My parents are moving and downsizing after 47 years in the same home and they’ve accumulated some amazing things. Things that in their current state don’t always look so amazing to everyone. I’m sorry I didn’t take a picture of it before working on it, as it was a very, um, interesting brown shade of what looked to me to be an opaque varnish.
Like many of the Kroehler pieces I’ve researched, this was a custom design. I’m not sure who designed it, as it seems to have been in my family for well before my parents took it into their home. Oddly always in brown!
When I started sanding it, I discovered that was a mix of pine with oak veneers, possibly some solid walnut, and some solid oak. It weighs a ton! The joints and veneers are meticulously glues and in beautiful shape. Once stripped, I was faced with the challenge of how to unify all the different woods without resorting to covering it all in paint. So, I chose to use a dark wax paste that would age darker on all the woods and added a thin milk-paint coat on the drawers and door front, to give it a modern-retro feel.
I’m still contemplating whether or not to post this one for sale on my store at Found – Boutique D’Arts et Décors. Maybe I will and see what happens. There’s more coming soon as the upcycling & refurbishing bug has a hold on me… and I have quite a few pieces to work on now.
The New Renaissance Mindset 