Jan’s Day Off: Life After Fifty

After 35-years of use, abuse and storage, these two bedroom suites (12 individual pieces/35 drawers) find renewed life.

Our girls have left; we are officially empty-nesters after 33 years.  One lives in Perth, Australia; the other has bought a condo in Victoria.  There is no coming home. We’ve renovated their two bedrooms and we now have two adult guest rooms.

The black walnut suite was purchased pre-marriage from an estate sale in Oak Bay in 1977.  I researched and discovered it was built by the Middlesex Furniture Company in Stratroy, Ontario – circa 1920’s.    The Honduras mahogany suite was gifted to Shelley’s mother in the 80’s from an elderly American couple, and sourced to a 40’s furniture company in San Jose, California.

There is life after 50. 🙂

The outdoor “park” set-up; warm, dry and picture perfect.  Could it get any greener?

“Maybe it’s true that life begins at 50… but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.”
— Phyllis Diller

The Test Drive – Before and After… Ready, Set, Scrape!!

Before and After – Our Beautiful Black Walnut Headboard

“I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.”
— Bob Hope

Thirty-five Honduras mahogany drawers…….but was anyone really counting??

Here was a perfect opportunity to get “up-close and personal” with our Oli-Natura products.  After many hours of scraping and sanding, the black walnut was refinished with the HS Colour Oil: Walnut; as the Honduras mahogany was refinished with the HS Colour Oil: Mahogany.  Everything was finished with our Oli-Natura Care Wax by the loving, meticulous Shelley-touch.

I can truly say that this is great stuff.  Looks great; you be the judge!!

Anna’s Room

Olivia’s Room

…………with a White Oak Singer Sewing Machine/Cabinet thrown in!!

“It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the eyes and find light there.”
— John O-Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom