Dye Street Creations

Dye Street Creations Small in-home business with a big love for antiques, vintage furniture, and classic audio! Restoring the past with care, one treasure at a time.

Nestled in the heart of Carson, IA

The Throne Gets Its Crown BackThis handsome Mission/Arts & Crafts style oak commode chair dates to the early 1900s, when...
06/15/2026

The Throne Gets Its Crown Back

This handsome Mission/Arts & Crafts style oak commode chair dates to the early 1900s, when practical household furniture was built with simple lines, sturdy construction, and beautiful oak grain. Likely produced between 1910 and 1930, it features the clean, functional design that made Mission furniture so popular.

To bring this piece back to life, I carefully disassembled the lid, cleaned the chair throughout, polished all original hardware, repaired several breaks, and amalgamated the worn original finish to preserve its character. The lid and seat were stripped and restained, stain inconsistencies were corrected, and the entire piece received a fresh shellac finish. Finally, the wood was polished and waxed, a dent was repaired, and the enamel pot was touched up where needed. The result is a beautifully refreshed example of early 20th-century craftsmanship, ready for display and another generation of appreciation.

This will be available for auction at the Nishna Heritage Museum in Oakland Iowa on July Fourth!

Inlayed Dutchman (bow tie) joints were completed on the bottom of the seat yesterday. Now I get to strip and finish a fe...
06/11/2026

Inlayed Dutchman (bow tie) joints were completed on the bottom of the seat yesterday.

Now I get to strip and finish a few pieces of this seat and wrap it up!

Architect seat repair in progress. Made a jig for equal clamping pressure and used some wood epoxy to fix the break. Woo...
06/09/2026

Architect seat repair in progress. Made a jig for equal clamping pressure and used some wood epoxy to fix the break. Wood glue wouldn’t be a good fix. Fingers crossed it holds!

Victorian Tiger Oak Parlor Table RestorationThis antique Victorian-style parlor table dates to the late 1890s through th...
06/06/2026

Victorian Tiger Oak Parlor Table Restoration

This antique Victorian-style parlor table dates to the late 1890s through the early 1900s and is crafted from beautiful quarter-sawn oak, commonly known as tiger oak because of its distinctive flake and stripe grain pattern. The table features elegant serpentine edges on both the tabletop and lower display shelf, along with classic ring-turned legs that were popular during the Victorian era. Decorative brass-capped feet and carved apron details complete the design, making it a fine example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship.

Restoration Process

This project involved a complete disassembly and restoration to preserve the table’s original character while addressing years of wear and damage.

The table was in good shape, but the finish was failed and it looked tired. I tried to preserve the number “57” underneath, because why not?

1. Disassembly and Cleaning

* Carefully disassembled the table.
* Thoroughly cleaned all components to remove accumulated dirt, wax, and grime.

2. Finish Removal

* Stripped the original finish using Kleen Strip Premium Stripper.
* Removed the deteriorated finish to expose the original oak.

3. Structural Repairs

* Repaired a crack in the tabletop using traditional hide glue, clamps, and a homemade filler.
* Maintained historically appropriate repair methods whenever possible.

4. Initial Surface Preparation

* Sanded all pieces with 120-grit sandpaper.
* Prepared the wood for stain removal and refinishing.

5. Stain Removal

* Applied eight separate treatments of oxalic acid to the tabletop to remove the stains
* Reduced four deep liquid ring stains that had penetrated the wood over time.
* Neutralized the oxalic acid with water.
* Sanded the surface with 180-grit sandpaper.

6. Hardware Restoration

* Cleaned and polished all original hardware.

7. Reassembly

* Reassembled the table using hide glue and the original hardware.
* Performed final smoothing with 220-grit sandpaper.

8. Coloring and Finishing

* Applied wood conditioner to promote even stain absorption and balance the grain.
* Stained the table using a water-based dark walnut stain.
* Applied two coats of clear shellac for protection and depth.

9. Final Finish Work

* Buffed the shellac with 0000 steel wool to achieve a smooth hand-rubbed finish.
* Applied Gilboy’s Rosegold Beeswax Polish to enhance the luster and warmth of the oak.

10. Brass Foot Restoration

* Removed the failed brass-colored paint from the feet using a wire wheel.
* Mixed metallic gold and burnt umber paints to create a custom antique brass finish that closely matched the original appearance.
* Painted the feet and sealed them with clear lacquer for durability.

The result is a fully restored Victorian parlor table that highlights the remarkable grain of the quarter-sawn oak while preserving the craftsmanship and character that have survived for more than a century. What began as a worn and stained piece has been carefully returned to a condition that can be appreciated and enjoyed for generations to come.

What do you think????

Parlor table update:This evening I completed the following tasks:Did a full sand with 220 grit plus cleaningUtilized a M...
06/05/2026

Parlor table update:

This evening I completed the following tasks:

Did a full sand with 220 grit plus cleaning
Utilized a Miniwax wood conditioner
Clean
Then stained with Miniwax Dark Walnut

Tomorrow I will get it finished, and I need to repaint the glass feet

So close to being done!

Here is one project I started making a plan for this evening. This chair is truly unique:Antique Milwaukee Chair Co. Adj...
06/02/2026

Here is one project I started making a plan for this evening.

This chair is truly unique:

Antique Milwaukee Chair Co. Adjustable Architect’s Drafting Stool, circa 1900–1920. Features an original cast-iron screw-adjustment mechanism, solid hardwood seat, bentwood footrest, and four splayed legs. A classic piece of early industrial office furniture used by architects, engineers, and draftsmen.

I will do more of a conservation to it. I need to repair the seat itself, which I have epoxy for, fix some cracks and refresh the stain and finish and general upkeep

This one will turn out great!!

Parlor table is glued up and assembled. Tomorrow I will start the stain and finish process. I can’t wait to see this thi...
06/02/2026

Parlor table is glued up and assembled. Tomorrow I will start the stain and finish process. I can’t wait to see this thing done!

Two quick projects:A cleaning and polishing of a Thonet Bentwood cane rocking chair…. The chair is in nice shape besides...
06/01/2026

Two quick projects:

A cleaning and polishing of a Thonet Bentwood cane rocking chair…. The chair is in nice shape besides a hole in the cane(future repair). I was able to fix some stain issues and a couple rounds of wax, and polishing off old paint and scuffs.

Second… a quick repair and finish of a decorative shelf.

Parlor table restore update:Finished stripping the legs , all embellishments, etc of its original shellac(used denatured...
05/28/2026

Parlor table restore update:

Finished stripping the legs , all embellishments, etc of its original shellac(used denatured alcohol, wire brush and steel wool since it was a gentler approach than stripper) filled the one repaired crack with homemade wood filler and just a lot of general sanding (240 grit)

The original amber shellac finish was weak and failing so that didn’t take a huge amount of labor. You can see on the legs, the leg on the left still has the finish.

Hopefully this weekend I can get the table fully sanded to my liking and glued back up!

For a finish, I am going to go a bit darker for a stain, traditional shellac finish and a good wax

Next project on the books is this beautiful quarter sawn oak parlor table. It’s in pretty good condition, but kind of gr...
05/26/2026

Next project on the books is this beautiful quarter sawn oak parlor table. It’s in pretty good condition, but kind of gross and an extremely tired and failing finish

Work done today:

Disassembly
Polished hardware
Glued and clamped a crack on the table top
Finish stripping
Some sanding
And after stripping the top, I counted four water rings. So I have oxalic acid treatments going right now to take care of those

Address

Carson, IA

Telephone

+14028900342

Website

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