A Five-Dollar Antique Rocker is Beautified

Rocker After

Rocker Before

We acquired this very weathered, antique rocking chair from an antique store in Birch Run a few years ago. This chair cost only $5.00. It took a while before Jim was able to refinish it, but once he did, wow! It looked terrific. What you see in the "before" photo is exactly what it had looked like when we brought it home. Who knew that beneath all that gray, weathered exterior lie a gorgeous mahogany chair?

Jim removed the old, damaged caning as it definitely couldn't be used, then took the chair apart so he could get to all the individual components of it. We were both in shock once he had sanded away who knows how many years of grime and weather? I guess good quality wood doesn't go bad. 

We don't know exactly how old the chair is, but given its condition and structure, I estimate it to be roughly a century old, possibly older. I can research it and modify this blog once I do. After he refinished it, it sat in the basement for a couple of years before I finally got around to installing the new caning. For this chair I decided to use a radio-weave cane instead of the traditional caning seen in other blog posts. I felt like I wanted to try something new and chose the radio-weave because it complemented the curves of the chair. It wasn't too difficult to work with either, which is great. I love when the photos really speak the language that only an antique that has been weathered can relay. A photo is indeed worth a thousand words. Wouldn't you agree?

Nightstand Modernized with Paint

Nightstand After

Nightstand Before

This nightstand was part of a bedroom set that included the bed, dresser, armoire and bookshelf, however, it was brought to us in sections so I didn't have an opportunity to get good "before" photos, so I used the only photo that could work for this set, but you get the idea as they all looked the same.

The customer chose a sage green paint,  which really looked great and modernized the bedroom set. The nickel finished hardware really set it off and it looked terrific once it was done. Jim had to remove the old hardware and scuff up everything before he could prime, then paint it. He uses a paint sprayer which gives everything a nice, even coat and looks great.

Jim did this one exclusively, so kudos to him. It was a two-week project due to the amount of pieces that came with it. They delivered it over a couple of days and one the project was complete, they picked it up the same way, renting a trailer to be able to make everything fit. It looked real good and our customer was quite satisfied with it.

Antique Height Chair Refinished and Caned

Height Chair
After

Height Chair
Before

This height chair had belonged to my customer's grandmother, so I estimated it to be at least one hundred years old, if not older. I can imagine the stories this chair could tell if it could speak. I wonder if it had a tray, since there was no evidence of it, or where it could have been attached. As in the other chair I recently completed, this one also strand caning so it needed a spline after the chair's seat was pushed into it. 

The method for doing this type of caning is to soak the material for at least an hour to an hour and a half, longer if necessary, then working it into the seat. It gets tricky because you want the finished seat to stretch across the opening, but it tends to "bunch up" on the edges as you hammer the wedges into the perimeter, so it's necessary to make some adjustments as you go. Usually it's not a problem because once it is in place and dries, it automatically tightens up. 

This chair presented a few unique challenges because the caning was very close to the arm rests which made it difficult to install in that area. Jim did the refinishing work on this one so when he finished his part, I tackled mine. I used to do the restoration for most things, but since Jim retired in 2020, he took over that part of the operation, while I handle the caning and upholstery, exclusively. Needless to say, once this little chair was refinished and the new caning was installed, it looked like brand new again.
 

Caned Rocking Chair

Caned Rocking
Chair After

Caned Rocking
Chair Before

Another antique rocking chair that had a broken seat. This rocker had belonged to my customer's grandmother, so I estimated it to be at least one hundred years old. The chair itself was in pretty good condition, needing no refinishing, but of course the seat had seen plenty of use so needed to be replaced. This was a strand caned rocker, so it needed a spline instead of being woven. 

Despite the faster method of doing spline/strand caning, I actually prefer the woven method. It definitely takes longer, sometimes three to four days compared to an hour for strand caning, but it is more enjoyable.

Of course once the old, torn seat has been removed and the new seat is installed, the chair looks pretty good. This year I seemed to get more spline caning than woven. Either way, both types of caning greatly improve the overall look of the chair once it's been finished.

Vintage Chair Upholstery

Chair Before

This chair had gotten damaged by a man who fell onto it. Luckily the chair broke

Chair After

 his fall which resulted in a few bruises, but saved him from hitting his head or breaking his hip, which would have been much worse. The customer was the nephew of the man who fell and had wanted to get the chair repaired and reupholstered. He originally had wanted the same color, but ended up choosing a fabric I had in stock, a white brocade, which was the period-correct material for this era of chair.

Because he had planned on doing the refinishing himself, I removed the old fabric and cotton padding then let him know it was ready for him. He picked it up and took it home to refinish and repair the broken arm. 

Two weeks later, he brought the chair back to me and I began with replacing the old webbing, which was worn and no longer supported the seat properly. After that, I added the new raw cotton seat and back padding and finished it with muslin before I could add the new fabric. What a difference the new material made for this damaged chair. Once again, this chair would be his uncle's favorite spot to sit and watch his t.v. shows.

Wine Rack Gets Painted White

Wine Rack Before

This was an interesting wine rack due to its unique shape. Our customer had

Wine Rack After

originally contacted us last year regarding painting this wine rack, but never got around to getting it to use before the end of the year. She made the decision to get it done this year. 

It was unique because of its size, not very big but tall. There were plenty of open cubby areas on the bottom to store wine bottles and a few rows of slotted glass holders on the upper inside, with a shelf in the center and another flat space below it. 

Luckily for Jim, he was able to take it apart so each section could be painted flat instead of trying to get the paint sprayer inside all those wine cubby holes. She chose bright white paint, which was perfectly suited for this unique wine rack. 

Once he had taken apart, he easily primed each section before painting it bright white. And what a difference! As you can see in the photos, the cubby holes were practically invisible, but once it was painted, you could see them all. There were twenty-one cubby holes for wine, a decent amount to have a nice party, right? She was giving this to her daughter, who had no idea she had gotten it painted. The new bright white color now matches her decor and will  make a nice addition to her home.

Black Vinyl Chair Upgrade

Chair After

Chair Before

This was the chair I worked on while Jim was tackling the large desk in the previous posting. It was more challenging than I had anticipated, but that isn't uncommon in the restoration business. The vinyl was not torn at all, but was pretty worn out in need of replacement. There were over 300 tacks surrounding the bottom edge, front, sides and back as well as the top back section of the chair. 

It's hard to see in the "before' photo to the left, but the tacks line the entire bottom of the chair. As a rule, I dislike working with tacks because they inevitably bend and never line up as you'd want them to. But the customer had wanted tacks, so tacks he got. Those tacks were the first thing to remove so I could then remove the upholstery nails and tackle the vinyl. This took the better part of an afternoon. 

Once the material was gone, the springs were revealed and not in the best condition. Well, the springs themselves were great, but the original ties had come apart and some of the springs weren't supporting the seat properly. I put that on  hold in the back of my mind while I worked on stripping the old finish from the wood. The stripping took me three days (I don't work as quickly as Jim does!) After that was sone, I let him work his magic and stain the chair then apply the polyurethane to protect it. In the interim I had decided that I would remove the old ties on the springs and re-tie them with the 8-way tie method. I couldn't leave it the way it was knowing how bad it would be if someone sat on it. 

New ties in place and springs supporting the seat properly, I reused the horsehair which was perfectly fine. Next, I secure the springs with burlap, then added a thick layer of cotton batting and finished it off with a top layer of muslin. Though not necessary, muslin is a nice finishing touch before adding the material. The vinyl seat was very difficult, but I managed to get it in place. Another afternoon gone. The next day I tackled the backrest. Another challenge, but once it was in place I began the tedious process of nailing in the 300 tacks, choosing a shiny brass finish to match the hardware on the desk. The tacks were now much more visible than before the reupholstery. I was so glad to have finished this chair as it was one of the more difficult projects I had done lately.

Springs Before

Springs After

Large Desk Refinished

Desk After

Desk Before

This was a whopper of a job! Not only was it pretty beat up, this desk was extremely heavy, making the refinishing and restoration process more challenging. 

Jim made the executive decision to take it apart for two reasons; the first reason, it was quite heavy, the second reason, portions of the structure was reinforced with metal, which could not be stained but had to be painted. This included the entire bottom edge, a 2" wide curved metal frame and metal accent pieces inside the drawers and some parts of the interior.

This was surprising because at first glance it was difficult to determine that metal was a major component of the overall structure. So to do it right, taking it apart and refinishing each section was the best solution. It worked great because while he was tackling the desk, I was tackling my own project, a chair which was part of this three-part project for the same customer. The top was quite worn and had some damaged areas, but nothing that couldn't be sanded and made fresh again. The sides had some dings and dents, which were filled in and made less noticeable.

Our customer had told us that this desk had belonged to his father, so he had wanted to bring it back to its former beautiful condition. The desk was quite stunning once the pieces were assembled again. The freshly painted metal proved to be a great accent for the English chestnut stain and matched quite well. Jim polished the hardware to make it fresh and new as well, and wow, what a difference. It always amazes me how very different the refinished project is compared to the original, worn piece of furniture. Now the desk can be handed down to family members to cherish for many years to come.

Cedar Chest Makeover

Cedar Chest After

 

Cedar Chest Before

Here's another cedar chest that had seen better days. Over the past fourteen years we have refinished and restored several cedar chests. They always present a challenge as each  one is unique with its own problems, therefore each one needs special attention. 

This one had a severely damaged bottom, possibly water damage or the dog got a hold of it. In any event, it required a complete reconstruction as the original section could not be saved. Unfortunately, when replacing any section of wood damage, it's difficult to match the stain colors. Because of the type of wood and the age, which also affects the finished look, stain matching was not possible, but the new addition is still a big improvement over the damaged section. Another unique feature of this cedar chest was the false drawer front. The hardware needed a bit of cleaning, otherwise it was still usable.

This cedar chest was different from the other ones we've worked on because it had a padded fabric top, which allows you to use it as a place to sit while putting shoes on. The original material was circa 1976, so I updated it with waxed canvas, a nice durable fabric that will hold up to plenty of daily wear and use. Overall, this cedar chest makeover was a big change from the original.

Antique Steamer Trunk Revival

Steamer Trunk After

Steamer Trunk Before

This was a long-term project of almost six months in the making. An antique steamer trunk such as this was commonly used on steamships (hence the name) by people who were traveling from abroad. People would bring their clothing and valuables from Europe to the US in a trunk such as this one. Because of the age and how it had been used, this trunk and others like it had seen better days. It was quite worn and was begging for a revival.

The first step in reviving this trunk was to remove all the exterior parts; hardware, wood slats, and handles. The interior was covered with old paper which was commonly used to line the inside. People used the materials they had, so newspapers and the like were used to line the inside. Jim had to order replacement nails to keep the look authentic. When these trunks were constructed the carpenters used long nails to attach the hardware and boards. These nails would poke through, but they had used a chunk of metal to bend the nails inward, thus making them even with the wood planks so they could be covered with paper. 

Steamer Trunk After

Steamer Trunk Before

The exterior needed a lot of work. Jim had to remove all the old fabric covering as well as the original metal which had been painted orange. Once the exterior was void of all wood and hardware, he cleaned it up so we could work on covering it with new linen weave fabric. We selected a light color that contrasted well with the polished hardware and refinished wood slats. 

Putting all the original components back on, but freshly refinished, made for a great brand new exterior. He had to replace the old handles with new leather handles as the original ones were no longer usable. We opted to paint the interior black instead of using a paper interior. Our customer loved the finished trunk and planned to use it for linens and extra bedding.

To see the other steamer trunk we worked on, click on the link below:

https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/search?q=steamer+trunk 

Saddle Stool Upholstery Makeover

Stool After

Stool Before

This little stool had come to me with a very worn vinyl top. The center bracket was pushed in so far you could see the staples that were attached to the cardboard that held it in place. Once I removed all the tacks surrounding the seat's top, I was able to take the entire seat off and work on it. I immediately saw what the problem was with the original structure of the seat. 

The foam was only on one side of the top, held on by thick cardboard that had cracked, allowing the breakdown of the foam, which led to the destruction of the seat itself. I didn't do it that way. I put foam on each side of the center bracket and secured it with new webbing. Once I had the center filled in, I added a layer of foam on the top which gave it a nice crown. It will not collapse again as the webbing will hold the entire thing in place for a very long time. I used bronze tacks to finish off the top and gave the chair a touch-up on the worn legs. It was much more functional once I had repaired it and looked a whole lot better.

Antique Tool Box Makeover

Tool Box After

Tool Box Before

This was an interesting refinishing project that Jim had. Our customer had inherited this antique tool box from her grandfather. Jim had researched this toolbox to get an idea on its age and determined it was approximately one hundred years old, possibly more. It had seen better days for sure but Jim was up for the challenge. Made of durable, sturdy tiger oak, this toolbox would be repurposed as a jewelry box. 

Someone had used old floor tiles to line the drawers, so Jim was concerned that they may have used asbestos tiles, so we had it tested and it turned out to be safe, no asbestos. Once that was determined, he began the tedious process of removed all the hardware and carefully peeling off the old tiles to expose the interior wood. It was in rough shape, but the goal would be to line it with burgundy felt which would protect the jewelry it would hold. 

After he had the wood refinished, he installed the newly polished hardware which turned  out beautiful. My job was the line the interior with the felt, carefully applying it to cover the old wood. The color was the right choice and it was transformed to a lovely jewelry box which will last for generations to come.