steck

hey all,

i have been asked if I wanted this furniture...i'm sitting on the fence right now

anyone know what kind of style, or wood it is....and also if I dont like the finish, what can I do to refinish wood like that ???

the finish looks real shiny and likely hard ?!

think it would be worth having for a project? or should I pass...

what would you do !!

steck

maybe i can paint it satin black, or white....for the little girl's room.

looking at it again, it is dated but needs to be either refreshed or antiqued....some new hardware would do wonders too !

would anyone paint this type of furniture.

it actually came from a wealthy family, so i'm guessing it is built right.

hoping for some insight from the guys who live and breath wood !

mics_54

Looks like the wood grain on the drawer faces are fake..I bet its mdf. You can see a repeated grain patern that's offset on two of the drawers. Its certainly paintable.

skymaster

Style I think is French Provincal; Refinish it would bet NOT. As suggested looks like very cheap Chinese knock off, mdf, IMHO use it as is if you like it. Otherwise I would look for something u do like

cabinetman

Styles within a period may vary. It could be Chippendale. I wouldn't do anything to it without an appraisal. If it were to be refinished and be period correct, for that style it would be as close to the original as possible.

But, if it's yours you have the right to have it to your taste.

mics_54

I suppose the veneering on the side table drawers could be indicative of fine chippendale furnishings but I would think the repetitive pattern on the gran would have been used to match elements within the piece rather than spread out to make it look like real wood. But then I'm no expert.



But you are right it might be worth more left alone.

GeorgeC

You need to have someone LOCAL look at this furniture. They can easily tell if it is made of real wood and the quality. Pictures just cannot tell the whole story. If this furniture came from a well to do family the odds are that it is very good material.

I was just cringing when I was reading about stripping and painting.

G

Tony B

cranked out during the 1950's and 1960's. Its hard to tell from photos but the tops and legs look like they have been heavily glazed. Glazing is somewhere between a stain and a paint. It is rarely if ever used on a good wood. My best guess is that the cost of stripping and refinishing will far exceed the value of the furniture and it will look a whole lot worse if the refinisher does not know his trade well and this is quite common.
Also, never assume that if a person is wealthy that they have good furniture.

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Tony B

http://www.thetexaswoodworks.com

Daren

True, money does not mean good taste always.

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Alan P Oliver

From the pictures I would say this piece of furniture is made with a foil finish. This is where the grain in simulated by having a photographic image transferred onto a laminated sheet. Often you can tell it's this kind of finish by the way the furniture catches the light. The reflection of light is uniform no matter what angle. If you look close (use a 10x magnifying glass ) you will see that the grain is made up of pigmented colours.
If this is the case I would just paint it. Rub back with 320 lubricated paper to key for paint. I would use a melamine paint as this is particularly suitable for a child's room. Good Luck

joesdad

Is there a manufacturer's stamp on the bottom? What kind of construction are the drawers? Take a picture of the drawer boxes from the top and sides. It looks like all that Walnut furniture that was popular in the late sixties-seventies. It can't be that bad.

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GeorgeC

Good taste and good quality are not the same thing. I have seen many things that I think are tasteless, but never the less they are of high quality.

G

Daren

I stand corrected in my loose wording. I have eclectic tastes, but am keen to quality (solid woods, good joinery...) I may in fact find a piece not "my style" meaning not in my taste at the same time appreciate the workmanship...but never have it in my home (much like my own creations, I don't expect them to be accepted by all)
The furniture in question to me looks like mass produced room filler stuff, it served a purpose but is not worth any more that a coat of paint or left as is.

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steck

thanks for the input guys.

i never noticed the repetitive grain pattern on the drawers.

i live two hours from where the furniture is,,, so i guess i'll have to see it personally.

if its full of bradnails, and doesn't have dovetail drawers,, i'll leave it where it is !

if it is crap chinese stuff, i'd like to try my luck with spraying (paint)

i'll keep ya posted.

i've learned a few lessons already about cheap furniture :

tiger maple refinishing / newb ???'s/ pics!