Antique Desk Cabinet

Cabinet Before

This lovely old cabinet came to us in less than perfect condition. It had seen a lot of use over the years, judging by the scratches and wear, however, we were able to detect the high quality of the wood (tiger oak) and the overall structure of the piece and knew we would be able to breathe new life

into it making it shine again. 

Cabinet After

We determined that this cabinet once had a large door, likely glass, which had opened on left side where the shelves were located, but the owner no longer had the door and didn't mind not having one. The cabinet had only three of the four original wheels. Luckily we had the same style of wheels leftover from a previous job, so we were able to add the fourth wheel, making this piece much easier to move around. (It's a good idea to save hardware!)

The first thing we did was remove the back panels and take apart the tiny cubyhole, designed for office supplies. The tiny drawer in the middle had the original brass knob, which we kept in place. After it was disassembled, we began stripping each section, three shelves, drawers and the large piece itself. Usually such an old piece has broken componenets, but this one was completely intact. The scroll work at the top had been hand carved without any damage. After everything was stripped and sanded, each section had to be stained, the shelves on both sides, over a period of several days so that one side could completely dry before staining the opposite side. The same applied for the two coats of polyurethane. Everything had to be completely dry before it could be flipped over.

The hardware had to be polished, since the years had caused oxidation and discoloration which dulled the brass finish. Once they were polished, they shone like superstars once again. After the entire piece and all of its components were complete, we reassembled the cabinet, carefully installing the bottom door and top fold-down desktop, in addition to placing the shelves back into the large left opening. A little bit of last minute adjusting, and she was good as new. The owner was very satisfied with the outcome of his prized possession, which he will keep in his home office.