This one was SO ugly when I first got it. I am beyond grateful to have clients with vision, who trust me to lead them down paths as terrifying as this beast was when I first got it.
This is as heinous as 1970s dark pine can get, and the surface was shot. So shot, like literally I think some hillbilly had been firing bird shot at it for at least a decade... that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But you don't need to hear it from me. A picture's worth a thousand wine induced blogging hyperboles-
Ouch. But when I first saw it, I didn't see all the scratches or that horrible stain job, or those atrocious pulls, or allllllll the scratches in the top that I hoped I could sand out. No, what I saw is that the doors and drawers are carved so that they bow out, and there are columns. You know how many times I've seen a sideboard like this? Zero times. This is the only one I've ever seen. I have never ever seen that treatment on the doors and drawers. I can't imagine how tricky that was to do, and it was very very effective. So striking in person!
I patched this poor darling up, and refinished the top, swapped the pulls, and painted the case in Benjamin Moore's 'Blue Lagoon'. I actually layered the color over a custom mixed shade that's a tad more towards blue for a nice time-worn paint finish. The interior and the drawer interiors are in a rich navy blue.
Which just goes to show you, furniture can be saved. Good solid wood vintage furniture can be saved. You know what can't be saved? That crap most furniture stores are selling now.
You rescued a dear piece and I'm glad that both you and your client saw the possibilities for it. I so agree with your comment on buying furniture today--that old phrase buyer beware comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat a dramatic change! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing transformation! The details on this piece are so beautiful. I agree, you can't buy good solid furniture like this any more. I was searching for something to go under our flat screen tv and got about halfway into the local furniture store before I just turned around and left. $1200 for a piece of junk with uneven doors and a crap finish. I went straight to the local second hand shop and found a beautiful mahogany console with a curved drawer and lovely doors for $250. A tiny fraction of the garbage piece in the furniture store. The solid stuff is worth reworking. The details are better and the quality can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteholy cow! if I didn't see this,I wouldn't believe it.
ReplyDeleteAnother outstanding piece.Bravo!