Title: The Brownstone Boys: Transforming Trash into Treasures with Antique Restoration
In a world where buying antiques can often break the bank, Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon, also known as the Brownstone Boys, are proving that furnishing your home with vintage pieces doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little elbow grease and some restoration work, they are turning trash into treasures.
Based in Brooklyn, the Brownstone Boys are always on the lookout for hidden gems in vintage shops, salvage yards, and even on the sidewalks of New York City. Their latest project involved rescuing a wood side chair with a ruined seat and gloppy paint from the curb.
To restore the chair, they used a series of techniques commonly used in historic brownstones. They started by peeling off the old paint using a heat gun and a metal paint scraper. Then, they applied a liquid paint stripper to remove any stubborn remnants.
Next, they sanded the chair to remove any remaining paint flecks and refreshed the surface of the wood. They then added a stain in a color of their choice and sanded the chair again to smooth out any raised grain.
For the seat, instead of opting for traditional upholstery, they decided to use pressed-cane webbing they purchased on Amazon. After soaking the cane in water to make it more pliable, they drove the edges into the groove around the seat and trimmed off the excess.
To complete the restoration, they applied a clear coat of Varathane matte polyurethane. The finished chair now looks like a brand new piece of furniture ready to be showcased in their office.
The Brownstone Boys’ dedication to restoring antiques not only saves them money but also gives new life to forgotten pieces. As Mr. Slocum mentioned, the chair may eventually find its way into a home they help renovate, where it can be enjoyed for the next hundred years.
Their story is a testament to the fact that with a little creativity and hard work, anyone can furnish their home with unique and affordable antique pieces.
