Since we got into the furniture business, we’re always learning something new. Take one of our recent acquisitions. We thought we bought an armoire but our furniture expert corrected that misperception.
It’s a clothes press, he said. Armoires contain a bar to hang clothing, but a clothes press has drawers into which you place your freshly ironed clothes or linens.
A gorgeous piece, it boasts the White Furniture Company of Mebane, NC mark. We searched for an identical piece on the web but didn’t find a match. If you want to read more about my crush on White Furniture, try White Furniture Co. of Mebane, NC – Part 1 and Part 2.
This is a heavy beast — solid, functional, beautiful. Thankfully it includes casters.
I love the raised, faceted, carved medallions on the front doors, but I can’t claim to have had much involvement with this project. David rode point.
He explains about cleaning those medallions here:
We initially thought the brass hardware was profoundly tarnished. Each of the knobs, door and drawer pulls sported a white covering. We tried to polish the brass with lemon juice and salt, but the tenacious white substance remained.
It occurred to David that perhaps the brass hardware had been treated at the factory with a lacquer spray for brass. He used laquer thinner to soak pieces in a small bowl for a few minutes. Next, he rubbed the brass with a rough-weave cloth and a brass wire bristle brush to scrub away the deteriorated lacquer finish.
Eureka! The white milky substance turned out to be lacquer that had allowed moisture to penetrate and cause a chemical breakdown. The result was the layer of opaque white over most of the surfaces. David eliminated the crud and brought back the warmth of the brass hardware.
The cloudy top coat pictured below is indicative of all hardware:
He worked hard cleaning the hardware:
It’s obvious that David, with all his devotion to this piece, loves her and wants to keep her. For the moment, though, she stands in Avonlea Antiques and Design Gallery.
Ann Marie and David
Wondering about the resale value of White Fine Furniture? Read How Much Is My White Fine Furniture Worth?
Can You Name My White Fine Furniture Collection?
Susie from The Chelsea Project
April 3, 2016 at 12:09 pm (3 years ago)Wow. Beautiful piece and it surely did come to life with the TLC. Thanks so much for linking to Friday’s Furniture Fix. We love having you share with us. Susie from The Chelsea Project
Terry
April 3, 2016 at 3:49 pm (3 years ago)I love reading about your pieces! I ALWAYS learn something interesting and new! I love that it has a “clothes press” and next time I find an armoire I will be looking to see if it is more than just an armoire 🙂 Thank you for sharing the tips on cleaning the hardware too! I hope you have a great week!
Smiles!
Terry
The Curator’s Collection & Making Broken Beautiful
irisabbey
June 30, 2016 at 4:14 am (3 years ago)Colleen, I don’t have that information — yet. I’m arranging to get copies of some of White’s catalogs. I don’t know how long that will take, but I’ll let you know if I find anything.
JSM Singleton
November 16, 2016 at 5:48 am (2 years ago)With regard to the twin “french Provincial” bedsteads and vanity stool by White Fine Funiture, by chance do you know the model name the pieces under which the pieces were marketed. My mother has the twin bed, “double” dresser and chest on chest in these pieces, the finished being “Old Bone” with silver highlighting; she is attempting to find other pieces. Thank you
irisabbey
November 17, 2016 at 1:53 am (2 years ago)I have sent you an email.
Tammy Shows
July 18, 2017 at 7:14 pm (2 years ago)I just purchased a corner china or curio cabinet at an estate sale with white fine furniture stamped on one of the drawers. I had never heard about this company til I read your articles. I am so happy to have obtained this piece and would like to try to find more pieces to go with this one. It is a dark color wood but does not really look like Mahogany to me. Do you know if they made any pieces in cherry? I would also like to try to determine the period it was made in but do not know how to go about it. Any help you would give me would be greatly appreciated!
irisabbey
August 18, 2017 at 5:30 pm (2 years ago)Tammy, sorry for the delay but I’ve been researching. This is a link to my latest blog: Can You Name my White Fine Furniture Collection?:
https://irisabbey.com/design-history/can-name-white-fine-furniture-collection/