I love pieces that involve a bit of research. In the past, I have acquired houses, room boxes, and furnishings that just beg for more information--where were they made? when? by whom? for whom? It is certainly fun to speculate on these questions, but even more fun (and rewarding) when they are answered.
This time around, I find myself with a mystery set of metal midcentury-style furniture, purchased on eBay ($22). I love the lines of the pieces, and did not realize their true character until they arrived to me.
These are incredibly heavy and sturdy. There are seven pieces in all: a tulip-style table and two chairs; a lovely Windsor-style bench; a large coffee table with recessed lattice work; and two side tables. The heftiest piece is the tulip table, which probably weighs about 8-10 oz. The material is the same for all of the pieces, a very dense metal with a matte sheen. Everything looks handmade, with soldered joints and well-constructed lines.
As you can see, the pieces have suffered some scuffs and show marks from adhesive price tags, but otherwise they are in really good shape. I have to believe that they are vintage pieces based on the style and the patina, perhaps from the 1960s?
Has anyone ever seen pieces such as these? I checked in all of my dollhouse reference books and did not see a match.
Any ideas on possible refinishing? I am torn...on the one hand, I love the patina, but on the other, I'd like to even out the surfaces. I guess a matte silver spray paint is an option, and perhaps sanding is as well.
Or...I could just hide the flaws
Please comment to share information or ideas! By the way, thanks for commenting for all these years -- I started this blog in January 2009 and it has been a fun ride!
Accessories are Re-ment, The Shopping Sherpa and Lilu Shop on Etsy.
The time it took me: 10 minutes
