"Can you do me a favor and not sand out those
cigarette burns on the top? I’ve never been a smoker, but my Uncle Ted was, and
those marks always help me to picture him when I sit down at the desk to
work..."
For a piece of furniture
to be good, it has to be well-built and have “good bones”, but in order for it to be truly great, it has to have a story. This is essentially the mark of all great furniture: we’re
able to have a short, meaningful conversation about it.
The conversation doesn’t
necessarily have to be a heavy one, dealing with deep sentimental value or
human loss, because sometimes a piece as simple as the current family sofa has
an interesting story tied to it: your family has watched a thousand rounds of
Jeopardy on that old thing! When your teenage son was a toddler, he used it as
a launch pad for his first flight attempt and wound up with a few stitches.
Your Aunt falls asleep on it after dinner every time she comes over...
In the era of disposable
furniture (and disposable everything for
that matter), it’s important to remember that we can all stake a claim on
meaningfulness by holding on to these pieces that have stories. You won’t find
stories at the big-box furniture showroom out along the highway - just a lot of
imported chairs and sofas constructed from particle wood and staples, each
awaiting their certain fate in the forgotten junk hills of a local landfill.
Finish Pros is grateful
and extremely humbled to be in the unique position of helping people hold on to
furniture that has meaning. Through the art of upholstery, refinishing, and
restoration, we get to preserve meaning and honor a family’s stories. ~ Ben W.
