Comments on: Video: Refinishing A Merklen Brothers “Shabby” Table

By: RareVictorian

RareVictorian — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:08:54 +0000

John, glad you could check the videos out.

My view on shabby chic is that is has no place for mid-to-higher end pieces.

I have seen many an inexpensive, mass-produced, late 19th and early 20th century piece that is worth about $20-$40 at auction but has a few interesting carving profiles that when “shabbied” looks like $200-$400.

It also depends on who is doing the work and their skill. Simply painting a solid color is not appealing.

In general I don’t like the look or implications of burying a finish, but there are some pieces that are saved from the dump that when “shabbied” make it back into someone’s home.

By: John Hogan

John Hogan — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:59:48 +0000

I have finally have gotten the time to look at your video. Great idea! Lovely table that you have brought back to life – to its original state! This is certainly not over restoration. Some crazy person obviously almost ruined such a gorgeous table.

Continue the great work! We need more people like you who appreciate great quality antique furniture and take pleasure in bringing it back to life. It is quite obvious that the finish was not original. However it would be interesting to know your views on Shabby Chic in terms of good quality antique furniture. I think I may know already know your opinion to some degree seeing that you have already gone to the painstakingly trouble to restore this beautiful piece.

By: james conrad

james conrad — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:35:40 +0000

John Hogan, have you ever considered that “shabby chic” may have saved this Merklen table by allowing it to live in someones house as opposed to rotting away in some damp basement?

By: RareVictorian

RareVictorian — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:14:24 +0000

John, I bought it as a shabby chic piece and had the proper restoration done and it is now glorious. I did not put the shabby chic paint on. I bought it to rescue it from those coat(s) of paint.

The full process and final state is documented in all 4 videos, here and I hope you’ll watch them.

It doesn’t appear that you watched the full first video and may have assumed I painted it from the first frame preview image on the video player.

That is unfortunately how I found it but it is now in the condition it was intended and the quarter-sawn Oak looks better than ever.

By: John Hogan

John Hogan — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:50:33 +0000

There is such a thing as “proper restoration” where the minimal amount of restoration is executed in order to preserve the originality of a quality antique with reverence for its past. On the other hand there is such a thing as “over restoration” which in essence does nothing for the piece and destroys all original value.

If one cannot live with a piece of antique furniture in its original state, that deserves its rightful place in history or a particular culture, then sell it to someone or donate it to a small museum that can preserve it the way it should be and appreciate it for what it is.

“Shabby Chic” after all, is a fashion trend that eventually will go out of style; and on many occasions in the future you probably will regret what you have done to a great piece of furniture that has been bastardized beyond a point of reversing the restoration process and becomes valueless.

Are we sure we are using the correct term “Shabby Chic” or is it “Shabby S…”? I have seen many great pieces converted to the Shabby Chic look and as a lover of beautiful antique furniture, I find it in actuality very distasteful on some occasions and very over priced for a particular look.

By: RareVictorian

RareVictorian — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:36:27 +0000

I saw the table today 95% stripped. Quartersawn Oak looks good. Getting the chunks of paint out of all the nooks and crannies is the next part…

By: RareVictorian

RareVictorian — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:35:06 +0000

wasn’t a bargain – several hundred and the cost to refinish will exceed that.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:24:12 +0000

Terrific idea! How much did you end up paying for the table?

By: JUST COOL Design Blog

JUST COOL Design Blog — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:28:44 +0000

liken it pink!

By: james conrad

james conrad — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:21:22 +0000

generally speaking, its a bad idea to use water based strippers on antique furniture. why? because water raises the grain of the wood and will require sand paper, a no no as sanding will remove any patina thats present on the surface of the wood. additionally, if any veneer is present on the piece, water is much more likely to damage it.