among all the wonderful antiquing spots in our neighborhood (just check the studio page for a list) there is a great j.u.n.q.u.e. shop just around the corner from me & mrs. jones on central avenue – gary’s antiques. gary and his cohorts comb estate sales, flea markets, auctions (and, sometimes, i think, the curb) for their signature crazy blend of merchandise. he also occasionally builds tables from reclaimed pieces, such as this one i snagged recently…the base is an old plantation desk whose slanted top had been lost/stolen/ruined. gary constructed a new top and refinished the whole piece.
i love it for its size, sturdiness, bottom shelf, the original brass banding at the bottom of the legs, and extra-tall height…counter stools will fit nicely some day when it has retired from its new job as display in the shop…but the new finish was very, well, new. here it was before:
and after:
the finish is annie sloan’s paris gray with clear wax over it, a distressed band of old white on the edges, and dark wax rubbed into the knots and exposed wood for a tiny bit of age.
please don’t tell gary that i painted over his stain & varnish! i’ve also just come home with a long farm-style table that he built using a set of old turned legs that will serve as worktable in the classroom. stay tuned for that transformation, coming soon.
Katie says
I love Gary’s! Such cool and quirky stuff. The gray looks great. I recently painted an old table a similar color and love the look.