Oak Side Chairs
This project required the complete restoration of six oak side chairs that were missing the back legs. Using a seventh chair that was fully intact as a model we were able to reproduce the missing components, reassemble the chairs and provide the matching period finish so that they were once again a complete matching set.
Torchieres
This piece came in from a very 'southern' client who had childhood recollections of her family calling it 'blacky' back in Vicksberg, Mississippi. It arrived in some few pieces, dusty, grimy, with carving, paint and gilt losses. Known as torchieres and used as candlestands , hundreds of these were made in Venice and elsewhere during the 18th. century. They were carved of linden wood, covered with gesso, water gilt and painted. The Venetiens, a declining power, demonized their mortal enemies the moors (moslims) in this very personal way.
Georgian Mahogany Beds
Achieving a consistent appearance is very difficult when working with mahogany. The process of creating a piece and matching it to other furniture in the bedroom suite requires great patience. Our objective for this project was to completely redesign and restore two classic mahogany beds, and to create a new and unique matching piece. We combined two mahogany queen sized beds to create a single king sized bed with four corner posts, a supported canopy, and gilt finials. By using classic finish techniques, the new bed blended in with the rest of the bedroom suite as if it had always been a part of it.
Mid 18th Century Queen Anne Lowboy
I was very excited to have the opportunity to use my furniture restoration skills on this project. Every piece of furniture from this era has a unique finish and multiple hand crafted parts. The artisan that built the furniture had his own secrets and special ways of making the components and assembling them. The modern furniture restorer has to unlock the century old secrets of the original craftsman and replicate his work. This can only be accomplished by using the same tools and techniques that were used during the original period as well as the craftsman’s attention to every minute detail. In this lowboy we replaced a leg and several other components by using only period finishing methods and hand crafting all the replacement parts. It is now a beautiful fully restored and unique piece that stands ready for another three hundred years of service.
Library Restoration
I was asked to restore the sun damaged finish in the library of the Rhodes mansion on Capitol Hill, Seattle. Built in 1915 to a superb standard, the library was paneled in shellac finished mahogany with leaded glass bookcases, filigreed bronze radiator covers and light fixtures. The sun had bleached the interior sills and casements to a cracked and vile green, gray color. These were stripped, stained and top coated with shellac and varnish. The wall paneling and casework was refinished with the shellac pad and wax. 16 mahogany window sashes were removed to the studio and treated for water damage, stained; painted and refinished. Some of the glass was etched by careless muriatic acid runoff from roofers. We managed to correct that with a graduated pumice treatment. The glass has been covered with a special U.V. film to limit future harm from summer sun.
Leather Window Screens
The library windows are furnished with embossed and painted shade / screens custom built in 1925. The painted screens feature figures engaged in hunting and seem to have been cut from a 17c. Oil painted leather tapestry. These paintings were then inserted into leather clad and stamped screens.The backgrounds were modified and the stamped pattern carried up to the figures .One of the paired screens had suffered water damage and was torn with extensive shrinkage, plane deformation and paint losses. The owner interviewed two conservators some time ago who tendered substantial estimates with no assurances of a successful outcome. The project was then offered to me. I've had previous trials with leather screens and recognize some of the hazards. I decided I could rescue this piece and went ahead with the project.
The painted leather was released from its frame and placed in a humidified chamber until it relaxed sufficiently to be flattened. The borders were recut and new leather attached with lining fabric to the back side to correspond with the frame opening. Heat sensitive, double sided adhesive film was a key element. After attaching the resized leather painting to the frame imprinting was done with gouache colors and coated with reversible, U.V. resistant varnish.
This old screen featuring a young falconer once again graces the library of the Rhodes mansion overlooking Lake Union.
Coffee Table
The clients for this eccentric little table are old friends who recently moved to South Carolina and wanted something a bit different. The mostly wany edged slab top is quilted maple with brass tipped walnut legs. The finish is lacquer.
Crow
This poor crow suffered a broken leg and other superficial injuries .He's almost hopping about again.
Boxes
Boxes arrive requiring attention to hinges, locks and loose joints and loose veneer or losses; in this case marquetry, figured veneers and mother of pearl. They are then shellac polished and waxed.
Twin Tables
These small table bases were made for the designer Kylee Shintaffer in solid wedge. The bases are rabbeted for inset stone tops and lacquer finished.
Chinese Stand
A strong connection between Seattle and the Orient has this sort of ornately carved Chinese furniture showing up in the studio with some regularity. The self-locking, keyed joinery and quality of the carving is exquisite. Originally assembled without glue, this piece had old repairs done, fortunately with hide glue which could be steamed apart in order to fashion new tenons for some of the joints.
Zetta Too
I built this boat to a design from 1878 by Dixon Kemp for a 15 ' centerboard boat. Launched in July 2010, she's proven to be a good day sailor and camp cruiser for Puget Sound. My second boat is named after Susette, my better half. A short article published in the Center for Wooden Boats newsletter 'Shavings ' has more detail at the following link.
Corner Cabinet
I've long admired the furniture designs of Koloman Moser . Best known for his glassware and graphic design work , he collaborated with Josef Hoffmann and Otto Wagner in forming the early Wiener Werkstatte school of Vienna.
I recently completed a speculative corner cabinet after Moser's well known piece ' The Enchanted Princess ' from 1900 which features glass tears on the outside and sinuous profiles of the long haired maiden within .
The tears were withdrawn and the medallion with it's sobbing comet became door pulls , resulting in a restrained , yet recognizable reproduction of the original.
The wood is padouk , the metal work is nickel plated brass and bronze.
The measurements are 73" x 29" x 19".
This piece is available for 14000.00