Many of our clients bring to us pieces that have been inherited.  Grandma’s kitchen table, Grandpa’s antique shotgun, or Great-Great-Great-Aunt’s spinning wheel.

We were privileged to restore such a set that our client had inherited from her late grandparents.  The set, from a long-gone Texas furniture manufacturer, had been at their ranch house for as long as our client can remember, and when she was aksed which pieces she wanted as a memorial of her grandparents, she chose their sideboard, table, chairs and desk.  The pieces were over 60 years old, and had been used for many many years, loved, and appreciated.

The trip from Texas to Colorado had brought to light the fact that several of the joints were compromised from the years of use, and the transition to the drier air of the Front Range had further openend those joints.

Our work began with a thorough cleaning of all the dust and accumulated debris of the years, then a scrubbing with a mild TSP solution, nylon scrub pads and soft bristle brushes for the details and nooks and crannies.  After a good rinse, hand-dry and 2 days of air-drying to insure all the water had evaporated, we began the task of assessing the damage to the pieces.  Each of the 5 chars that had survived the years and the move were deconstructed.  All joints were cleaned out, and the chairs were then reassembled with new glue for all the joints.  The chairs were sanded and hand-scraped to remove all the old finish and any other adhesives used in prior repairs.  Once clean, we were able to apply a coat of natural stain to enhance the grain and patina of the pine. 3 coats of Polyurethane, with light buffing in between, and a final buff and wax made these chairs shine.

At the same time, we were also working on a 2-piece sideboard that needed shelves and doors repaired.  We were able to insure the doors were able to open and close safely and not fall off their hinges. The shelves were cleaned and new pins provided to allow for the adjustability that had been added at some point by the family.  A thorough sanding of the pieces, starting at 100 grit and working through to 180 grit created a clean surface, free from the deep scratches and marks the decades had wrought.  Using the same natural stain, and then 3 coats of Polyurethan insured that this sideboard will be able to be used for another 60 years.

A fun table with a self-storing leaf was also part of the project.  The joints on this were so badly compromised that we had to rebuild them.  After a careful marking and noting of which pieces went together, we dismantled the table, cleaned and rebuilt the joints, reassembled the table, sanded it throughly, repaired the slides for the leaf, applied stain, and 4 coats of polyurethane.

The final piece of the grouping was a desk that needed new finish.  With the attention lavished on the other pieces, we couldn’t leave it at a simple coat of finish, and instead, insured that all drawers were waxed to operate smoothly, the pulls were cleaned and secured, and then we sanded it down, applied stain and 4 coats of Polyurethane.

All the pieces were buffed and given a coat of wax for extra protection before we delivered them.

Our client was thrilled to tears, and even her dad was speechless at the resurrection of the pieces he remembers from growing up.