work calls it’s best to tackle it head on.


Stripping furniture is one of those jobs that is never very easy and one is usually surprised at what is found when it is finished. My last project provided surprises from beginning to end.

 Discovered in the corner of a yard filled mostly with debris, the dark wood drop-leaf table had stains, water marks and a few scars covering its entirety. Yet, it still had a certain style and grace. Another orphan adopted and taken home to the Redeux furniture health spa.

Having turned legs and elegantly shaped oval top this piece promised to be a classic colonial-styled side table and its trapezoid-shaped candle drawer was an unexpected detail. So, after a week or so of studying its lines and figuring each step of the makeover out came my scrapers, can of stripper and safety gear. First leg – done. Second leg nothing happened. Hmm, more stripper applied. Nothing. What the heck! Please, don’t let it be. Yes, polyurethane - sometimes under the old varnish, mostly over it. 90 degrees and I’m trying to scrap off plastic. A quick run to the paint store to get the “heavy duty plastic coating remover” and I was ready to finish the job before the sun set. Ten sunsets later the table was just getting its cleansing bath to rid it of remnants of heavy-duty plastic remover – most often referred to as polyurethane stripper.


Many steps and much time later, this classic beauty is now ready for a new home. Life lesson: when faced with refinishing a really good piece of furniture don’t be a PolyAnna - use shellac or varnish, please! Otherwise, 40 or 50 years later some grown man will shed bitter tears when trying to revive your little beauty.

Also just finished is a nice little country pine chest that is perfect for a small guest room or as an occasional piece. We have, also, a honey toned mirror with brass corner decorations that would go nicely with this piece.

A Nichols and Stone side chair with a gilt painting was a rare find. Black with gold accents and a charming country village scene painted on the back, this chair is a great accent piece or guest room addition.

These past few months many new faces, in addition to our old friends, have stopped by at Redeux. Two questions almost always are asked: where do I find all of my pieces and how and why did I start Redeux.

Honestly, each piece that makes its way to Redeux has its own story. Having a real love for vintage American-made furniture, I search for interesting, quality furniture every time I leave the house. Often, pieces turn up in the most unlikely of places.

As for how I started Redeux, partly the reason was that I wanted to do something that, to me, mattered. But wanting to do something and actually doing it is something else. I talked to many people about the practical aspects of starting something like Redeux (see my first blog entry, Getting It). But, the main inspiration for starting Redeux came from Joan, the owner of an antique / gift shop, Country Treasures, in Pound Ridge, NY. A quiet, lovely woman, Joan started her shop at the same age that I thought of starting Redeux. Joan said it was never too late to make a dream come true. She was right.

I’m fortunate to know Joan as a friend and much more. The Redhead knows her as, Mom.

Charles Shackleton and Miranda Thomas are a husband and wife team that make incredible furniture and pottery in Vermont. Using natural materials, their hand made products are truly heirloom quality. We’re fortunate to own several of their pieces and will treasure them always, as will generations after us. Both Charles and Miranda are wonderful people that truly put their heart and spirit into each piece they design and build. Check their website and, if possible, support these fine craftspeople by buying hand crafted American made furniture.


http://www.shackletonthomas.com/news.detail.php?news_id=42

New pieces arrive weekly, so stop by and see them from start to finish.

Tea, iced or hot is always on!


Best wishes and hope to see you all soon.


Bill

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