We put together a quick tutorial on how to replace pirelli rubber webbing found on most mid century furniture.
Often you will find these chairs were repaired at some point using burlap, but when possible, we aim to repair using materials originally used in the construction of the items we work on. The pirelli rubber webbing is also much more flexible and comfortable than the burlap.
2018 was a big year for us here at Kin Furniture Co.
In May 2018, after stumbling across the perfect warehouse space by accident, we moved our company to Denver CO, and dove head first into growing our business within a new big city. This meant long work hours, immersing ourselves into a new city business network, studying the art of marketing magic, learning to communicate well as both siblings and now business partners (which did not come without hard intentional work!) and of course, engaging in those monthly dreamcasting meetings where we allowed ourselves to dream big while also assessing issues and creating new growth strategies.
We somehow were able to do all this while also keeping up with customer projects!
Here are a few of our favorite furniture restoration projects from 2018.
We did a full refinish to get rid of the old yellowing finish and surface scratches and polished those groovy brass pulls.
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We did a full restoration on this pair of danish mid century teak lounge chairs that included replacing the loop springs. See our tutorial video here.
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Here’s another restoration that included a full refinish, polishing of those beautiful orange bakelite knobs and new glass. We believe these art deco vanities will come back on trend within the next few years and hopefully we will see a few more in the shop. Art Deco vanities often vary slightly in their design and some of the more simple ones blend well within both masculine and feminine design environments.
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Quarter sawn oak furniture is a favorite of ours here at Kin Furniture Co. Our father was a collector of furniture made of this beautiful striped looking wood during our childhood so we are a bit bias. The simple, rectangular angles of the mission furniture style is also pretty hard to dislike in general.
Our restoration included cleaning, re-gluing of the joints, sanding, a good deep oiling to get those ray flecks to shine and new seat cover upholstery in a sleek black leather.
SWOON!
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Ouch! This stately chair was brought to us in need of some immediate medical attention.
These 2 broken legs were restored to the best of our creative ability by our in house break repair medic, Jake. This chair has a bit of a historic story. It was given to the then Governor of Massachusetts, Christian A. Herter, as an inauguration gift in 1953. Happy to see this beauty all stiched up and her history preserved!
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One of the best parts of furniture restoration is having the opportunity to preserve some very old antiques.
Here we did a restoration to this antique secretary desk circa 1770. That's about 250 years old. Our customer brought this family heirloom to us for some repairs due to shrinkage over time.
We did our best to ensure this antique was repaired properly while also respecting the beauty and character brought by it's old age.
Notice the ink stains in the drawer from the use of an inkwell for writing.
And that 250 year old key is beautiful!
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This dining table set refinish project was a stunning transformation. The table top was covered in surface scratches and scrapes and the finish had begun to peel. It had also darkened to a deep yellow over time, which of course wasn’t too pleasing to the eye.
We did a complete refinish on the table and chairs to reveal the true color of that beautiful bright maple. All those surface scratches were sanded away and a new matte coat of finish topped it all off.
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This mid century Milo Baughman credenza repair made it on our list simply due to how beautiful it is.
We did some minor repair and touch up to some chipped veneer.
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This customer brought us a few family heirloom pieces that belonged to his grandfather. We particularly enjoy projects that involve restoring and preserving the stories held within family heirlooms. We did a full refinish to this handsome dresser and are glad to see it ready for another generation of use.
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10 - Asian Coffee Table.
We did a complete refinish on this piece. It was in pretty bad shape when it was brought to us. There were quite a few water marks, scratches and what seemed to be a textile imprint.
We got it looking good as new!
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On to 2019!
As most furniture repair-people know, the “bow back” crest rail of a Windsor style chair is no walk-in-the-park to replace. Often the replacement takes time and a technique that, although manageable, is not the most prudent. The replacement of such a piece requires a process that is not always convenient for both repair-person and client. In such cases, we lean on our woodworking skills to facilitate a proper and long-lasting repair.
This repair requires a little bit of everything in our bag of restoration tricks, from proper wood species and grain selection, to hand skills like chiseling and shaping. Here we used twin “scarf joints” along the front and back of the broken crest. This technique allows for the wedged tenon (the round dowel) to remain visible, as it is one of the hallmarks of fine Windsor furniture. Additionally, we add hidden dowels within the patch to bolster the stability in an area of the chair that endures the most tension.
Once shaped and sanded, the process comes to a conclusion with a few minor touchups to ensure the color match is nearly perfect. It is then topped off by a finish that matches the original, which in this case a oil and varnish blend.
A final polish on the remainder of the chair helps integrate the new repair, as well as livens up the old piece of furniture. There is little we enjoy more than making sure furniture like this gets a second chance at comfortably seating its patrons without fear of collapse.
Here is a short video of the repair process.
We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed fixing it. Thank you!
We had dreamt for several years about creating a legacy together that would make our ancestors proud. Now it is official, our family business has become an even more vivid reality as we've added our sister, Hannah as co-owner. The word Kin in our name has never been trivial in use as we truly believe in the unbreakable bonds of family and blood. We are honored to evolve from a duo into a trinity.
In addition to adding our sister, we have moved the business to Denver!
By a serendipitous twist of fate, we found a retiring restoration shop and have since decided to move our operation from Ft. Collins to Denver to pursue new opportunities in the furniture restoration and repair market in Colorado.
We cannot wait to make this shop our own and continue to build out our business and hit our goals here within this new city of Denver.
Now, for some introductions!
Sam
In 2011, on a whim and with a bit of fortuity, Sam founded Kin Woodcraft (now Kin Furniture Co.) along side his brother Jacob.
Sam's first steps in the industry were taken in his father's upholstery shop. There he learned the hard knocks of the trade by pulling staples and stripping upholstery while sacrificing the cleanliness of his hands to the benefit of the client. He became more sure footed in his abilities after his mentorship at a commercial finishing and antique restoration shop in Northern Colorado. After that, a dedication to managing a notable restoration shop was the sharpening he and his brother needed to go out on their own.
Never being one to settle for mediocrity, Sam has always had a pension for seeing where improvement may lie. With efficiency and a work experience free from frustration as his goal, managing the workings of the shop is a role that suites him well.
It is his hope that the Kin team can create an environment in which the craftsmen enjoy their days at work as much as they do at their homes, and a feeling that our customers enjoy us as much as they do our work!
Sam's favorite furniture was made by the Shakers, a group of communal Christians founded in the 18th century who were known for their simple designs but uncompromising quality. The furniture was made from local woods and almost entirely unadorned.
When pulled by outdoor forces from the shop he loves, you can find him slipping on river stones having his go at large trout! Freedom is his driver, until then, he waits his turn to see the world.
He really loves his mother... and cheese.
Jacob
younger brother to Sam and co-founder of Kin Furniture Co.
With a childhood intrigue for story telling and talent for artistic workmanship Jake always needed a creative outlet. So, after high school, he followed in his brother's footsteps and got a job a local refinishing shop in his hometown. It was in that shop that he developed a deeper passion for the repair and restoration of furniture and the countless stories held within them. In those years he was moved by the reverence many people held for their furniture and he became driven by the desire to uphold the various familial legacies that came his way.
He and Sam have worked together for the entirety of their decade-long careers. Together they have developed a unified vision around the preservation of the story as well as the craftsmanship behind something that almost all human beings on earth place value on, their furniture.
Jake's favorite style of furniture is the Windsor style, mostly because of its simple elegant design, but also because they are typically comfy as hell.
Either at work or outside, you'll find him day dreaming, riding along through his own imagination or reading the works of others. As a lover of earth and space he can also be found rock climbing, writing, or occasionally playing music and singing.
He also loves his mother… and some anime and sweets…
Hannah
older sister of Sam and Jake. She joined Kin Furniture Co as co-owner in May 2018
Hannah will be doing marketing and advertising for Kin. In addition, she will be Kin Furniture Co's resident "furniture picker" to find those treasured pieces at estate sales, antique shops, and yard sales to bring back for some refinishing love and hopefully a good sale!
Hannah's appreciation and love for furniture and interior design was evident even as a small child, always designing and decorating her spaces to her comfort and liking. This affinity for interiors lead Hannah to help fully design and build her own home at the ripe old age of 27.
In addition to having an eye for space and design, Hannah has been a professional photographer for 12 years, first as a wedding/portrait photographer, then moving into commercial photography working with many brands to help create vibrant creative visual content.
Collaborating with her brothers now with Kin Furniture Co. is a new exciting venture into the furniture industry.
Hannah's favorite furniture style is a tie between Art Deco and Eastlake Victorian. "Art Deco waterfall designs are so lovely and elegant to me but I swoon for those Eastlake geometic leaves and florals."
When Hannah isn't at the Kin Furniture shop, you can find her singing on her front porch, making her rounds at local estate sales or vintage shops, or at any local music show.
She loves her mother, and her daughter and pinot grigio.
