Our wonderful "Wonderfold" conclusion...WOW!!

Just a quick follow up on our Coronet Wonderfold project. I'm sure there are some out there that consider me border line nuts for picking up some of these rehab projects. And yes, there are times when I've kicked myself for way underestimating how much time and effort was going to be expended. This particular project was borderline.

 

Lots of time was spent removing all the old finish but these stained out very nicely and at least I was able to find a way to hang the pieces up which really helped expedite this part.

 

My wife found some nice neutral tweedy seafoam colored fabric to replace the vinyl. Fortunately it was pretty pliable and anything stiffer would have been really tough to work with. The brackets for the back cleaned up nicely with a fresh coat of Rustoleum hammered gold and I was able to find a way to suspend the frame pieces outside for their new satin lacquer top coat. The backs were the toughest part and required using some spray adhesive and making sure everything is aligned properly the first time.

Time to reassemble!

Was all this trouble worth the effort? Well, looking at it from fiscal standpoint, maybe not so much. But looking at it from a gratification standpoint, I'd have to say definetely! If someone like myself doesn't grab and rehab pieces like this, there's a good chance they will end up in that furniture showroom in the sky aka the "dump". I just can't let that happen on my watch and these are just begging for a new appreciative MCM home.

 

Looking a whole lot classier than where we started out a few days ago! 

So, do you think this was a worthy project? I'd love to hear your feedback!



What a "Wonderfold" world, a nice solid oak 60's desk and a rare 40's Heywood-Wakefield bookcase

I had someone walk in the door awhile back with these Coronet "Wonderfold" chairs made in Jamestown, NY by the Norquist Products company. Tag line "You'd have to be told they fold!" Honestly, if I haden't seen these folded in the car before seeing them opened, I could believe that line!

 

 

 

 

I'd not seen this particular chair before but I did fall for the great lines if not the great condition. The seller had alluded to doing some research and found similar items on the auction sites with some chunky asking prices. This is the story of my buying life. There's always someone who has done their "research" and has pie in the sky expectations of what I'll offer. Sorry! Even in perfect original condition you want too much. And these were all going to have to be totally rehabbed, floor up, including new upholstery. I did finally end up negotiating these for a price I could live with.

These are very well made pieces of furniture with what appears to be solid oak frames and solid hardware. The frames are going to have to be completely stripped and refinished. Way too far gone for touch up. The original vinyl has way too many knicks and holes to save and I'm going to do in a period correct fabric to add a bit of sophistication to their looks. I may already have a buyer for these as a friend has a nice small Danish Modern dining table that's in need of some matching chairs. More on these in a later post...

 

 

Let's move on with a couple of projects that have been pending for a bit. First up is a nice small 60's  desk that someone had offered up as they were moving. It came complete w/matching chair but the desk was what I was interested in! Chair was not so special and it got set aside for another day.

Certainly not the first or last time, I neglected to get any "before" pics before working on this piece. It had taken it's fair share of abuse over the years with the normal water rings and some heavy stains. If this had been a veneered piece I may have passed on picking up even with the nice lines, but upon a close inspection it turned out to be solid wood! Thankfully most all sanded out and here's where we start...

 

 

 Naked and ready for some stain and finish, Solid oak all the way through! As always, just another labor of love, we now have in house, although no attribution as to who was the maker. The original finish was stamped as 'wheat' and although this was not a Heywood-Wakefield wheat piece, it was definetely lighter when it came to me.

 

 

I think she looks pretty swell in a bit darker finish and would fit with most Danish Modern decors. This is a really nice quality piece of furniture!

 

 Last up a bit of a change in my normal Heywood-Wakefield repertoire. I was contacted by a potential seller about a house full of H/W that belonged to his mother. As she was going into assisted living, he inqured whether or not I might be interested. As much as I hate to turn down any decent deals on my favorite furniture to refinish, I had to originally take a pass. I explained that the pieces she owned were from the late 30's/early 40's Streamline years and didn't have the collectability of the Modern Line years of the 50's. That and it wasn't in my budget.

Well he ended up calling back and I could just take whatever pieces I thought I could move and compensate him as I sold them. I advised, and he understood, that much of this would have to be refinished and I couldn't promise him a huge return. Here are the first couple of pieces that I managed to get on our floor.

This C3777WX bookcase end desk was designed by Leo Jiranek and manufactured in 1941-42. I'm happy to say that this was in good enough condition so that I only had to clean up and even out some spots on the top. It would have been way too labor intensive to refinish and make anything.

Piece number two was a different story...

This a C2929 enclosed bookcase was manufactured from 1936-38. It looks much better in the first pic than it did in person. Finish was dry and discolored and both doors had closure issues. Reduced to puzzle pieces, it took longer than most pieces as several areas could only be finished one side at a time. It was worth the time and effort as everyone loves bookcases.

All dressed up in her pretty new "champagne" clothes and ready for some appreciative suitor to take her home!

Hopefully next post will feature our Wonderfold chairs in their rehabbed beauty and maybe some H/W dining chairs from 1936 designed by Gilbert Rhode.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



Snapshot of the times...A brief walk through A Modern Line

I normally hold off on posting while I'm in the process of working on some new projects, but it hit me that most of the people that peruse this blog have never seen the store that's the recipient of my labor of love, both out of state and out of the country! Today a brief snapshot or what you may come come across if you stop by...

 

Please...come on in!

 

A couple of vintage pretzel rattan tables and a little "Lolita" reproduction currently grace the sidewalk. With our always changing weather it's best not to get too carried away putting items outside. On the left as you walk through the door we have a group of nicely framed and matted prints that are currently on consignment. Two Picassos, a Miro, and a Matisse.

 

 

A turn to the right will reveal a nice Kent Coffey "Perspecta" pedestal table and 6 chairs. I really need to change the fabric on these chairs. Although period correct, the seats are ugly! I was going to hold off and offer to replace for the new owner but I don't think I can look at them much longer!

 

To the left is a Broyhill "Sculptra" server with flip out locking extentions. In the background two pieces of danish style Heywood-Wakefield "Contessa" door bases with shelved hutches from 1959, A Marushka screenprint above, and a pair of Harris G. Strong hand painted tiled art from the 50's along with a nice 5 arm brass and smoky globe chandelier.

 

More or less straight ahead are a couple of more contemporary pieces that just seemed to fit well with what we do here. A black kidney shaped loveseat with curved walnut legs, a loop/ribbon? chair, a chrome and glass oval cocktail table reminiscent of the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona style and an Eileen Grey E-1027 height adjustable round end/bedside table. A MC Escher block print hangs on the wall to the left and a couple of fun little 50's wrought iron dinette chairs that I rehabbed back to a new life.

The store is about 1600 sf but is not the wide open floor plan of a lot of places, rather two spaces side by side broken into 3 areas on each side. This makes it ideal for setting up separate vignettes for displaying like pieces and periods.

 

Strolling back through the north side of the spaces we have vintage an Alvar Aalto inspired Thonet chair that I refinished and my upholstery pros built the new cushions per specs. Great looking chair! A set of the ever popular Lane Acclaim tables all refinished, a Lane china, pair of Knoll Saarinen side chairs and an original Van Gaard oil to the right. There's also a funky pop art shade floor lamp (we also have the matching table lamp) and some fun laminate top stacking tables with pencil legs.

 

Glance to your left and you'll see a nice little Scandinavian/Yugo? surfboard arm occasional chair. Two stacked formica cube tables with one of our vintage bullet planters planted on top. The danish style chair in back is a bit of an a-frame design and may be the most comfortable chair in the store. The curio on the left is my latest concoction of a Broyhill Brasilia china top paired with some 14" pencil legs. Makes for a cute curio and has gotten lots of lookers. How about that 50's inlaid tile table. What a beauty! An original Rya rug, an orange spagetti lamp, a nice string art sailbot and a small record cabinet round out the room.

A few more steps to the west and you come upon a few pieces of Heywood-Wakefield modern line pieces featuring my infamous refinishing skills! An Encore dresser, revolving cocktail table and a Riviera vanity with pouffe stool. A 50's flat arm atomic faced occasional chair with original frieze fabric, a Chromecraft swivel chair also with original fabric, and amorphic plum colored lamp w/acetate and parchment shade, a Jere-esque bird scene, and art deco nude print, some fun ceramic 50's nightstand lamps and 4 zebra print barstools I recently rehabbed. Someone out there has a "Jungle" room that needs to take these home!

Across the room you'll find a more contemporary BoConcept sofa/bed and matching ottoman that a consignor had brought by. Certainly not vintage, but works well with the rest of our MCM tradition, very good quality and for way below retail pricing. I don't mind taking on a piece or two of newer contemporary items if they can be worked in. This is matched with another H/W corner table and yet another marbled black and pink laminate top corner table with hairpin legs and another hairpin legged atomic boomerang formica topped center table with a low slung rack. This would be a great TV stand and it was in it's past life. And yet another blonde formica and black corner table. Some fun chaulkware figurines adorn the walls along with some nice framed prints. 

Let's take a look at the south side of the store!

Well, technically the solid walnut Bissman tall nightstand are in the front entryway topped with some fun glassware and a little 50's fiberglass shade lamp. The Bissman pieces are not likely to be around long and have caught everyones eye coming in. We have some really nice vintage curtains as a backdrop for a nice 60's chest of drawers, a early 40's Streamline Heywood-Wakefield student desk and a great little solid maple? 50's chair that I recovered. Also a black/gold chrome dinette chair doubling as a desk chair.

A vintage Stiffle 3 globe tension/pole lamp helps light up a H/W server base in original champagne finish. Reputed to have belong to Martha Stewart cousin? Go figure... Above that is a 1967 signed relief oil that begs you to look at from different angles. Across the way is a piece I just finished. Solid oak 60's desk. It came with a matching chair, but I haven't gotten around to refinishing as yet. The desk is the star at any rate! Topped with a nice vintage abstract and hanging lucite swag lamp.

My favorite piece of furniture resides here in the next vignette, a custom made 1950's two piece sectional from Modernage furniture out of Miami. If I owned a ranch house with room, this would not even be for sale! Just got in this 1962 cream colored Barcalounger recliner that I've been threatening to take home as well. A sunburst Mediterranean style clock, a nice vintage abstract, three legged formica cocktail and swagged teak cone lamp compliment the room. Also in this larger room resides a Brohill Premier "Modern Classic" china cabinet full of matte white ceramic pieces from several MCM manufacteres. This all paired with a nice vintage reproduction Eames chair and ottoman and  a newer Muno XL Giant floor lamp and a couple of teak wall mount cream globes. One good looking room!

One more room to go!

This room features some more Florida centric pieces we have to offer. Lots of Heywood-Wakfield, both refinsihed and perhaps in need of a bit of love that are on consignment. Gotta love the 3 globe floor lamp with the fiber shades and the atomic shadowbox. All the pieces on the first shot have been refinished! Second pic is a H/W Ashcraft table that I refinished along with some nice vintage bent birch Thonet dinette chairs. Yup, these also fell into the refinish vortex with some nice barkcloth recovery of the seats. China in the next shot has been refinsihed but the center table and stingray back chairs were brought in on consignment. I would be happy to refinish for someone that falls in love with this particular set. The last pic features a really nice vintage loveseat in teal leather along with a vintage ratten boomerang table, white vinyl vintage Carter Bros. barrel chair, and another vintage buller planter.

Just an aside to anyone who happens upon this paticular post. I would be happy to provide detailed pictures of any particular item and would be happy to work with you in shipping items. I have in the past shipped across the country and even to out of country buyers. Just send me an e-mail or contact me here on the blog.

Hope you had some fun taking a look!

 

A Modern Line