A Sendipitous Acquisition!

This little vanity desk is just one piece of a bedroom suite.
Hi Everyone! In a past several months, I had the privilege to refinish all the suite's pieces except a headboard and a footboard. My customer reported how he acquired the pieces from a distant family member who initially purchased them second-hand, used them for a while, and then gave them to him.




attractive little vanity desk

I was first introduced to these in my customer's garage--each waiting for some needed attention. I could see he had some keepers (click here)! It was clear to me these were good quality pieces of furniture, but that's a kind of observation my customers can't necessarily  make. They don't get to see the variety in styles and construction I routinely work with in the WoodTalkin shop. So, it was my privilege to help him make some observations about each item, and those ramped up his appreciation for what he had serendipitously acquired.

nasty stain

A two-drawer bedside table (with a nasty stain in the top), a dresser, a vanity chair, and a small desk chair. For the most part all of these pieces were in reasonably good condition, considering their age. They had no structural problems, warps, or veneer losses. The bedside table had a broken toe on a back leg and the vanity had a similar toe insult. All the pieces were original finish, except the vanity. It had been painted white, so trying to get all the paint out of the vanity, replacing the veneer on the side table's top, and fabricating two new toes were probably the biggest challenges.

refabricated ear

My customer planned to self-replace the upholstered back on the vanity's chair. So, my goal with that piece was to support her effort. I refinished the chair and replaced its broken right "ear" (see pic, right) on the back of the chair so she could expertly upholster up to and around it.  

So, here are a few pics of the finished items--all happily ready to go home.


front to back: vanity chair, desk chair, and bedside table



seven-drawer dresser



The pieces are finished in a Matt luster and in a stain chosen by my customer. As mentioned above, they plan to reupholster the vanity's chair and also the seat cover on the desk chair. 

pretty little vanity and a new toe

The vanity has really pretty original antique brass pulls--but they are not shown in this pic. (I forgot to get that pic.) If you look really carefully you can see the back left foot of the vanity--it's no longer missing. So, there you go, a really fun project that reinvigorates this little bedroom suite for another generation. (Don't you wish we could all do that for one another!)

That's Wood Talkin for today. Furniture has a story to tell--so let's pay attention. Call me or text me for free in-home estimates, trouble-shooting, or some fun discussion.

Dick Brandow

720-3450-2992 cell/text