This was brought home from the same Garage Sale as the hoop rack featured a few days ago. I know right...killer Garage Sale! But most of the stuff being sold was the seconds of the sellers collections. Items that need a little love or are a little less than perfect. While milling about in the sellers basement / garage I could see some of the Good Stuff being kept away from us greedy buyers.
First a bit of news: the long "surfboard" Kroehler coffee table found a new home and maybe a
new reason to live this evening! I gifted it to some friends who live right up the street from me
who asked if they could borrow and maybe buy it from me to first use in a movie they are
working on and then to refinish for their own use! Sweet. One less Kroehler in the landfill. This
buyer / seller / collector couldn't be happier.
I'm hoping to pass this table along to someone who isn't afraid to own and use a Heywood -
Wakefield coffee table with a little character. While it ain't gonna be free it's gonna be much
cheaper than a refinished or nice original finish table. This one is sporting some sort of darker
finish that at least shows off the nice grain of the wood. Thankfully not everybody cares only
for original finish pieces. But...there is another issue.
The top is warped a little on one end. It's not bad but it's there and I don't think it's going away
without a complete refinish. I'm not really up for that. Maybe somebody else is and if so this
will perhaps be a cheap enough jumping off point for there very own project. It'll look great as
is in an environment filled with lightly distressed eclectic furnishings. It might even be able to be
straightened out with a little ingenuity and some clever placement of hot moist towels and some
weight.
It's a shame that people don't take time to read all the warnings on the internet about the pitfalls of Heywood Wakefield DIY refinishing projects...or at least read enough to know not to use dark stain and devalue their piece. I hope you find a new owner for the table who can get it restored back to its original platinum.
ReplyDeleteI have a completely random question. I am looking for 4 mid century barstools for our kitchen, preferably something with a lower back in wood. I had found the most perfect stools at an antique mall only to have someone snatch them up as I was walking to the register! Won't ever leave my treasures behind again! I was just wondering if you come across these very often or if you find things for people? I live in Columbia Mo and we have a ton of family in St. Louis, so I could easily get them from you if you find anything? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite H/W sets. I could certainly refinsih this with a wheat or champagne, but don't have a way to replicate the platinum. Platinum is not one of the more collectable finishes anyway. I seriously doubt anyone will be able to get that warp out. 60 year old birch once gotten damp and warped is not likely to be coerced back into shape...
ReplyDeleteDana - I get the feeling that this table has gone through stages of devaluation. It was probably in an environment that gave it the warp then passed to someone who treated the finish badly. Then it was probably given to someone who recognized its mid century roots and at least tried to make it pretty again! The dark stain doesn't exactly ruin the table as much as its association with the rest of the Hey Wake line.
ReplyDeleteJesse - I don't have anything available like that at the moment but keep checking the blog. If I find something it'll show up here first. Some people got some nerve to snatch up your stools like that!
A Mod - I hope that it can be addressed a little more easily than you are thinking. If not...oh well, it's not un-usable.