I’m given many pieces of furniture. Some with a story and others nothing but please get this out of my garage. I buy at estate sales, garage sale, auctions and the all important side of the road pick up. Every once in a while you get to see inside of a story and where the piece came from. A few weeks back that is what happened. I got to see into a small part of a love story and what a piece of furniture meant to the bride.
A friend called me up and ask did I want to come and pick up some furniture at her in-laws. As always my answer was yes, when and where. We picked a time for me to meet at the elderly couples house. Sometimes it’s hard when you are pick up furniture that means something to someone but they no longer have a place or use for it. As I entered they house I was greeted by an elderly man and his son. My friend was just around the corner and as we met up she introduced me to her husband and father-in-law. They began to show me what they wanted me to take. They also wanted to show me some pieces up stairs. As I turned standing in the door way was a very tiny soft-spoken women. She seemed fragile but still was very beautiful. She ask my friend does she know that this was all my furniture. My friend said yes she is here to take away what want fit in the new place. They were selling the house and moving into an assisted living apartment. I could tell she didn’t want to let go of her belongings. She wasn’t ready to say goodby to years of what had once been their pride and joy. We all went up stairs and left the elderly couple downstairs. They showed me a few things that weren’t really right for Blue Happy, I politely said no thank you and we moved on. Next and last was a bedroom that was filled with a beautiful old Thomasville bedroom set. The son said they wanted to take all of this set with them but it’s not gonna all fit in the room at the new place. He followed it by saying they got this for a wedding gift over 50 years ago. From out of nowhere the elderly women was in the door way proclaiming this is my stuff and it’s going with me. Her shaky voice told a story of love for the bedroom set. Something she cherished along with the story behind it. The son tried to tell her it want all fit mom. I put my arm around her and said you try to see if it fits. If it doesn’t I will come back and pick it up. She smiled seemed happy and off I went. Three weeks later I got a call the house had sold and the dresser wouldn’t fit in the new place. I went over that day and picked it up. I wanted to do justice to the piece and give it a restored life. I made sure I didn’t change anything to the style or to the structure. It was a simple and easy redo with painting it out in Pure White from Chalk Country, sanding back the edges and Defending it for protection. Before, the stain color was outdated and needed to have a fresh up to date look. It has that now and is ready to be in someones home for many years to come.
A few days after I picked up this dresser I found a tall dresser at an estate sale. It was also the same brand Thomasville. It has the same design pattern on the edge and legs. Although made years a part both are made of good quality wood and are strong and sturdy. I finished out the tall dresser the same. Restoring life to things is a passion for me. Taking what most consider outdated, trashed and lifeless feeds my creative soul. My creative soul is who I am and who I have become. Years of looking to find my happiness was there all along right in front of me. Learning to love all the bad and mistakes in your life makes it easy to see the good. I never really understood “coming full circle” until I was old enough to look back and see my past has met my future restored life.
