Brown Saltman End Table

This was the donor piece for the drawer pulls on a similar end table that I posted in December.
http://modwerks.blogspot.com/2014/12/uber-cool-walnut-brown-saltman-end-table.html
Other than missing the pulls, that piece was in great condition.  This piece, although it had the cool original pulls was not so fortunate.  The legs were missing and a crude pedestal base had been attached.  I'm guessing the original finish was in bad shape and someone went over it with a dark stain.  The top had a "shadow" circle from something being left in the same place while the rest was exposed to sunlight.  After stealing the pulls to make the other table complete I had to decide what to do with this one.  It wasn't worth the effort to try to reconstruct the original legs especially considering the original pulls were now gone.  I decided to use it as a test piece for a finish I wanted to try.  The wood floor industry has some great new finishes that I think would work well on furniture.  The high solids hardwax oils can give a cerused effect and they come in a multitude of colors.  I decided to experiment with this one to see how it would look on walnut.  The result is promising and I think could be appropriate on the right pieces, especially if it is something that isn't currently trending like oak.  I'm selling this for about what I have into it in materials.

I wasn't able to fully restore this piece as some of its original parts were missing. It is a Brown-Saltman walnut end table by John Keal so it is an interesting piece for the mid-century enthusiast. The original legs and pendant pulls are gone and I opted to give it a more current look by adding sculpted brushed aluminum legs and matching bar pulls. The finish is also more contemporary with a white tinted hardwax oil. The white fills the wood pores somewhat and gives it a soft whitewashed look. The finish is more matte than a typical lacquer or varnish. This finish is used for european style wood flooring so it is durable, much more so than a oiled waxed furniture finish. The top of the table does have a dark circle that is from a lamp or something that sat in one place for too long. Otherwise it is in good shape and the finish is new.

Dimensions: 27"W x 27"D x 18"H

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Lane "Tower Suite" Pecan and Rosewood Modern Dresser

Restoration of this Lane 9 drawer dresser was just completed. As with other Lane pieces this is well constructed using mitered joinery, dovetailed drawers and metal and bearing bottom mount drawer guides. Lane used classic modernist design features with a deep set picture frame edge around the case perimeter. The case rests on a set back espresso colored pedestal base that disappears in the shadows to give the dresser a "floating" appearance. The case and drawer fronts use pecan veneer that has been stained to a walnut color. The case has 10 rosewood squares inlaid on the top that match the rosewood slats on the center door. The drawer pulls use solid, rosewood handles with chrome supports. The design is very reminiscent of Milo Baughman's casework; low profile orthogonal design with luxurious details like chrome, rosewood, etc.

I normally reserve staining for matching dis-similar woods (like legs to match a case).  When possible I like to let the natural color and variation of the wood show.  However, pecan doesn't show well with the finish schedule I use with walnut, teak and rosewood.  Pecan ends up looking yellow with this formula and doesn't look very "current" and would not have done the rosewood accents any favors on this piece.  Pecan does have a pronounced difference in its hardwood vs sapwood in density and openness.  By layering 2 different stain colors I was able to utilize this to good effect.  The harder wood doesn't take the 2nd stain as well as the softer.   The result is a deeper coloring effect with the stained pieces having some color variation, much like natural wood.  It is more subtle than a figured walnut but it also avoids the one dimensional look used with a single stain or toner color.

I find many references to this line as being walnut and rosewood.  There is certainly a possibility that Lane made some with walnut and some with pecan.  This original ad from 1971 describes it as pecan and rosewood.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1982&dat=19710924&id=uENRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0ywNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2655,4219672&hl=en
This one is definitely not walnut and is easy to spot with the finish stripped.  Here is one on 1st dibs.  I believe this one is pecan also.
https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/storage-case-pieces/dressers/lane-tower-suite-walnut-dresser/id-f_1150472/  I see many pieces with incorrectly identified wood species.  It isn't always easy to tell, even with a trained eye.  Especially if the piece has a toned finish that hides the wood's real color.  Maybe this is a potential subject for a future post??

Dimensions: 66"W x 29"H x 19"D

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Skovby Rosewood Buffet and Hutch

If you follow my blog you know how I feel about Rosewood.  Rosewood is the king and these pieces show why.  The striking contrast between the dark and light bands and the beautifully cathedral grain patterns are not found in any other species.  The fact that it hasn't been harvested in 25 years makes it that much more special.  The designs of these pieces are very simple and straight which allows the materials to take center stage and also allows them to fit with many different styles

This beautiful brazilian rosewood credenza and hutch by Skovby was just restored and now looks like new. The upper hutch is removable and has 6 adjustable glass shelves that are in perfect condition. Each of the 3 sections of the hutch has a working light above that shines through the glass shelves and illuminates your keepsakes. The hutch could be mounted on legs and used as a separate display case. The lower credenza or buffet portion has 5 shallow felt lined drawers on the left side for silver and barware. The right 2 doors conceal open storage with one full length adjustable shelf. The inside of the credenza is all finished in mahogany. The inside of the hutch is rosewood. Skovby produced some of the finest Danish furniture and these pieces are a great example of that. The doors are all edged with solid rosewood. The case is hardwood wrapped with incredibly figured brazilian rosewood. Brazilian Rosewood is on the endangered species list and has not been harvested in nearly 25 years. These pieces predate that by 20 years.

Whether or not you are into mid century modern or Scandinavian design, well designed, well constructed pieces using high quality materials are always in demand and retain their value. If you are looking for high quality and unique furniture these are worth looking at.

Dimensions: Buffet 60 1/2"W x 32"H x 19"D
Hutch 58 1/2"W x 39"H x 15"D
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