Tuesday, February 3, 2015

An Antique Mahogany Desk

I'm sitting at this desk and in this chair right now. Gotta say, it's pretty awesome for blogging. The piece is antique, about 1890-1910 as the lines are decidedly Arts and Crafts movement, but the material- solid mahogany- harkens back to the Victorian era, with a twinge of empire elegance. I've only worked on a few pieces that had solid mahogany tops, and this is the one and only piece I've ever come across that is solid mahogany throughout- even the secondary wood of the drawer, typically pine or poplar, is mahogany. The quality of construction and unique details make me wonder if it might have been hand made by a craftsman. I sanded, stained, and sealed the top and shelf, and painted the rest in a rich deep gray. I also added turned wood knobs to the drawer, as it had never had pulls before. It was so difficult to open, and so well disguised without the pulls, that it may have originally been meant to be a secret drawer. The desk comes with a matching antique solid oak office chair from the same period.














3 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/04/2015

    This turned out great. You always do such a wonderful job at creating a new life for these pieces. Krys

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  2. Anonymous2/04/2015

    I find checking in on your site a real treat! I am a RI -er, suffering this Winter in Fl. Wish all were here, rain today a minor inconvenience. We miss our summers and our 200 year old brick school house in Washinton County NY. Think Spring and miles of yard sales!

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  3. I have this exact book in that exact print... have you read them? did you watch the series?

    I love how this set came out... gorgeous.

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