June 1, 2020

We’re open!  Thank you all for your patronage during this challenging time.  We look forward to welcoming you at the store during normal business hours:  10-6, Monday through Saturday.  No more than ten people will be allowed in the store at any one time, but as most of you know, that’s not a problem for us!

The photos featured below show an armoire door before and after refinishing.  The result (i.e., having the wood look lighter after being refinished) is typical.  This is because many antique pieces were at one time covered with shellac, which replaced oil and wax finishes for furniture in the 19^th century.  While shellac is an organic product, being a resin secreted from a bug, over time it allows dirt to seep into the finish.  That’s why so many Victorian pieces appear very dark if they have their original finish.  At one point we bought a sideboard that I thought would match our mahogany dining room table, but once the piece was stripped, it turned out to be Golden Oak—a huge difference!

 

 

 

Speaking of making a difference, a service we offer, but don’t often mention, is wiring or re-wiring lamps.  This may be helpful if you find a lamp at auction that you want to use and either don’t trust the original wiring or find that it was never used with electricity.

 

 

Lynne & Bob McCann