The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
SHE MADE her OWN ANTIQUES
A WOMAN'S TRFUMPHS IN FUR
NISHING her ROOMS.
. Fine Table Ont or an Ola Piano
Case and q Tea Table Out Of .
Washstand Use Found for Old
Church Pews- Arrangement OF Book
sheives-A Carpenters Achievements.

manCfacturing old furniture, but they
can be matched now by almost any clever
women living In a New York apartment,
house. It's wonderful what a lot Of last
century furniture many of them have
devised
The woman who said this presides over
three rooms In one OF the apartment hotels,
and her living room Is 80 attractive that
the guest to whom she spoke had mad
vertently stood still upon entering and had
said simply:
'Why, what a beautiful room'-
1T Is pretty said the woman who made
IL. 'and nearly all the old furniture here
I made myself, with a carpenter TO drive
some nails aud do some glueIng."
The plain wall spaces Of the room were
paneled In dark oak, and all about the room
were set graceful old oak pieces. Then the
woman who was responsible told how she
did II.
Naturally, everybody looks at my big
table FIRST" she began. well, that used
TO be a piano. II was a fearful old 0instru-
ment I found out in tho barn at my mothers
but YOU can pick them up almost any
where for a few dollars. The wood alone
is worth more han they sell for. for nearly
all the old instruments were rose wood.
drought It home and hadt he carpenter
take the works out. n you want to devise
an inexpensive thing, let me warn you to
do II yourself. and engage n carpenter for
half a day or so. That Is far cheaper than
sending 10 a dealer.
when tho piano was closed 1t was a
tight box Of rosewood. ! had the carpenter
take oT the front piece. and he fitted In
a plain pine drawer. stained dark, with
the front piece for the front Of the drawer
Then we spent half a day polishing the
wood, The legs were beautifully carved.
but the wood was covered with dust and
scratches and required a good deal of
work.
when we we're through, the wood looked
as 1t doe now. Then ! spent several hours
next morning selecting two brass handles
for the drawer plain little plates with
beading about them and nlain handles.
Then ! had a library table that couldn't
be bought for 500, And brass and labor
and all cost less than IS.
Then tho tea table. | really don't think
/ know a more attractive one. IL ! do say Il.
And what do % think mine used to be2
A w~ashstand'
L found II In a secondhand shop. The
ONE / looked at II | knew il was oak
but you should have scen IT, II had a
M one Of the ratings about three
sides Of it that the old maple washstands
always had. Indeed the railing gave me
my best idea, and | bought tho stand tri-
umphantly for 81 cents.
when the carpenter came-though he
il used 10 my freaks and ia generally sym
p~athotic-he said what | wished couldn't
be done. He said further and decidedly
,L,s -. us,,t1lnHt .tfHlaEt alya 10 anI hA 70
sponsible for a botched job. But ] finally
persuaded him just to work under my
direction for one day and see IA hap
pencd by evening.
First We took the drawer out and thon
cut of the whole top and sawed of the legs
al three inches from the TOP. Then the
top Of the stand, Ininu- the side pieces
which had been necessary for tho drawer,
was fitted nicely on the legs. That made
ala ordinary drawerlrs' table Of il.
-Th" only thing that remained 10 do
was TO carry ont the idea suggested by the
railing. and that is The crown OF the whole
undertaking. He sawed of the railing
or uuglued The posts NJ the four corners.
n thcn into each Of the holes ] had him
fit four little corner posts Of round oak
about five inches high.
From one TO other % these, ArI.CI
three sides Of my table. | ran a little bras
rod, and from this | hung the little nv.
inch curtain Of golden-brown silk YOU see
OF II nov. Doesn't it give ar air TO the
whole table and, my dear. there are some
old paintings could take you to in which
the man whose portrait IL being done stands
with his hand resting on a table exactly
like that.
When the wood was rubbed up I wouldn't
have taken $40 for NY nfty-cent washstand.
Think really beautiful thing might
have been condemned 10 some servants
room!
Then the panelling Of the room. That
In a way Ia funniest of all. and | admit
that wouldn't nave been possible FOR every
one, and il was only n BIZ OF tho luck that
is sure To pursue the person who goes in
for this sort Of thing.
when ] was out in the country last sum-
mer, ! went ono day 10 the dedication OF
a trim now brick church the village had just
And after the service il oC-
TO me to have a look In the lonely
old building, standing deserted In the
churchyard, And II was filed with the
most delightful old pews o can imagine
oak. every one, plnelled and heavy
and quite wonderful.
Il asked what they we're going 10 do
with them, and nobody knew. / asked
tremhlingly IL | might buy them. and my
Twelve Of them outright, and what j paid
ven joyfully, | believe, 20 the purchase
of a piano lamp for the new sociable rooms.
Think of that! and the now church was
sci Win splcK ana span pewS %! an antique
oak, with chocolate trimmings
We'll, eleven OF the pews ! had shipped
10 the carpenter shop, and presently |
made the bewildered man understand that
wanted the eight panels on each pew
Of, so that ! might run them about
his room in n double row. for n wainscot.
He did II with very little difficulty,
without ~injuring one of them And
here were enough so that IN those two
corners of the room ] let the panels run
'loar 20 the ceiling and they made tho
pack for some oak bookshelves. That
the two corners of the rooms,
md gave me the entire wainscoting.
Il haven't told you what I did with the
pew. There It Ia over by the Chin
ley place, with some bright pillows thrown
IN il. and lis big beautiful arm brond enough
o hold a lamp or n plant. or course this !
Dom never would have looked the sane |
{ | had not discovered that church, but
ilmost every one has some luck OF that
when she once starts collecting.
'Of course | long & banished book
,ases. The built-in bookcases are 80 much
more p~ossible-only | was unwilling 10
rave any low ones because they would
hide my paneling. The two corner ines
" shelves accommodated a good many
$50 in the space between the door and
he chimney, and the one between those