The Retro restoration continues ...

You may remember our beautiful retro restoration a few years ago

Beautiful 1940 ,s era kitchen classics, for a little refresher head over to the blog post here

Well we have been able to restore a few more of these classic pieces.

These gorgeous kitchen chairs have seeen their fair share of wear and tea

Our gorgeous retro chairs in need of some tlc

We carefully restored where we needed to and that included the all important glue up - to cement their longevity

Then once all repairs were made , Stuart repolished using a perfect colour match to their original beauty and carefully encapulated all that fresh colour in a final clear coat

The end result is nothing short of stunning

Our beautiful restoration is complete on these wonderful iconic chairs

Its all in the detail

Colourful furniture makeovers

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

Restoration Projects

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.

Cane Chair Restoration

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 .

A little restoration project ...

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

The timely process of restoration

Restoration or refurbishment is the process of repairing, fixing , modifying, repainting and repolishing an item of furniture.

It can often be a lengthy process, as repairs especially to antique pieces that are hundreds of years old require skill, patience and craftsmanship to ensure every detail is completed successfully whilst often keeping the delicate infrastructure intact, especially the case with veneers, paper thin and fragile, the successful repair of these can really make or break a treasured heirloom.

The argument for restoration is a strong one, sustainably wise and of great sentimental value, the journey of restoration is often an emotional one.

The adventure of restoration provides us with such a sense of satisfaction . Being involved in our clients’ family history and being able to restore a much loved item of furniture for them is one of the best things about our work. Being privvy to such an evocative journey reinforces our love of why we do the things we do.

There is so much history in each and every piece, a tapesty of lives interwoven and we are honoured to be able to enrich each and every piece of furniture, albeit it a tiny child’s chair, or grandmother’s dressing table, a great great grandfathers chair or a favourite aunty’s dining table .

Restoration is a gift for now and the future

A forgotten dressing table , some would say has seen better days …

An old dressing table is now a gorgeous new bathroom vanity

Beautiful Restoration of a Chiffonier

We take so much joy in the process of restoration.

To turn something broken, old, and in dire need of some TLC into something beautiful and serviceable once again is a joy and a privilege for us.

Fresh out of the workshop last week was this gorgeous old chiffonier ; in need of a makeover.

We removed the old finish, repaired the veneers and the drawers and other areas that needed some adjustments.

We then sanded and polished and colour matched to blend in with the clients existing decor.

Beautiful once again , restored chiffonier.

Restored to its former glory, the restoration process has given new life into this wonderful piece.

Restoring a Georgian Rocker

What a delight it was to be able to be a part of a wonderful birthday surprise between two sisters.

This quaint rocker belonged to two little girls and was used often to listen to bedtime stories

Fast forward 50 years or so and this little chair was in need of repairs and repolishing and what could be a better present than having it restored for a surprise birthday present ?

We repaired and restored this gorgeous piece including painting it white, and adding new rattan as well as a duck egg blue fabric to contrast with the freshness of the white .

A glorious result for this wonderful old rocker full of cherished memories and now it will go on for many more generations.

Just one of the reasons we love what we do !

Re purposing old furniture

We love makeovers!! Instead of throwing this silky oak dresser to the curb, a Brisbane client came to us to organize a stunning modification.

We repaired, modified to house new copper sinks and repolished to the match the existing decor.

The results are nothing short of amazing and the best thing is that we have re purposed a wonderful piece of furniture where it will now go on for many years to come

Silky Oak Bathroom vanity

Silky Oak Bathroom Vanity

Restoration of an old Locker

There is so much satisfaction gleamed from restoring a wonderful piece of furniture to its former glory.

For both the restorer and the recipient

This old timber locker was in dire need of some TLC.

Locker just begging to be restored

Using time honored traditional woodworking techniques and hard work

this locker was transformed into something wonderful yet highly practical for this busy family...

restoration of locker

IMG_3091

restoring old locker

Art Deco Coffee Table Restoration

We love restoring old forgotten pieces of furniture , items from the shed, under the house, a garage sale... This gorgeous Art Deco coffee table is one of our projects completed this week

Wow what a transformation

Art Deco table in need of some professional restoration

How amazing does this very funky art deco table look now

Highlighting the wonderful veneers on this restored art deco coffee table

Bathroom Love ...

This recently completed vanity is a real show stopper.  Blessed with not only good looks, this vanity is built for longevity and to withstand heat , humidity and other various elements that a bathroom experiences. This  styish  unit is made from Mahogany and finished with  black granite for durability and maximum visual appeal. 

Of course the tapware we use is Australian Made.  

Student Restoration Project...

Few people have a vision of what an old worn out wardrobe can look like if converted into a bookcase   We have completed several conversion projects  like these for clients and they have always been amazed at the finished piece .

So we were delighted when one of our Woodworking Students, chose to take up the challenge himself and convert his old Silky Oak Cabinet into something new and wonderful.

David was not deterred at all by the processes and time involved to complete such a makeover.

With the expert guidance from teacher Dave, David then went about on his restoration journey of stripping the old finish, removing the old mirror ...

In addition new shelves were made and fitted

Then the cabinet was sanded and David polished the cabinet to match his existing decor.

The finished product looks absolutely amazing.

Well done David on a remarkable job and for persisting to achieve what you set out to do.

You should be proud of your accomplishments.

We cant wait to see you next project !!

Restoring Churchie...

The Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie ) situated in East Brisbane has a rich history steeped in tradition and education.  Established in 1912 in  Toowong Qld  and moved later in 1918 to East Brisbane,  the School has been undergoing transformation and restoration as part of its' centenary celebrations.

 Bywater Design are proud to be associated with the schools'  refurbishment. 

The most recent work undertaken were the restoration of the Entrance Doors to the Darnell Building...

Constant exposure to the harsh westerly afternoon sun, heat and UV extremes have left these doors in poor condition.

The existing doors were completely removed for a complete restoration at the Bywater Design Workshop.  Temporary plywood doors were installed for security and practical elements.

Cleaning 100 years of grime, dust  oil etc was a very ardeous but rewarding task.

The doors were finished in  2 pak marine epoxy exterior grade, highly suitable for harsh weather conditions.

Restoration now completed the temporary doors were removed and the new and much improved Darnell Doors were re installed and will maintain their excellent condition for many many years to come .

Everything Old is New and Beautiful Again...

 

This gorgeous 1940's Hutch, has seen many good times. In the 1970's it was lovingly given a coat or two of white gloss paint by its owner.   Fast forward to 2011 and this gorgeous vintage kitchen hutch was in desperate need of some major care.

We took it back to where it all began... stripping the gloss paint, inserting new mesh on the sides, installing new hardware and polishing it to a mid walnut colour to blend harmoniously with the clients' existing decor...

Voila...