It's that time of year again....

Those of you who follow my blog regularly have probably noticed a reduction in output the last few weeks.  Cold weather, shorter days and holiday activities are all encroaching on my restoration time.
The stripping and finishing chemicals just don't work as well in colder temps.  I can't go out and put on another coat of finish after the little one gets put to bed.  I tend to put off pieces that need more structural work to the winter.  That stuff can be done in colder weather but it also takes additional time.  Fortunately Colorado affords us pretty decent weather between storms so there are opportunities to get stuff done.  I'll crank the stuff out as quickly as time and weather permits.  Thanks to all who have visited the site and especially to those who have been able to take some of these pieces home.

Pair of Chrome Canvas and Leather Sling Chairs

There are no labels or markings of any kind identifying the origin of these cool chairs.  Looking at some of the details I would guess Scandinavian but at this point that is a guess. Regardless, they are nicely made and with their canvas sling seating support, quite comfy.  The saddle leather strap armrests are a nice and unique feature.  When I acquired these the original one piece cushions were intact however they had a very dated and faded pale turquoise fabric on them.  I've really been loving the current trend of indigo velvet on sofas, especially on those with warm wood details.  These don't have wood but they do have those camel colored leather strap arms.  The shimmer of the velvet also plays well with the shiny chrome. 
I had these in my storage room with some the fabric swatches I was considering when giving some friends a tour of the projects I was working on.  They saw the chairs and the indigo fabric and said they would be perfect for their newly remodeled living room.  Boom!  They were sold before I could even get them posted.

Walnut and Smoked Glass Table Set by John Keal for Brown Saltman

These tables are both excellent examples of beautifully designed pieces by John Keal.  The glass support structure and entire outer case is made of solid walnut which has elegantly curved cutouts and rounded profiling.  The walnut has an oiled finish that I just cleaned and restored and is nearly flawless.  Lane made variations similar to these but used veneered casework with black painted and squared edges.  The Brown Saltman pieces show much finer craftmanship.  Each table has a drawer integrated into the case for storage of remotes, etc.  Below the glass tops are full sized shelves for books, magazines or other items for display.  Each table rests on a matte black, recessed plinth base that disappears in the shadow of the table and gives a "floating" appearance.  Both tables have their original smoked glass tops which have some fine scratching but are in otherwise good condition.

These are beautifully made pieces that are hard to find individually and even more rare as a set.

Dimensions:
                   Coffee Table: 60"W x 24"D x 16"H
                    End Table:    30"W x 30"D x 18"H
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Beautiful Walnut Bedroom Set by Mt. Airy for John Stuart

I often see pieces that are attributed to John Stuart  as the manufacturer.  In fact, John Stuart did not make or design furnture.  John Stuart was a high-end retailer in Michigan and New York that contracted various designers and manufacturers to make furniture for their retail stores.  They often used high end manufacturers from the area around Grand Rapids, but not exclusively so.  There are also a number of John Stuart labeled pieces that originated from Denmark.  Although it isn't easy to identify their origin, all the pieces with the John Stuart label were high quality, well designed pieces and are worth seeking out.

This restored bedroom set was made by Mt. Airy Furniture of Mt. Airy North Carolina.  The set includes a 9 drawer dresser, a 3 drawer chest, a 1 drawer nightstand and large mirror.  All of the pieces exhibit beautifully detailed construction and use of solid walnut.  The tapered, slightly angled legs are milled as part of the front case edge.  In fact the whole face is constructed of milled and elegantly curved solid walnut.  The case sides and tops are all framed with solid walnut, so there is no veneer edgebanding anywhere on these pieces.  The backs of the chest and nightstand are also finished so they could be "floated" in a room.  The mirror frame construction imitates the case pieces, having been milled of solid walnut.  Cases all use mitered joinery and solid or furniture grade ply substrate.  These are all details that are not commonly found on pieces from the larger manufacturers such as Broyhill or Lane which are more familiar names for mid-century enthusiasts.  High quality goes beyond dovetailed drawers.

Dimensions:

          9 drawer dresser: 72"W x 32"H x 19D
          3 drawer chest/nightstand: 26"W x 26 1/2"H x 17"D
          1 drawer nightstand: 22"W x 26 1/2"H x 15"D
          Mirror: 55" x 33"

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Stunning Rosewood Bedroom Set by Robert Baron

Although Robert Baron may not be a well known as a designer, he had a significant impact on modernist furniture design as co-owner of Glenn of California.  Robert, along with father Issac founded Glenn of California in the late 1940's and commissioned designers such as Milo Baughman and Greta Magnusson-Grossman to design pieces that would put them at the forefront of the California Modern design movement.  Glenn of California would also later employ designers John Kapel, Paul Laszlo, Kipp Stuart and Stuart MacDougall (both of whom designed the Drexel Declaration line) among others.  Baron also designed under the pseudonym Craig Nealee which was derived from the middle names of his 3 sons.  Son Jeff later was an executive in the company and is still active in the furniture industry.

Circa 1970; this set, comprised of a 6 drawer low dresser, 2 nightstands and a king size headboard and frame uses a beautiful combination of Brazilian Rosewood and ebonized Oak.  Brazilian Rosewood is renowned for its incredible color variation and intricate figuring.  The black coloring in the wood grain is enhanced further by the use of the black, ebonized Oak sides.  The figuring on the dresser is particularly exquisite and is bookmatched not just on the drawer fronts but on the top as well.  At 7' long the dresser is of epic scale and its low stature (28") exaggerates its long proportions.  It also serves as a very functional piece with 6 large drawers that slide on metal side mounted roller slides.
The nightstands are of similar construction and each has 2 good sized drawers to add to the set's overall capacity.  The drawers use polished chrome inset pulls and a fine aluminum trim lines the perimeter of the rosewood.  The king headboard features a black wood frame with 4 panels of rosewood with aluminum trim.  It also comes with a metal bed frame.

The combination of beautiful materials, detailed design execution and high quality construction gives this set timeless appeal.  It has just been restored and is in nearly showroom condition.

Dimensions:
                    Dresser:      84"W x 28"H x 20"D
                    Nightstands (x2): 27"W x 20"H x 18"D
                    King Headboard: 82"W x 37"H

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