Restored treasures from the past

Since I have started this blog I thought I would also include all of the antique furniture that I have acquired and restored over time. The list starts way back in the Corowa days in the 80's and thanks to a well respected furniture restorer who ran some restoration classes, the tip and garage sales I have a small collection of old treasures. Enjoy.

Hall Stand

Bought this at a garage sale in Corowa. The Commonwealth Bank was selling all the furniture in the managers residence and this was an item. I think I got it for $20. It is made from American Oak. I stripped back the old shellac and gave it a few new coats, a new bevelled edge mirror and some Florentine bronze hooks.

Lounge Chair

Another garage sale in Corowa. Got this for $2. It did not look like this. It was painted, had no rattan cane, and a vinyl seat cover. It needed complete restoration. I pulled it apart, stripped back the paint which revealed different timbers for various parts. Sassafras for the arm rests. apparently it could have been the furniture makers apprentice who made this using whatever timer was available in the workshop. it was heavily stained to disguise the different timbers. I restained it with a dark stain, a few coats of shellac, reglued the joints, restuffed the seat and a new cover in keeping with the chair-not vinyl.

 

Chest of Drawers

 

Picked this chest of drawers up from the tip, again in Corowa. It had 4 different layers of paint on it, it was nailed together as the animal glue had come away, and it was held together at the back by a sheet if tin. Stripping back the paint revealed cedar! I had to buy some handles, remove all the nails, reglue all the joints including secret dovetails in the drawers and make an extra leg. All the legs were turned, but a different style. You can see remains of the paint.

 

Teacher's Desk

Another gem from Corowa. This is a teachers desk that came from the old Corowa High School when the school was where the TAFE building now is. It is a 1930's design and had been left to rot and gather wear and tear as a paint table in the woodwork room. I won't go into the story of its possession but will say that when a student(s) started gouging marks in it with a chisel I thought it was time to rescue it before it was destroyed. Original shellac finish was revealed after stripping back the polyurethane that was spilled on it. A sand and new coats of shellac brought it back like new.

 

Side Table

 

This side table was given to Phill Bradley and sat in his shed for some time before Jenny spotted it and convinced Phill that I could bring it back to its former glory.