About us
How it all began....
Roger Etheridge (He's the skilled one) and Gill Jessop (she waves the paintbrush about a bit) have been dealing in antique English pine furniture for almost 40 years
Initially we dealt in stripped pine back in the early 90s, but after seeing so many beautifully decorated pieces of furniture waiting to be dipped in caustic and stripped to serve a fashion trend, we began to record the designs and colours. Gradually we began to specialise in original painted pine and to preserve it wherever we could, developing our various skills along the way
Our starting point, these days, is in acquiring untouched antique pine - chests of drawers are a speciality of ours, but dressers , side tables and cupboards often tempt us when we come across them on our travels.
We range far and wide in the UK, from the Scottish borders to the south coast to find the right material. It's getting harder.....
Historical finishes
Most of the pieces that arrive in the workshop are in need of restoration, it's rare to find an untouched item. They are usually covered in layers of later paint that needs removing to reveal the original finish.
Often this can be a the finish known as Scumble - a paint effect designed to imitate more expensive timbers such as Oak or Mahogany - useful if you couldn't afford the real thing and needed to impress the neighbours!
Less often but more common on earlier pieces, a flat paint was employed, often called 'drab' if destined for the kitchen, servants rooms or the scullery. There were also pieces that were designed to be seen and admired, fashion statements if you like, these were decorated in stylised patterns, simulating panels or motifs currently in vogue - such as chinoiserie or classical scenes.
These patterns, often featuring lines, were painted freehand by craftsmen who were employed by the manufacturers, often with backgrounds in coach painting or signwriting, the example opposite being one such, uncovered after almost two centuries hidden behind later coats of gloss paint!
And now....
As with any small business, we've had to evolve over time. It's no longer viable to just select original painted pieces, there are just too few available for that to be possible.
If at all possible we do everything we can to ensure that the original base paint of the item is preserved, we then either - leave well alone if that looks best in our opinion - or add lines and decoration to the base coat, appropriate to the date and style of the item. That's how the chest opposite was tackled.
When all else fails and we're left with a good quality piece of antique pine furniture that is bereft of all paint - then we repaint, decorate and distress as appropriate to the piece. The argument being that - as the item was meant to be painted when new - it is a form of restoration, maybe not ideal but it gives the piece a new life for many years to come, and hopefully, some pleasure to it's new owner!
