r/midcenturymodern

Wanted to show some updated photos of an estate sale Atomic Cat find from a few days ago.

This kitty sits at 29" tall and as you can see in Photo #1, it appears the initial varnish started to yellow so the previous owner painted it white. I don't know if they were going for a "shabby chic" vibe, but this is the condition it came home with me.

In photo #2, I began to sand off the paint and varnish. I considered using a citrus stripper but my spouse talked me out of it. It took me a little over 2 hours to sand off the paint in this photo.

Photo #3 shows the areas of varnish that still needed to come off, and the beautiful grain under that white paint.

Photo #4 and about 6 - 7 hours of sanding, she's ready for teak oil.

Photo #5 is the first application of teak oil. There are still some very small areas that need to be touched up. I started to obsess a bit, but this morning made a commitment to allow it to cure for about a week before I go back and touch up a couple of areas. Or I may just enjoy her how she is, because she came such a long way from the day I made the purchase.

The table is taken apart to move and clean Probably going to sell, but I want to clean them up and looking for any tips or knowledge you guys might have 🙂

I’ve been posting the journey for this cabinet from the curb (for free) to my backyard for restoration (as best I could). But now it’s in the house in its permanent place, and I actually think it holds its own against the Eames Storage Unit. 🙂

When I was looking at houses I found two that were on the same street. One looked nice but expensive, the other much less but looked like a project. Nothing in the lsting said anything about MCM, so this was just sitting on the market waiting for me to buy it. I’ve done a few thing since these pics were taken and I still need to do a few more, like light fixtures in the kitchen.

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He said he had to run it to work to pick up some material for an upcoming work trip on Monday. He came home with this.

These blue rabbits were described as mid-century modern from Japan. They came in a Japanese box, but the translation and description does not match the type of pottery. Google image searches and ChatGPT cannot find anything similar or other figures in this style. I am wondering if it is even from Japan. There is no writing or marking on the bases which have green felt.

Got a set of four for free from a curb alert!

Hi Everyone, I am using a large number of the stoff nagel candle holders for an upcoming event and was wondering if anyone has found tapered candlesticks that fit in their holders and have a decent burn time.

Or, if you have used the stoff nagel official tapered candlesticks, are they worth the price and did they have a long burn time?

Thank you in advance!

Thinking about getting this Lane "cigarette table" and wondering if this lamp I have would look ok on it. Worth keeping in mind that the lamp is about 34" tall and the table is only about 17", so it is quite a bit taller (although I know midcentury lamps tend to be on the taller side, and tables on the shorter side.) Curious your thoughts!

I’m looking for a new queen sized bed that matches the furniture I inherited from my grandmother. Do we think this goes well? I liked it because I thought it matches the curves in the dressers.

Hey folks, I inherited this table from my mentor when she passed. I love it, but don’t know anything about it. It’s a little banged up, and I intend to fix it up and get a new glass top for it.
Can anyone identify it for me? The internet is not helping so far and I’m at a loss.
Thanks!

Photos by Julius Shulman

More information here; https://midcenturyhome.substack.com/p/case-study-house-28-the-final-modernist

This credenza had already been refinished once. It was well done but unfortunately removed much of what makes walnut special.

The original surface had been bleached, covered with a heavy glaze, and then heavily toned to the point that most of the natural grain and depth were obscured. From a distance it looked uniform, but up close the walnut had lost nearly all of its character.

The restoration was more involved than a typical refinish because the bleached surface had to be carefully sanded away. The goal was to remove just enough material to expose fresh walnut without going too far and risking sanding through the veneer. It meant constantly sanding, previewing the grain, and repeating the process until a clean, fresh surface was revealed.

Once the original wood was exposed, the difference was immediate. The figure, warmth, and natural variation that had been hidden for years came back to life without relying on heavy toners or opaque color.

Sometimes the hardest part of a restoration isn’t repairing the original finish—it’s undoing a previous restoration.

Hello fellow Mid Century enthusiasts. I picked this highboy up around 2010 and after repairing the legs, it’s been my personal dresser ever since. I doubt I’ll ever part with it, however I’ve long been curious about the maker since I’ve never run into another like it. There are no makers marks anywhere to be found on it (only a stencil that says “100 Dresser Gunstock Walnut on the back panel).

It shares some passing similarities to McCobb planner group, but it’s quite obviously not. This is without a doubt the heaviest highboy I’ve ever handled. Solid wood throughout, there is even walnut used in some of the interior drawer supports.

I’ve always just assumed this was a smaller American furniture maker that wasn’t very prolific and made some pieces “in the style of…”, but alas I’ve been stumped for over 15 years. Thought I would put it out to the community and see if any of y’all have come across a similar piece or can offer up any history.

Still can’t believe someone put this out on the curb. But I’ll forever be grateful.

I picked up this vintage office chair today and was hoping for some help with an ID.

It appears to be a Steelcase 451, but I can't find any markings on the molded plastic. It was used in a law office as you can see.

Any help on identifying it would be much appreciated!

This is my view from our kitchen looking across our foyer into the living room with the sun rising. Most people who come to our house don’t appreciate the style of our home and even make recommendations on how we can’t update it 🫩