Antique Cabinet/Secretary Revival

Cabinet After

Cabinet Before

This was an antique glass cabinet/secretary which had damage on the bottom curved section due to a dog chewing on it. Replacing wood from pet damage can be difficult since it involves putting something there that is missing. This area was uniquely difficult because of its location, right in the front and to make matters  more complicated, on a curve parallel to the curved glass door. 

There was also a piece of wood missing along the top in the back which Jim replaced with a matching piece of oak that looked like it had belonged there and was a great addition.

The rest of the piece was in pretty good condition but needed full stripping and refinishing. This piece had some lovely original features including detailed wood carving on the drop-down desk area right below the leaded glass panel which was a separate place to store knick-knacks. Three storage drawers were right below the desk area, a nice place to keep stationary and other desk items. 

Interior of  Desk Area

Jim had to remove the door, drawers, leaded glass panel and drop-down area to be able to access the interior and properly strip the interior. The shelves weren’t included in the “before” photo, but they were later added  in the “after” photo. Jim had to recreate the missing wood section where the dog chew damage was, no easy task, but somehow he created another piece of oak and formed it to follow the curve of the original radius so that it looked natural as if it had been there all along. 

Working with antiques are never cut and dry as each piece is unique and requires a lot of thought, time and improvisation. We always try to maintain the original integrity of the antique and the end result shows the time and dedication we put into every piece. This one is a great example of the process of refinishing as well as innovation mixed in with creativity and a great deal of time commitment. 

Antique Secretary

Secretary Before

Secretary After

A secretary desk such as this was quite popular in the
early 1900's, used for writing letters and keeping track of bills. Like many items of furniture of this era, it showed its age with missing sections of veneer here and there as well as the wood grain practically gone as aged finishes darken, hiding the lovely wood grain beneath. The lovely details on this secretary included a hand carved decorative rope on the front bottom, a curved drawer and fancy brass handles.

The interior had a built-in cubby section with its own little drawer, perfect for keeping postage stamps, pens and note pads. The back of the secretary was damaged, so we replaced it with a matching section of wood which matched the stain perfectly. This piece was a handful. Because of the detail, stripping was tediously time consuming, especially the rope scrollwork on the the drop down front and the edges of the shelf beneath it. It's hard to see this in the photo, but the shelf edges had three layers carved into it.

Secretary Open Before

Secretary Open After

Having a variety of woodcarving tools is a necessity to remove the old finish down to the bare wood. In order to do the job right, it was necessary to take it apart and strip the components separately. Not only does it look better, it's much easier than trying to get your hand inside those tiny compartments. It's also easier to polish the hardware, a little thing that has a large impact on the finished item. The difference is in the details.


This secretary was made of tiger oak, which has a lot of "movement" and visible grain. This wood looks gorgeous when refinished. One of the many joys of removing old varnish and stain is revealing the hidden wood grain just below the surface. Age darkens the original finishing, thus hiding the beauty of the wood. You never really know beautiful something is until you remove all those layers!