The Silverware Cabinet Alive Again

Hi and welcome!

How honoured I feel to have been asked to strip and refinish a lovely 100-year old family heirloom silverware cabinet recently. It was great-grandmother's pride and joy and had spent many years on the top of the diningroom cabinet. Over time, it began showing its age with a tired and patchy finish.

The once black feet were now mostly chipped and a chunk of wood was gouged out of the left front foot of the case. Inside the cabinet, the fuschia felt was dusty dirty and full of grit. "She'd" definitely seen better days!

Knowing that this family heirloom was destined to become the wedding gift for the granddaughter's wedding this summer was impetice for me to take exception care in restoring it to like new condition. The trickiest part of the entire job was making sure that none of the messy stripper or staining products I had to use got inside the box and stained the felt! Needless to say, I worked VERY carefully.

Several hours of TLC work later, "she" is completely transformed!

Take a look at the transformation inside the cabinet...

As I always take before and after photographs of each furniture piece, it was a tickle to first show the owners the before images, reminding them of the condition it was in when I received it from them.

THEN, what fun I had lifting off the cloth cover that had been keeping it hidden to that point... SEEING THEIR EXPRESSIONS was priceless! Obviously, they loved the transformation.

I know that they will gift this cherished box (along with all of its antique silverware) with exceptional pride. What a gift for me to have been able to make it lovely enough to be passed down in the family.

If you have a cherished piece that you would like transformed, please call me...

Carolyn Clarke at 604-885-8885

I LOVE working with special pieces like this!

Transformation

Thanks for visiting Furniture Rejuvenation.

Every aspect of my work, whether it's related to my wood finishing profession or the counselling business I share with husband Richard, transformation is at the root of it all.

Transformation, especially of the visible kind, simply fascinates me. What IS transformation? A few words that come to mind include...

Metamorphosis...

Shape Shifting...

... meaning the change of an identity into an other.

In our counselling work, we help individuals change their limiting beliefs and held-in emotions to "unclutter" and align with new self and life positives.

In my furniture work, there is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a tired, old piece of furniture be brought back to life using refinishing or rejuvenation techniques... seeing the dings disappear and the beautiful depth of colour and grain leap out before my eyes again.

Here's an example of a rejuvenation job I completed recently... an older table troubled by shoes having been put on the surface, as well as normal wear and tear to the legs. Table and chair legs are especially susceptible to dings.

BEFORE

AFTER

“I never realized how tired and worn the coffee table I had been gifted with years before was getting until Carolyn worked on it. As you can see by the before and after pictures, the difference is dramatic and I am proud once more to have this piece front and center in my livingroom.”

Testimonial by Rob T. from Vancouver, B.C.

BEFORE

AFTER

Do you have a tired piece of furniture "with good bones" that needs a little "shape-shifting" transformation? More than likely, I can help out... and I'll be excited all over again at the thought of transformation through the magic of TLC.

Warmly, Carolyn Clarke
Furniture Rejuvenation Artist
604-885-8885

P.S. I appreciate being shared around, thanks.