Just2Gypsies: Wardrobe Warriors and Champions of Chairs

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin: what else does a man need to be happy?"
-----Albert Einstein

It's a different world now than when Einstein made that famous remark; a lot has changed, and not for the better. We have become a nation of wastrels--a country that throws out the things it no longer needs or wants, or the things it has grown tired of. We live in a society that does not value age; we constantly replace the old with new. And while our trash heaps grow taller, our trees and resources grow fewer. In our own small way, Siobhan and I have set out to change that...

We are Wardrobe Warriors and Champions of Chairs. Siobhan and I are rescuers of abandoned furniture. We often find pieces dejectedly standing at the curb or waiting forlornly by a burn pile. Occasionally we find pieces in second-hand shops, victims of Do-It-Yourself projects gone horribly wrong. More times than not, the pieces are antiques, and we haul them home for a makeover.

Once in a blue moon, we find a piece that requires nothing more than an old-fashioned scrubbing-- with a pail of warm water and wood oil soap. Buried beneath their dirt and grime is a lovely wood with a rich finish, often mahogany or walnut. When these pieces are cleaned and hand-rubbed with linseed oil, they glow with a warmth and a beauty that only an aged wood can achieve.

Quite often the furniture we find is in need of repair. If a wardrobe has a broken crown or a cracked trim piece, Siobhan can usually repair it with wood putty and wood glue. If the old trim is beyond repair, then she uses it for a template and cuts a new piece from salvaged wood. If a chest has missing knobs or a door has a broken hinge, she finds matching or similar replacements online.

Sometimes we find ornate old ladder back chairs, thrown out because their cane seats are broken...For these I weave a new seat with replacement caning. If we find a wooden chair that can't be mended, Siobhan alters it slightly and it becomes a gorgeous planter. Or a beautiful tool rack for rolling pins and kitchen utensils...or any number of useful items that started as ideas, and sprang unbidden from Siobhan's creative brain.

No matter what the rescued piece, the process is always the same. We haul them home, clean what is soiled, mend what is broken. Often we sand/stain/paint/stencil/ and varnish them within an inch of their very being. Some pieces we keep for our own use, others we sell in consignment shops. The smaller pieces Siobhan often sells in a friend's Etsy store.

Siobhan and I enjoy being Wardrobe Warriors. In truth, we seem to have found the perfect hobby--one that is an outlet for our creativity, a surprisingly easy way to supplement our income, and a fun way to "go green". It has become our mantra...

Every Day is Earth Day--

Reduce Reuse Recycle