I have expanded my business empire - not only do I buy new furniture to repair, I've also taken to buying old stuff at sales (much more fun and the old furniture is just begging to be repaired, and I can't resist it).
This was a 'pine rocker' (according to the auctioneer). It's actually beech and was a bit battered and scratched and orange, but weighed a ton and felt solid as a rock, so I bought it, sanded it down and painted some of it with Farrow and Ball and rubbed the rest with linseed. All it needs now is a Grandfather, a tartan blanket and a packet of Worthers Originals:-) Note the gratuitous use of a law book to add it bit of class to the proceedings.
And this was a rather dated oak dresser that has also been sanded down and given the Farrow and Ball face lift.
And this is my very favourite. A retro mahogany sideboard that has been loved and tweaked and polished to bits by me, put on sale for too much money by me, all because I don't actually want to part with it.
And this is a rather expensive new oak dresser top which had damage. It has had a bit of work and some extra virgin olive oil rubbed into it to restore its lustre. I sold this one quite quickly.
And this is Bar-Os, my quality control supervisor - Vintage Ercol clearly isn't his thing (not sure it's mine either), but a bit of Farrow and Ball....
And this is another new item, a dining table that needed a bit of work to repair damaged legs.
And this is the sort of thing I have to work on - straight from the auction, just waiting to be revived. Pics of the finished article to follow.
Now will somebody please give me a pupillage? My back hurts, my hands are like sandpaper and I miss law. If worse comes to worse and I'm useless at being a pupil barrister, you can set me on renovating chambers rickety old furniture during my second six:-)
p.s. the shell above is finished; here it is. Now I promise no more pics of furniture:-)
