I must emphasize that this is one cool dining set

You may have seen a certain swanky china cabinet over at Mr. Mod's today and been anxiously awaiting the rest of the set.

Well, wait no longer!  Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Yep, our last Brasilia sale went so well that Mr. Mod and yours truly teamed up on another project.  He's got a little space here.  I've got a little space there.  Between us we had just enough room to haul this baby in, and man was it a tough haul.  The weather was sweltering and this is a BIG set with a full-size china cabinet, extra-long buffet, dining table, and six chairs.  His Frank and my minivan just about had their fill.

As you can see, the table top will need a little bit of work and there's a few nicks and scratches, but overall the set is in good vintage condition.  Back in those days they built 'em to last. 

Broyhill really outdid themselves in this era.  Brasilia, Sculptra, Emphasis... they're all absolutely stunning.  What I really like about the Emphasis line is the sort of Tiki vibe that it has going on.  Anybody else get that feeling from it?

The fabric is a little traditional for my tastes, but if you're looking for understated then it'd work great.  If you're like me and want something a little more 1960's atomic, then the change should be quick and easy.  Just pop the seat off, put on some new upholstery, and staple it down.

So if you're in need of a cool, mid-mod spot to chow down, keep an eye on Craigslist.  We'll have this Broyhill Emphasis dining set up shortly.

Looks like I'm a little late to the Brasilia party

I'd planned on posting this the other day, but there's just not been a single minute where I could sit down and write up an entry.  I've been a busy boy.

See, Mr. Modtomic and I went halfsies on this striking Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set and I've been selling like mad on Craigslist and Ebay.  Grueling work that selling is.

I've already got one of these gentlemen's chests, but you have no idea how hard it was to part with the rest of it.  I've set my heart on a roomfull, but it'll have to come another day.  There's bills that need paying, after all.

The buyer just moved into an amazing mid-century home (with a freakin' stream running under it and a huge sunken living room!) that I hope to feature sometime soon.

If you want to hear the details on this rather convoluted flip, head on over to Mr. Modtomic's place.  It's always a pleasure, Mr. Mod.

Also, for the Tom Waits fans among you, click this link.  It's mesmerizing.

Lesson learned: The day that you write a long, in-depth blog post will always be the day that the power goes out at work right before you hit "publish"

So, lets start over and I'll keep it short.

A few days back, I stumbled across this Brasilia gentlemen's chest at the Salvation Army and it was love at first sight.  What a beautiful piece of furniture!  However, as with most thrift store finds, it wasn't in the best of shape.

The whole thing was worn and covered in small scratches, nicks, gouges, and chips.  While I'm not opposed to  using well-loved furniture, something needed to be done.

Here comes Howard's to the rescue!  I'd heard about Howard's products through several MCM collectors, one of whom referred to it as "Jesus Juice."  So, I thought I would see if it lived up to the hype.

First, I began with a coat of Howard's Restore-A-Finish ($6.00 - Home Depot), which comes in several shades to match a variety of finishes.  After cleaning the piece, you just dip a lint-free, soft cloth (or fine steel wool if it's looking particularly mucky) in a bowl of Howard's and wipe it on with the grain of the wood.  About 30 minutes later, go back with a clean cloth and wipe off the excess.

Though it doesn't completely cover up missing veneer and, obviously, won't remove deep gouges, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the results.  Many of the smaller discolorations and marks completely blended away and the others became far less visible.

After about an hour of drying, I moved on to the Howard's Feed-N-Wax ($7.00 - Home Depot), a wood preserver that contains carnauba wax, beeswax, and orange oil.  You'll go through the same process here.  Just wipe it on, wait, wipe off, and let dry.  After the Restore-A-Finish did it's part, the Feed-N-Wax really brought out the wood grain and, after a quick buffing, gave the finish a pleasant satin sheen.

I'm impressed.  Though it's no panacea for torn-up wood furniture (you will need to refinish for pristine results), the Howard's combo delivered and my Brasilia is looking super fine without the pain and hassle of a full sand-down and refinish.  For that, it receives a solid recommendation.

A few tips:
*Test these products on an inconspicuous area first
*Wear gloves.  I didn't and this stuff is oily and hard to get off of hands.
*Let coats dry before reapplying.  I did two coats of each.
*Give everything a thorough rub-down (preferably several) to remove any residue before using the furniture.

Source: Amazon

Where was everyone this weekend?

Either there was a huge MCM estate sale or everyone was too busy watching World Series coverage this weekend, because the thrift stores in St. Louis were hot, hot, hot!

I didn't make it out all that early and I still managed to score this:

Yes.  This Broyhill Brasilia gentlemen's cabinet sat at the Salvation Army a whole 2 hours before I showed up.  You can imagine my disappointment when I strolled in and saw another customer giving it the once-over with the tag in-hand, but then he left it behind!

Overpriced perhaps?  Nope!  You wouldn't believe me if I told you what they were charging.  The cashier even gave me a discount off of the ticketed price.  "That's a lovely cabinet," she remarked.  Yes.  Yes it is.  In fact, I'd say that Broyhill Brasilia is my favorite mass produced mid-century line, so this was quite a find.  

After checking out, I had a little look around the rest of the shop and found a fabulous mid-century Basset bedroom set with intricate carved wooden handles, a retro ceramic and brass lamp, a svelte velvet sofa, and a few smaller items.  Usually the thrifts are pretty sparse once noon rolls around, but the pickings were equally good at every stop.   It was too bad I had to switch out the van for my sedan early in the afternoon.  I would have picked up all of these mid-century goodies. 

It's hard to tell from the photos, but the cabinet was is in what I'd call "fair" shape.  There were a few small chips in the veneer along the bottom edge, some surface scratches/gouges, and a water spot on top.  Nothing too bad, but it definitely needed work.  I'd intended to get pictures before I applied the Howard's, but as you can see, my excitement got the best of me.  Oops.  This is after one quick rubdown, so I'll post the finished photos later.

It works really well in the dining room with my Kent Coffey Perspecta dining set, as the two look somewhat similar, but the Brasilia definitely has a bit more flair.  Don't you think?

I love it!