Back from the dead

Sometimes heirlooms have to be reborn before they can be used and enjoyed.  They need to be brought back from the dead – even if it takes thirty-three years to be brought back to life.

The Fire

It had already been a stressful morning, but it was about to become even more stressful. Our youngest son had just had tubes put in his ears for the second time. No big deal, right?  Kids go through that all the time. But he had a tough time coming out of anesthesia and we always dreaded any type of procedure he had to go through. We arrived home exhausted, ready to take a short nap before getting on with the day.

Soon after we returned home from the hospital, the phone rang. My family in Mississippi was calling with horrible news: there had been a fire at my grandparents’ home and my grandmother was in the hospital in critical condition. We immediately started packing for the trip to the coast, where they lived, and I’m sure we left within the hour for the eight hour trip from our home in Houston, Texas to Pascagoula, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast.

My grandmother and I were very close. Many of my growing-up memories involved her. Memories of playing under her old Singer sewing machine – you know the kind with the big treadle at the bottom. I LOVED playing with that machine. Although I don’t know if I really remember her sitting at the machine and sewing, I do remember her telling us that we were messing up the thread in the machine when we played with the treadle. I’m fairly certain, based on that memory . . . she used that machine.

But, my grandmother didn’t survive the fire. Her injuries were too extensive and she succumbed to them before we had a chance to see her again. While we were there, we attended her funeral. I was crushed. My world would never be the same without her.

MY Singer Sewing Machine

There were only a couple of her things I wanted – and yes, the Singer sewing machine was one of them. Even though the fire damaged the cabinet, I still wanted it. We took it back to Houston with us, intending to refinish it someday and make it beautiful again.

When we moved from Houston to Spokane, Washington, the machine went with us. Then, when we moved from Spokane to Tucson, Arizona, the machine went with us.  Once again, we moved –  from Tucson to Shawnee, Kansas (the Kansas City area), and the machine came with us. And it sat in our basement here twenty one years . . . still in the same condition it had been in since 1986 when the fire damaged it. But it was mine, one of the few things I had of Grandma’s, and I was determined to never get rid of it.

To Try or Not to Try?

I’m going to brag on my husband for a moment, here. He is one of the most gifted men I know. He can fix just about anything. Install a light? Yep. Fix the car? Yep. Fix plumbing? Usually.  : )  Repair just about anything that is broken? Yep. But . . . refinishing a burned sewing machine cabinet? And to be completely honest here, furniture refinishing has never really been in our “tool box”. It’s not something we even want to tackle at this stage in our lives. When we were working, there was never time. Now that we’re retired, there still isn’t time.

But every time I went down to the basement, there sat my Grandma’s old sewing machine, staring at me with a slightly accusing glare.

“When?” it would ask me softly.

“I don’t know where to even start,” would be my reply, but I could tell I wasn’t impressing the machine at all.

BrOAKen Roads

Fast forward to a couple of months ago. There’s a wonderful couple at our church that refinishes furniture. They have a business called BrOAKen Roads . . . and they do some of the most amazing restorations I’ve ever seen. Scott and Kathy Kroening are the “furniture whisperers”.

Scott picked up my sewing machine cabinet and took it home. He made no promises other than he would try to save it, since the fire damage was fairly extensive. Hey, that’s more than we’d done in thirty-three years.

“Give it your best shot,” was the best I could come up with, but just the fact he was willing to try meant the world to me. Knowing that SOMETHING would be done brought tears to my eyes as I watched him drive away with the machine in the back seat of his truck.

Restoration in Progress

By the next day, I started getting pictures. He was already at work on it! Throughout the restoration process, Scott and Kathy sent me pictures. With every picture, I cried more tears as I saw my Grandma’s machine come to life again.

I couldn’t believe the process Scott went through. He took the cabinet apart – piece by piece – and finished each piece! Aren’t these pictures amazing??

 Back From the Dead

Kathy sent me a picture of the finished cabinet. Man! I have to tell you, even though I had seen the pictures during the entire process, I couldn’t believe the final product. Yeah, you guessed it – more tears. When Scott called to ask if he could bring it over, I couldn’t wait to see the finished product. What do you think? Isn’t the transformation amazing? Here’s the before and after.

BEFORE                                                             AFTER

Honestly, you need the larger picture to see how beautiful it is. It sits in my living room now.  To say I LOVE it is such an understatement. I will forever be grateful for Scott and Kathy and BrOAKen Roads Furnishings. You can check them out on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=broaken%20roads%20furnishings

What do you think? Have you ever had furniture refinished? Did it turn out this well?  Have you refinished your own furniture?

Leave me a comment below.