Erik’s most recent restoration project was this 9-drawer, mid-century modern dresser of unknown origin.
We’re always a little frustrated by piece of furniture that don’t identify themselves. Normally, the manufacturer puts a brand or label in one of the upper drawers. Not so with this piece, so we can’t figure out who designed or manufacturer it.
Still, it makes for a lovely, mid-century dresser with lots of room. It measures 60 1/4″ wide x 17 1/2″ deep x 30 1/2″ high.
When we picked it up, the dresser was in rough shape, with very wobbly legs. Erik has created reinforcement pieces for the bottom sides. He also inserted a new board on the lower bottom, between the legs, salvaging the trim piece from the old board so that the design of the dresser would remain intact. With these fixes, the dresser is now sturdy. No more leg wobble.
Side view of 9-drawer mid-century modern dresser. The piece of wood between the legs was added by Erik to stabilize the structure. May 2018.9-drawer mid-century modern dresser, view of new piece of wood with salvaged trim on the front bottom (between the legs). May 2018.
Garrison Hutch (glass inserted), restored April 2018.
We’ve handled Garrison hutches in several sizes before at Erik G. Warner Decorative Salvage. This one is one of the wider hutches.
For a person who needs a fashionable cabinet that allows for both hidden storage and storage to showcase special items, this piece fits the bill. Erik has fully refinished this hutch, reinforcing the legs and subframe in order to give it more stability.
It measures 48″ wide x 15″ deep x 68″ high.
This Garrison hutch is available for purchase at MidModMen+friends. Stop by the store to check it out.
Note: This item has SOLD.
Garrison hutch, glass doors removed to provide clearer view of upper shelves, April 2018.
Jens Risom credenza as found.Front of Jens Risom credenza as found.
Erik is known for taking on furniture restoration challenges that few others are willing to tackle. When we picked up this Jens Risom credenza, all the defects weren’t apparent until we got it into the shop. This project took at least 20 hours for Erik to finish and there were points in the process where he felt it was going to kick his ass. But, he prevailed and the end result is beautiful.
Below are photos showing some of the defects, parts of the repair process, and the final result.
Once Erik started examining the Risom credenza, it became obvious that someone had attempted to refinish it before. The finish had been applied haphazardly and it was a sticky mess to remove. Typically, during refinishing, especially when someone is inexpert at it, the interior of the piece is not touched. Not so with this credenza. Even the insides of the drawers had been poorly refinished.
Erik had to disassemble the drawers and remove the hardware in order to properly strip and refinish them. The top picture shows the foreground drawer after sanding and the background drawer in its original state. Note the stain slopped on the original Risom label. We love labels in furniture and do our best to preserve them, which Erik managed to do as seen in the bottom picture.
He did not restain the insides of the drawers, but gave them 2 coats of shellac and 1 coat of lacquer to protect the wood.
Repairing Holes in the Top of the Credenza
Jens Risom Credenza: Holes in top, before.Jens Risom Credenza: Holes in top, epoxy filled.Jens Risom Credenza: Holes in top, stain and sealer coats applied.Jens Risom Credenza: Holes in top, finished repair.
This Risom credenza is actually the return from an executive desk, which means that the two pieces would have been joined together to form an “L” shape. The holes in the top of the credenza are where the desk is attached to the credenza. When selling the credenza separate from the desk, you have to repair the holes. The above photos show this process.
The first photo shows the holes before any work has been done.
The second shows the piece after sanding, with epoxy filling the holes.
The third photo is the piece after staining, 2 coats of shellac, and 1 thin coat of lacquer. Note how the epoxy-filled holes are still visible. It’s at this point that Erik had to use his artistry to grain-paint these spots, making them blend in to the rest of the finish.
The fourth photo is the finished product.
The Left End of the Credenza
Jens Risom Credenza: Left end before.Jens Risom Credenza: Left end, corner epoxy filled.Jens Risom Credenza: Left end, defects epoxy filled.Jens Risom Credenza: Left end, finished repair.
The left end of the Risom credenza needed a lot of work, including removing an unneeded mounting board for the privacy panel, gluing to tighten joints, epoxy-filling a corner and more holes (lotta holes in this piece!), and a couple of other veneer repairs. The same process was followed as for repairing the holes in the top and you can see the end result.
Replacing a Piece of Trim
Jens Risom Credenza: Splintered and missing trim.Jens Risom Credenza: New walnut trim cut, secured in place and shaped.Jens Risom Credenza: Trim, repair complete.
This Risom credenza is meant to float in the middle of the room, so the entire thing was designed to be finished, even on the back side. A portion of the trim on the back left corner was broken off and jagged, so Erik had to fabricate a new piece, glue it on, and shape it so that it matched the profile of the original. By the time he had the credenza finished, you could barely tell he had replaced this piece.
The Risom Credenza Brought Back to Life
Jens Risom Credenza: Restoration complete.
Ta da! Here it is, the Jens Risom credenza fully restored and ready to be used by someone new. This piece would make a great entertainment center, with a slide-out tray, 5 drawers, and a space for vinyl albums or books.
