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