Bookshelves Refinished after Fire Damage

Bookshelf 1 after

Bookshelf 1 before

This is one of four bookshelves that had been damaged in a house fire. The top had suffered smoke and water damage. The surface was charred and in need of stripping as well as deep sanding to revive the surface areas. This bookshelf was made out of oak, so luckily it sanded nicely and the damaged areas were brought to their original beauty. Jim chose Ipswich Pine stain for all the bookshelves, which proved to be a great choice. Protecting the newly refinished surface, he used satin polyurethane to give it a nice, smooth finish.

Bookshelf 2 after

Bookshelf 2 before

This is the second bookshelf that had been damaged in a fire. The top was in rough condition but the shelves weren't terrible. It too required deep sanding and a liberal application of stripper. Because of the extensive damage to the top, Jim needed to trim away the decorative top edge and leave it with flat front and sides, which gave this bookshelf a more contemporary look.

Bookshelf 3 before

Bookshelf 3 after

Jim was able to save the top of this bookshelf as well as the one below it. What a huge difference stripping and sanding makes! There is more fire damaged furniture soon for Jim to work on. As soon as it is complete, I will post it here.

Bookshelf 4 before

Bookshelf 4 after

Drum Table Refinished

Drum Table After

Drum Table Before

Many people have owned or seen a drum table such as this one. Still in usable condition, this little table had seen better days. This was a smaller version of previous drum tables we have refinished and was only about 16" in diameter, a perfect size to set in a corner for an accent table which can hold a decorative item such as a vase or showpiece of art. 

The little drawer had a unique lion head brass drawer pull which had oxidized over the years so it was barely visible. Yup, this table required a bit of beautification and refinishing.

Jim carefully stripped, sanded and stained this drum table with a customized mix of blended stains to best bring out the lovely mahogany color, showing off the hidden woodgrain. Having only three legs, this table also had brass feet which were practically invisible because like the lion head drawer pull, they too had oxidized and darkened. 

The brass lion head and feet were also polished to remove the oxidation and once again showing off the beauty of the original brass which looked terrific with the newly refinished table. Once the table had been refinished and all brass work polished, it once again looked as beautiful as it had so many years ago after its original construction and will look good for another 75 or 100 years for future generations to enjoy.

Outdated Ottoman Upgrade

Ottoman After

Ottoman Before

Worn and threadbare, this ottoman had seen better days. The original material had a quilted top and at one time was very fashionable, however after many years of use, it needed a major upgrade with new material. 

The seams were barely held together with stitching that had long since deteriorated, with the cushion pushing through an opening created by the torn material. This was a Queen Anne style ottoman, with traditional curved wooden legs, commonly seen on this style of furniture.

This ottoman proved to be a complex upholstery job, because of the way the top cushion had been attached to the underside of the cushion's section. There simply wasn't any way to install a cushion in this type of application without having some sort of access to it, like a zipper. Through extensive removal of staples along with the original material, I discovered that sure enough, there was a zipper on the underside of the cushion. The adjoining sections were attached to the zippered section, then all were stretched as one unit over the ottoman starting from the top and continuing all the way to the bottom edge and secured with staples. I added three rows of cording as was in the original design, which gave the update ottoman the final classic finish it deserved. 

My customer had provided the fabric which was a nice geometric design on a blue background. The fabric was great to work with and durable enough to last many years to come. 

Solid Cedar Chest Refinished

Cedar Chest After

Cedar Chest Before

A family heirloom such as this can become worn and scratched over the years, because it has been used by many people for various purposes. However, with the proper care and refinishing a lovely cedar chest such as this one can once again claim its rightful place among the precious memories it held for its previous generations.

This was a solid cedar chest with a brass latch closure on the front and brass accents on the top with decorative nails in each corner. In order to do the job correctly, Jim removed the brass accents on the top and polished them, replacing the old nails with new ones that contrasted nicely with the freshly polished brass. The interior was in immaculate condition, so it required no restoration. Sometimes the interiors of cedar chests have broken elements, such as a pull-out hinged shelf. In that case the hinge would have to be replaced and the shelf repaired. (We actually have a cedar chest with this feature). 

Since cedar chests can be very detailed or relatively simple in design such as this one was, they still have distinguishing features that differentiate them from others. This one had nice curved leg bottoms with a rosette design on the front. The soft curves are a nice contrast to the straight lines of the overall furniture. The front of this cedar chest had a brass latch to match the brass corner accents on the top of the chest. Over the years the locks are usually gone or have been removed to protect children from being locked inside. It's always nice to have the original hardware when refinishing a cedar chest or any other piece of furniture since finding the exact same hardware can be quite a challenge, but oh so gratifying when you do find it!

After Jim stripped and sanded this cedar chest and all the hardware was polished, he used a "natural" stain which is practically clear and protected it with two coats of satin polyurethane. The transformation was impressive and once again this cedar chest became a treasured heirloom to welcome future generations.

To see more cedar chests, please click on the links below:

https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2019/11/solid-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2016/08/1948-lane-cedar-chest_22.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2015/04/elegant-cedar-chest-revival.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2013/12/1945-lane-waterfall-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-waterfall-cedar-chest.html

Fireplace Mantel Revival

Mantel After

Mantel Before

This was an awesome looking mantel which the customer had purchased to update his fireplace. Unfortunately, someone else did the refinishing and didn't wipe off the stain, so the surface wasn't up to par. It required extensive stripping with attention to detail in removing the excess stain in the crevices of the corbels. 

The mantel was made from oak, but the corbels may have been a different wood since they accepted the stain much darker than the mantel itself, therefore left a variance in color. It actually looked pretty good once it had been finished and installed by the customer. Sometimes the finishing touch is the installation which makes the entire job look effortless, despite the amount of work involved in achieving it. Jim had to separate the corbels from the mantel while working on it to get better access to each piece. This is a better way to achieve great results when stripping multiple pieces. Once everything was stripped completely, he sanded the surfaces so they would accept the new stain. The end result was a much nicer, updated mantel which looked great with the new brick fireplace surround ad hearth.
 

Old Rocking Chair Revival

Rocking Chair After

Rocking Chair Before

Some projects go very smoothly. This rocking chair was not one of them since it was in dire straits. The arms were shredded and there was a large hole on the right top of the seat. The rocking chair was over 45 years old and had seen a lot of use, possibly damaged from a dog as well. Indeed, it was time for an upholstery revival on this old rocking chair.

The seat cushion was badly worn and the foam was so flat it wasn't able to support you properly. Originally a 3" cushion, the old cushion had been reduced to about 1-1/2 to 2". I had a brand new T-cushion made then designed a brand new cushion cover with the new material. It turned out perfectly. T-cushions can be tricky especially with top and bottom welt cording, which I used for this cushion. The curve-around zipper makes it easy to slip over the foam. Once that was complete, I tackled the back portion.

Unlike other chairs I've done, this one had a separate cushion on the front half but it was stitched to the inner back panel with the back section wrapped around the top and sides of the chair and attached to the interior of the back and sides. This made the removal process extremely difficult and as I soon found out as I progressed with the removal of the old material, it was apparent that this factory style method of construction would be impossible to duplicate. 

This turned out to be a typical catch 22 situation; during fabric stripping, I had to remove each section to learn how it was assembled, but when the time came to stitch it back together, I couldn't replicate the exact method as it was put together, since it had been taken apart to use for templates. Even with detailed markings, numbering and many photos, I found it simply wasn't possible to recreate the original construction, so I chose to build this rocking chair by building loose cushions for both the seat as well as the back. My preferred method had a couple of great advantages. It made the project's assembly much more efficient, because with loose cushions as opposed to attached, they can be easily dry-cleaned, plus the cushions can be reversed for even wear. Finally, the overstuffed cushions were really comfortable. Bonus!

I padded the backing and covered it with fabric front and back after replacing the original, insufficient webbing.  They had only three strips and I replaced those with four. Much stronger and more support. The under spring assembly was also covered with thin foam and finished off with the floral material. Edge rolls were used for comfortable seating. Once the structure was all done and the cushions in place, it fit together perfectly.

The customer selected a lovely floral pattern which was a far cry from the original outdated and worn material which had seen better days. The bones of the chair were very good, strong and stable, so with the newly upholstered material, this chair should last for many years to come.

Oak Rocking Chair Refinished

Rocking Chair Before

This solid oak rocking chair had seen some wear and needed minor repairs, but

Rocking Chair After

otherwise in great condition. The arms had the most wear, which is not uncommon as they get plenty of use and the oils from our hands tend to wear down the wood finishes on furniture, especially chairs.

The chair was heavy as it was solid wood. Once the refinishing was complete, the woodgrain became much more visible on the chair. Usually, aged furniture hides the lovely woodgrain beneath the years of grim and wear, so a good strip and a new stain application with the polyurethane to protect it, this is a great way to restore the original finish and bring it back to life.

Approximately thirty years old, this rocking chair was still very durable and had plenty of usage left and since it was refinished with patience and dedication, it will last a long time.

Antique Mahogany Parlor Chair

Parlor Chair Before

Parlor Chair After

This was a small, mahogany parlor chair in need of some TLC. It had a few broken sections which Jim was able to repair and then touch it up since the finish was in good condition. Touching up a piece of furniture is a less expensive alternative to a total stripping and refinishing, which involves completely removing the old stain down to bare wood and applying new stain and polyurethane.

This chair had nice carvings on the backrest with Queen Anne style legs. The seat was in pretty bad condition, so the springs had to be removed and retied on a new webbing bottom. 

My customer had selected fabric from one of my previous jobs, a lovely gold diamond design on burgundy material, which was perfect for this style of chair. What was once a nice cushion was completely gone, so after the springs were retied, I secured them with burlap which keeps the springs securely in place and allows for a nice construction of the other materials that followed. 

After the burlap was on, I added three layers of raw cotton to make the seat nice and fluffy, followed by three layers of dacron, which is a soft batting that adds comfort and bounce to the seat. The final step was attaching the gorgeous material and finish it off with a double welt cord that follows the bottom edge of the seat.

Small enough to stash in a corner and perfect for additional seating, this parlor chair is a perfect addition to any dining room, adding beauty as well as function. 

Worn, Sturdy Chair Gets Facelift

Chair After

Chair Before

This worn chair was in rough shape when it came to me. Although it was quite sturdy, the exterior was in need of a major facelift. The chair had taken a beating by an overzealous dog which had chewed up the left seat section, showing exposed springs. 

The chair had once been a light tan material but had darkened with use and age as the fabric was quite worn out. This was an extremely heavy chair with a strong frame and lots of springs which gave it plenty of bounce. Springs feel good in a chair only when they are not poking through it!

The first step involved in this massive project was removing the old material and documenting (literally) each step as I carefully pulled staples and nails out of each section of the chair. This type of chair has several areas and each one has a specific methodology to put together as well as take apart. Taking it apart is exactly the opposite of building it, which means that I had to remove the center, left and right outer sections first, before tackling the interior seating area. This process is vital to assembling all these components when reupholstering the chair, since I used the original fabric to make templates for the new fabric, which was a blue seat with plaid top and backing, making this a unique, two-tone chair. 

Couch and Chair Cushion Renewal

Chair Before

Chair After

This is one of a two-piece set of wicker furniture that received updated cushions with a plush, blue material selected by the customer who also supplied the photos.* She had wanted an updated, modernized appearance for these well worn and loved cushions and chose a lovely color to suit the new appearance. 

The chair matched the wicker couch (photo below). For each cushion I used the original pattern and created the new cushion covers. Since the foam was in usable condition, we decided to keep it instead of replacing it.

There were a total of eight cushions, four smaller for the backrest and four larger from the seats. These cushions were the same 23" width, just the depth was longer for the seats, which were 37-1/2" deep compared to the 20" depth (or height) for the backrests. 

For this job the cushions were a different variety from previous cushions I have made, because they had a "fold-over" style, instead of traditional "boxing." Simply put, this means that the top and bottom are made from one continuous piece of fabric, "folded over," instead of there being two separate top and bottom sections and stitching them to the boxing.

Couch Before

Actually, this style of cushion is much easier to insert the foam into, due to the longer, "overlapping edges" zipper, which creates a larger opening so the foam can be easily slipped into it. Sometimes it is necessary to wrap the foam in a very soft plastic material known as "silk film," which is used in the furniture industry for exactly this purpose. It reduces the friction between the foam and the slipcover that goes over it. 

This process involves wrapping the foam completely with the film and then using a vacuum to shrink the foam by sucking the air from the exterior which then reduces the size of the foam so it easier to insert it into the narrow zippered opening of the outer covering. By making the foam smaller, you have an easier time fitting it into these smaller openings. Although this can certainly be done without using the silk film ( I've done it!), it's easier to use it than not.

In some ways these cushions were easier to construct, once I figured out exactly how the construction was done. I lined up my large outer [top and bottom] material by nothing the centers, then matching up those centers with the zipper panel (a separate piece). After that was accomplished, I knew my corners would line up.

Couch After

 

Once the zipper panel was stitched into place, I attached the side panel boxing, also aligning it with a notched top that matched the outer cover. This system worked well as all the edges were then lined up as they should be. A little ingenuity, patience and time gets the job done.

(Photos were supplied by customer).

Hutch Updated to 21st Century

 

Hutch Before

Many people have a China cabinet or hutch such as this one as they a useful to house those precious collectibles, dishes and fancy glassware. And likely because they tend to be large and cumbersome, people are reluctant to replace them with newer versions because of cost, sentimentality or wanting to leave it to a loved one. This is one of the things we enjoy doing, breathing new life and purpose into such a treasured piece of furniture. Although this cabinet had more than served its purpose and was far from retiring, it required some updating. Still an attractive piece of furniture, it was well worth doing to give it a modernized look while still retaining the elements which were original to the design.

Hutch After

Our customer had wanted to keep the wood look instead of selecting paint, and had chosen a fog gray stain so she could still see the woodgrain. She had also asked that the top scalloping in the center be removed, one update, and the other that the plate rack on the bottom portion be eliminated. She had other plans for this large hutch which didn't involve using it for dishes and collectibles. Therefore Jim cut off the outdated scalloped top and carefully removed the plate rack, which resulted in a modernized, streamlined cabinet. Luckily, this massive piece of furniture came in two sections, as most large pieces do. 

There was a lot of prep work involved. Once the scalloped top and plate rack were removed, he proceeded to mask off the glass and mirrors and start the tedious process of stripping the entire thing. This was quite a lengthy process because of the glass and large mirrors on the top half of the hutch. It was also a large area to cover and some of it was hard to reach, even for Jim who has long arms! So after the stripping and sanding was complete, Jim finished this piece off with satin polyurethane to protect the surfaces. The finalized refinished hutch was stunning. Same bones, different facing. The best of both worlds. 

Our customer had chosen new hardware which looked fabulous and is using this lovely piece as a display case in her office environment. It's very cool to see it in its new home, isn't it? Leave comments below. We'd love to hear from you.

1940’s Waterfall Dresser Refinished

Waterfall Dresser After

Waterfall Dresser Before

This was a lovely waterfall dresser that had sustained some burn damage on the top right side. Other than that, it was in pretty decent condition. It also had a matching round mirror (not pictured) that we refinished, in addition to the dresser. I decided not to include it in comparison, since the "before" photo didn't include the mirror, as it was already detached. 

Jim was able to minimize the damage of the burn mark on the top with careful sanding. With veneer you can't sand too much or you will completely remove the veneer down to the bare wood. In furniture such as this, it's not an easy fix so better to keep the sanding to a minimum. Jim decided to paint the center curved section of the front top drawer and the backing since originally it had some kind of painted feature which had long since worn away. It looked better than leaving it stained with an uneven, unattractive color. It also matched the new hardware very well. The plastic back section of the original knobs were broken, so out customer had decided to replace them with new hardware. 

Our photo on the top left is the "before" version, which shows a bit of the top. Since our customer had to order the hardware and it took a few weeks to get it, we were unable to get an "after" photo of this dresser, so the one you see on the right was supplied by the customer. However, they posted the refinished dresser along with the mirror on our Facebook page, so here it is. It looks pretty good!

Dresser with Mirror