salt and wood

Before

Timber condition as found

Taking appart

Repairing the damage

Recovered legs

WIP

Added restored legs

Backing

Restored timber character

SW Stamp

Shelves

Rounded end

Wax filling

Top view

Piano lid lock

I found this discarded unit not far from my house. Judging by the style and crafting my guess is that some time in the 1960s some geezer picked up a couple of Maple planks and set out to grace the entertainment corner with a cheeky budget cocktail shelf! Remember this was a time before IKEA and the concept of DIY because… well… unless you were ‘well to do’ pretty much everything was DIY!

 It was looking past the point of salvage but it is amazing what turning something upside down can do to hide 50 years of drink stains! The maple proved to have plenty of life left in it revealing a charismatic colour and grain when sanded and varnished. The remnant white paint and black oxidized nail holes all added more character and interest. The holes and some removed rot where filled with orange wax and or wood putty. Legs were restored and added from another discarded table. And the locking lip of a piano lid was restored, cut and fitted as a rear barrier detail to the top edge. You can see the brass lock plate still in place. A two-part backing was cobbled together from scrap with the top inside edge painted orange to carry the wax detailing.

Tags: Beach house sculpture, cafe display, cafe furniture, conversation piece, modernist, re-purpose, street found, street found timber, talking point, timber restoration