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Whats happening lately
A much loved , much used gorgeous round cedar table has been in the family for years and has seen many lunches play dates and craft endeavours , but it was not time for some care…
We repaired and repolished to bring back this highly sentimental family favourite back into the now, ready for many many years of play dates fun and good times
Our furniture weaves its way into our lives - it becomes part of our story so naturally we form a strong attachment to it …
So when the circumstances or lifestyle changes , its reallly wonderful to be able to have those sentimental pieces with us
Besides the strong emotional attachment it just makes good sense to be able use what we already have -especially if we love it !!
Our recent modifcation of a dining table is a wonderful example of this
Lovely Blackbutt dining table
This elegant table is just too big for our clients now, it was taking up too much space and just didnt fit their lifestyle requirements …
So we modified this table and brought about a brand new smaller simply gorgeous table
We created the new table exactly to our clients required dimensions so it will fit seamlessly into the desired area
A beautiful brand new dining table out of an existing one
The end result is just beautiful - our client is so happy being able to utilise their existing table for a fresh new lifestyle
The importance of preserving our history cannot be underestimated and it is for this reason that we impart so much pride and satisfaction in the process of restoration.
For a much loved family heirloom the role of restoration is an important one ; it gives the special piece longevity so that it is able to be kept in the family and passed on for generations and generations.
Our case in point is this lovely travel blanket box
A special piece that has seen many a mile and many a story
We repaired and restored this and kept the integrity and authenticity of the box to keep all the wonderful markings of time
As we begin to embrace a new month ( and a new season!!) we take a look at some of the wonderful restoration projects we have had the joy of undertaking this month …
With its delicate tapestry, this quaint occasional table was carefully repaired and then repolished to bring this cute piece back to its beautiful original glory.
This beautiful rather grand Oak sideboard, was rescued from the 2021 Brisbane floods, as you can see from the watermarks .
We carefully repaired all internal and external damage and gave it a beautiful fresh polish to make this spectacular piece “Pop” !!
This beautiful 1920’s miners couch, hold high sentimental value for our lovely client, and we were only too happy to restore and really enhance the rich grain of the timbers, as you can see the results are just beautiful and all ready for the upholster to work his magic …
Restoration provides a chance to recover a neglected , forgotten piece of furniture.
Or improve or alter the function of a piece of furniture for eg, modify a table for its new surrounds, repolish a chair to give it new life -or to match its decor
The options are endless when it comes to restoration , using existing furniture and turning it into something wonderful is a fabulous concept that assists in minimising our ever growing throw away mentality as well as honing in on sentimental value.
Restoring a piece of furntiure that holds sentimental value , making those precious child hood memories come alive is one of the best things we can do for ourselves .
Restoration provides us the restorer with so much satisfaction as well; from hearing the back story of a piece, feeling the depth of its sentimental worth and then repairing , restoring , repolishing that piece of furniture, knowing that its journey is not over, we are just providing the tools for its longevity.
And when the work is complete, seeing the joy and happiness from our clients’ makes it all the worthwhile.
Our lovey Japanese Low table has been beautifully restored
Kitchen pine chair looks amazing after we removed the old existing paint
this 1940’s typewriter cover bought over from Hamburg has been in the family since then and is now ready to hand over to the next generation
Just a few of the beautiful pieces that we are thrilled to be able to restore
#lovewhatwedo
The last few months has seen us busy in the workshop restoring some beautiful pieces for our clients …
All of these items have a beautiful ‘back story’ a history of bygone days.
We have great joy and satisfaction in restoring these treasured pieces , so they can once again be back or if not better than their glorious original self .
Gorgeous 1920’s credenza
This 1920’s credenze , made from Cedar and has such beautiful features. Its looking ok but it could be better …
Beautiful restoration
We repaired where necessary and repolished to bring out that beautiful grain …
Our client was absoluetely thrilled with the end results.
Classic pine writing desk
Elegant pine writing desk, with so many beautiful features, but was needing some repairs and some love .
Once again we made drawer and door repairs including the top …
The power of restoration . Using what we have , taking some time to care and repair and the end results provide many more happy memories
#lovewhatwedo
We have been so lucky being able to undertake so many beautiful restoration projects.
Each and every piece of furniture we repair, repolish and restore has a unique history, its own blueprint from which we are sure many a good story could be told
Oh if only the walls could speak.
Our latest restoration provided so much joy and came all the way to Brisbane from Wyong (Central Coast of NSW) and dates orginally from Austria circa 1940’s.
Our suite of retro furniture comprised of many glorious pieces, including a funky kitchen console, a buffet table, mobile daybed and kitchen dining room table and chairs to name but a few in this wonderful collection.
Each piece was repaired, restored and repainted as close to the original colour scheme as per our client request.
Our retro sideboard definitely got the special treatment , as seen some extensive repairs were needed to make those drawers glide effortlessly as well as a thorough sanding before application of the finish.
How utterly fabulous is this TV Unit, the wonderful shape, the original handles, the colour what is not to love about this iconic slice of history.
The finished result was nothing short of spectacular.
Two beautiful examples of the power of restoration , we often say adored and restored but really it is true. These family heirlooms have been given a new lease of life and now take pride of place in the family home. Ready to be used enjoyed and passed down through the familly.
There are more wonderful pieces in this collectoin we cant way to share
#lovewhatwedo
Its been a while, since we last updated on the wonderful projects we have been completing in the workshop.
So many restoration makeovers, some truly unique custom made furniture pieces and the wonderful joy of sharing our passion and knowledge in our woodworking classes…
But first some restoration.
These gorgeous Bentwood chairs have been in our client’s family for generations.
You just have to love the boldness of these curves, the laidback ambience they evoke, many a story they could tell .
Considering their age circa 1930’s these chairs are in fair condition, but we knew we could take them to the next level.
Our gorgeous Bentwood Chair all ready for its makeover
To begin the restoration process, we dismantled the chairs, and repaired and reglued where necessary
In situ, our fabulous chairs getting the 5 star treatment
Our client chose an elegant beige pinstriped fabric to contrast beautifully with the rich grain of the timber
and as you can see the results are truly beautiful.
Just waiting to for a PImms and a good book
Our restored Bentwood Chairs
#lovewhatwedo
The past month we have been restoring some beautiful pieces of furniture for our clients …
Perhaps one of our favourite pieces has included this beautiful inlay treasure box.
Beauty in the detail
Dated from the 1900’s this gorgeous box comes with history and character.
Our Client was wanting to pass it to her grandson and wanted it restored back to its former glory.
So we happily obliged
before restoration
beautiful finished results
After carefully repairing the veneers and the mother of pearl, Stuart applied a new lining (whilst keeping the original underneath for posterity) and polished to a bring out the gorgeous detail in the inlay
The details in this box are just exquisite
Projects like these give us so much joy, where we are able to help a family carry on their traditions and heirlooms
#lovewhatwedo
It has been an absolute joy to complete some beautiful restoration projects over the last few months.
We love providing a source of joy to our clients when they receive their recently restored piece of yesteryear.
Needing some love
Beautiful end result
Beautiful silky oak table restored
This gorgeous 1920’s Silky Oak Dining Suite with its classic shapes had “good bones” and needed some love to bring out its orginal glory.
We repaired, sanded and Stuart colour matched the finish of these to match the clients existing decor, so these pieces would blend seamlessly to their surrounds and not look new.
Our client then chose some bright floral fabric for the chairs to give a beautiful contrast to the silky oak timber.
A glorious end result to this wonderful era of furniture.
Beautiful blanket box
Blanket boxes are a wonderful practial addition to any home. Our Silky Oak friend here was in need of some TLC and we happily obliged.
Our restoration process included some major repair work to both the internal and external surfaces of this gorgeous 1920’s piece.
Our client once again chose exquisite fabric to complement the warmth of the Silky Oak Grain.
A beautiful old yet new addition to this family home
Restoration comes in many shapes and forms, it can be an old rocking chair, a writing desk, a dressing table or rattan furniture.
Rattan, cane or wicker furniture often lends itself to a wonderful restoration process, and done properly and professionally the results will last for so many years.
Like our beautiful examples below, be fuelled by colour, let the brightness shine and give that old lounge or table some special treatment and bring a little bit of sunshine into your home .
Crisp blue and fresh
Giving new life to old furniture
The perfect pink makeover
Never underestimating the power of bright beautiful colours, we completed these fabulous makeovers to some classic rattan furniture , with fabulous results
Classic shaped rattan chairs in dire need of some repairs and colour
These chairs are just perfect for outdoor or front deck living. They have such great shape and character.
We were keen to repair what was needed especially around the arms and prepare for the colour.
Big on the wow factor
Our clients chose a dramatic blue to really accentuate the wonderful features of this lounge. We used 2pack high gloss for longevity
We undertook the same process for the accompanying table
Restoration just makes good sense especially with impressive results such as these. What could have been destined for the rubbish bin is now beautifully repaired and restored and ready to begin a wonderful new life
The last couple of weeks we have completed some lovely restoration pieces for our clients.
They have made for wonderful birthday presents and the element of surprise at having a special sentimental piece of furniture lovingly restored is one of those heart pulling moments.
Bringing or restoring family heirlooms back to their or even better original glory is one of the most satisfying aspects of our work ( we know we say it all the time ) but the pleasure we gleam from this is enormous.
1930’s Pot Cupboard
beautiful end result for this iconic piece of furniture
Pot Cupboards were originalyy used to hold a chamber pot next to the bed before the advent of indoor plumbing.
quirky and cute this silky oak shelf is in need of some tlc
Repairs included in the restoration process brought this funky little stand into the now and will give it much need stability as well as bringing out the gorgeous Silky Oak grain . A light and natural finish provides the final touch on this wonderful antique.
We always love the journey of restoration and when it is a family heirloom such as a Piano , the satisfaction for us as a team in achieving a great outcome is one of the best parts of what we do …
A much loved family favourite in need of some repairs
Gorgeous finished product. This treasured family item back to its orginal glory
This mahogany upright piano was restored, repaired where needed and repolished to match the clients’ existing decor .
A beautiful journey of great sentimental value
We always take delight in restoring a part of yesteryear and restoring a Cedar Boardroom table circa 1970 crafted by the renowned maker Robert Dunlop ( 1925 - 2014 ) was certainly an honour.
This elegant boardroom table made for an innercity Brisbane School, has certainly seen many student and teacher meetings.
It was in dire need of repairs, repolishing and in particular the Emblem a fragile work of veneers was starting to crumble and needed some intricate repairs.
Restoration needed for the school emblem
Boardroom table pior to its makeover
Extensive repair work on the veneers and emblem was undertaken by Stuart.
The table was then sanded and many applications of finish were applied to bring this wonderful part of history back to its original glory
A beautiful finished products
The delivered and restored boardroom table
September was another fun , productive month in the Bywater Design Workshop. Hard to believe that we are in the last quarter of the year, 2019 now
Our many and varied projects included restoration on some beautiful furniture, including a lovely change of colour to a 1920’s reading chair.
Working on our new surfboard collection ( we are very excited about our new developments ) our September Surfboard class proved once again how lucky we are to share our enthusisam and knowledge with our surfboard students.
Stuart also enjoyed using his beloved hand chisels and hand carved mahogany corbels for a heritage project .
As we emerse ourselves into October we look forward to some more exciting custom made furniture projects , further restoration work and the preparation for our November Surfboard Making Workshop which is always a fun and busy 4 days !
Love what we do
What are your images, thoughts of the 1920’s ?
The Great Gatsby , Speakeasies, jazz music comes instantly to mind.
The world was celebrating peace and freedom after World War 1 and technology (but not as we now know it ) was forging ahead.
Automobiles were becoming more common, and movies were mass entertainment in the devleoped world.
This started as a boom era in which people were intent on living for the now, throwing convention to the wind and opening the way for new ideas and inventions.
Art Deco is the term for this fashionable style that dominated between the two world wars, Art Deco influenced many spheres of life from art, architecture, fashion and sculpture to furniture design.
The impact Art Deco has left is monumental in architecture alone. In Queensland , the State Government Insurance Building in Brisbane and the Charleville Town Halls are perfect testamony to these, just as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building are iconic symbols in the USA.
Jazz Moderne as Art Deco was also known as the dominant style of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
It became known as Art Deco in the 1960’s when a British Art Critic took the name from the 1925
L’Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris.
The Style was developed in France by over 250 craftman including Jacques_Emile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand and Rene Lalique. The strong Paris influence led the “machine age aesthetic”in which the flowing floral motifsof Art Noveau were replaced by streamlined geometrical designs, that expressed the efficiency of modern technology.
Excitement over this new French Style was quickly emulated in Italy, Britian other European countries and North America.
Art Deco designers used stepped forms, rounded corners, striped decorative elements and experimented with industrial materials such as metal, plastic as well as the more unusual sharks skin.
The favoured stylish colours of purple, mauve, peach and grey were used to enhance the new sophisticated design.
Experimenting with industrial design elements was a constant in the Art Deco period.
Decorative glass had a formative role in products such as cabinet doors and homes with heavy timbers lightened by the use of glass, were stylised with sunbursts, foliage and various flower species.
Another aspect of Art Deco which is essential in todays design elements is multipurpose design; the original Art Deco furniture was true to their geometric and sleek design and were highly functional as well as representing elegant simplicity.
Think of a headboard with incorporated bed side tables or side cupboards with a lamp stand or cigrette holder doubling as a coffee /occasional table.
The not so humble cocktail cabinet; borne from that wonderful pasttime; the cocktail party , was devleoped to house essential items for a maritini as well as accommodating a gramaphone to play the latest Josephine Baker. Multipurposing at its best.
We have restored many and varied pieces from this era
From the humble occasional table , to the essential vanity unit to the more complex gramaphone , these pieces were carefully and faithfully restored to bring out the best of that era ,as well as using modern practices to ensure they will go on for many more decades
Clients often request design characterstics from this period as well using the crisp symmetrical forms from this era to using timbers reminiscent of this era including birds eye maple . With subtle additions of plain frosted glass instead of the more colourful glass originals the Art Deco mood is enhanced whilst giving each furniture item its own personality .
One of our favourite era’s we relish the opportunity to restore or create pieces of furniture that are reminiscent of this wonderful age, when things were a little simpler.
Restoring the glory Art Deco multi purpose sidetable
Carefully restored Dressing table with accompanying stool
Simple curved lines with an Art Deco aesthetic for this stunining kitchen cabinet
Beautifully designed and made by Stuart this Art Deco Inspired entertainment unit is a crowd pleaser
Mid Century Decor can be very generally characterised by the use of clean lines, curves and smooth surfaces to create an understated look.
Bold colour fabrics against a neutral coloured wall was often synomous with mid century decor.
Form follows function.
So bearing all these facts in mind we mindfully restored these wonderful iconic chairs.
To keep their structural integrity , we took care in our restoration processes …
Mid century lounge chair just before their restoration
Careful dismantling prior to restoration
The Process for restoration involved careful dismantling of all pieces, removal of existing finish ( in this instance paint)
reglueing and repairing where needed.
New fabric was chosen by the client to compliment the wonderful richness of the grain which was quite eveident once the paint had been removed and the fabulous blue hues co ordinated wonderfully with their existing furniture
Just stunning
The end result is nothing short of spectacular.
These chairs classic shape and character of these chairs has not been changed, they have just been treated to some TLC to ensure a long and happy life .
For some more restoration magic have a peek at our Restoration Gallery for great inspiration of what you can achieve .
With spring only a few weeks away (where is the year going ??) this little makeover is well timed to welcome in the new season.
A gorgeous classic cane lounge chair in dire need of some attention was transformed into a fresh , colourful new addition to this inner city Brisbane home.
A beauty in the making
Just waiting to be made over
A stunning result
Fresh , crisp and ready for spring
We repaired where needed and repolished in white 2 Pack for a clean crisp backdrop to that wonderful effervescent new upholstered seat .
We love our restoration projects.
There is so much satisfaction in repairing and restoring a piece of history, someone’s past, someone’s heirloom.
A forgotten household item now becomes the star of the living room.
It becomes a talking point.
It becomes a loved functional piece of furniture again and it goes without saying that in this mass produced era, its kind of cool to have something that is uniquely yours , that one of a kind feeling.
This little Oak Table is now a shining addition to its owners lounge room …
In need of some TL C
A beautiful restored finish
An elegant addition to the home
A beautiful end result for this Oak Occasional Table .
We repaired where necessary, sanded and polished to bring out the richness of the grain
#lovewhatwedo
