Antique Round Table

Antique Table Before

This was an adorable little antique table I found up at an estate sale last year, around September, 2012. I had begun working on it late summer and didn't finish it until spring, 2013. It far exceeded my expectations as far as the amount of work I had to put into it. It required a great deal of sanding as it is made of cherry (typically very hard to work on) and the details, such as the "button style" feet made it indeed a difficult piece to sand. The "fluted" top edge makes this a special little table as it shows the craftsmanship that went into it so many years ago.

Antique Table After

I estimate this table dates from the 1920's or 1930's. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the exact age of a piece as many furniture items were created over the decades.

Each piece of furniture I breath life into is as unique as the person who will eventually own it (or already owns it, depending on if it's a commission job) and requires personalized care in making it shine. I prefer hand-sanding to stripping, but sometimes it's necessary to use the chemical strip method prior to sanding and final sanding as it can much faster penetrate the years and layers of varnish, paint and debris than sanding alone can accomplish.

I'm always humbled and sometimes astounded at the beauty and personality of each piece I lovingly restore and spend many hours laboring over. These special pieces of furniture were leftovers from a garage sale, broken, overused or abused or abandoned, estate sale treasures or plain old "junk" in someone's attic. It makes no difference where they came from, as every piece has the potential to become "new" and shine once again. "They don't make them like they used to," is an appropriate statement when it comes to furniture. I hope that whoever eventually buys this gem appreciates it as much as I do as well as the many hours I spent restoring it to its former glory.