Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Birkey & Gay Co. Chair

This is a repainted chair that I bought at a local auction. The original color was  a walnut type stain popular in  the mid 1800's. It was scratched, chipped and well used.  It had the company named imprinted on the bottom of the seat and I was able to research it's origin. The company was in Grand Rapids, Michigan and made quality wood furniture starting around the mid 1800's and stopped production in 1940's. The company was known for their Gothic Revival and Eastlake styles and became one of the leading furniture companies in America, even winning high merit recognition at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. I decided to give this sturdy piece a new look by painting it with Annie Sloan "Old White" and a touch of Fiddes &Sons "Dark" wax to give it some character.  I'm in love with the outcome and might just keep it! 

No comments:

Post a Comment