Downsizing a precious oak dining table
6 Apr 2018
We carried out some work for some clients who were downsizing to a smaller home. It can be a challenge to select which pieces of furniture you will take with you in these circumstances. They had a particularly beautiful oak dining table that they really wanted to keep. Besides being a beautiful piece, it held an emotional value, being associated with many happy gatherings with friends and family members. Unfortunately it was just too big. So they decided to have it resized to fit more comfortably into its new home.
Experts in working on historic items of furniture
When requiring work on a special piece of furniture you need to be sure that the person commissioned to carry out the work has expertise in this field. In this instance we had been recommended by friends of our clients. Tey felt reassured by our long experience of working in joinery including working on historic items of furniture.
This project required a creative approach as well as sympathetic treatment. Because the table had some unusual, detailed marquetry style patterns at each end which needed to be preserved. In order to do this, both patterned end-caps were retained and the central panel reduced. The end-caps were then refitted to the centre section using specially created hidden tongues. The undercarriage was resized to work with the new smaller top and put the whole thing back together. Once the joinery work had been completed a French polisher prepared the wood using a polish containing shellac to create our desired outcome.
Clients delighted with end result
Our clients were absolutely delighted with the end result saying that they could not see how we had managed to reduce the size of the table because it looked exactly like the original one – only smaller in length. So the beloved oak table now sits in their new home and is still being used for dinner parties and family gatherings. We are delighted to have been able to help our clients achieve their desired outcome.
To find out more about how we can help adapt or refurbish items of historic furniture. Or to arrange a free consultation, please call 01934 750114 or email your enquiry and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.