08/07/2024
Thank a Furniture Rustler!
Sometimes when people walk by a piece of furniture in an antique mall, I hear them say something like, “Why on earth do people paint furniture?!” When they probably should be saying, “I wonder why they painted this piece. What did it look like before?”
Who knows how these little orphan girls or old ladies end up where we find them? Someone wanted a more modern look, someone died, or an estate was auctioned off. However it happened, these ladies deserve a second chance at life, and not end up on the trash heap.
Most of the time, before it gets to the antique store, a piece of furniture has lived with more than one family. Through the years it has gotten spots from the cold cream jar or scratches and dents from being shuffled around from place to place.
The process goes something like this. A “rustler” walks by an older dresser or table and thinks, “Wow! Wonder where this came from.” Then after coming to an agreement with the vendor, it goes to the buyer’s garage or workshop, where it sits for a while, just waiting for the new owner to work their magic on it.
In the meantime, the “rustler” mulls it over in their mind, thinking about the best way to present this “new/old” piece. They wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. I’ve been known to try as many as 4 “dresses” (paint colors) on an old girl before settling on just the right look. An antique dish cupboard that looks Plain Jane, changes into a pretty little girl strutting a brand new dress, after receiving just the right color and some added florals and moldings. Old Aunt Sally, an old dresser that has seen better days, gets gussied up to be given a second or third chance with a new family.
The dresser or table or cupboard is placed in a booth at the antique mall. Just waiting and listening to those who walk by. “Will anyone like my new look?” or “Wonder which family I’ll get to go home with.” Then one day, Mr. or Mrs. Right walks through the door and strolls down the aisles. Just looking. Just browsing. All of sudden their eyes light up and they exclaim, “Oh Baby! Where have you been all my life?!” And just like that, Little Janie or Old Aunt Sally finds a new home where people simply adore her.
So next time you see an old piece that has been revamped, thank the person who saw past all the ugly, and brought out the pretty. And maybe even take it home!
