Reinterpretation


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In reinterpretation we usually work with pieces that have previously been stripped and repaired inappropriately or are terribly damaged from years of sitting in the south 40, to the point where the intrinsic value of the finish or innards or both has been damaged.   For instance, Katie painted a beautiful credenza, shown left, because when we bought it someone had stripped it with both sanding and some sort of radical thinner, then refinished it in a poor pecan stain that was already lifting.  We had nothing to loose; we laid a clear protective barrier upon the piece, then she had fun with the shapes and colors.  

We will not reinterpret valuable pieces unless the reinterpretation can be reversed, and if the process is thoroughly discussed in advance.  An example might be in a reinterpretation of the upholstery, if the original stuffings have been destroyed by a poor upholsterer.  We will not harm vintage pieces of history! 

Reinterpretation often involves a departure from the historical intention of the piece, but not always, and at MPF, this often involves a sense of whimsy and humor!  We work with the inherent qualities of the original designer to give it new life as we might want to see it today - with humor, with style, and often with a sense of beauty it didn't experience in the old days!   The pieces inspire us!   We do unusual wood finishes, outrageous fabrics & trims, and we keep the integrity of the interiors where ever we can! 

Visit our Case Studies, below, and Before and After photos, both Upholstered and Painted!  The purpose of these pages is to familiarize our potential clients with the reinterpretation process and techniques.  Please excuse the longer download time on these pages; we try to keep the pages under 60 seconds each.

Reinterpretation Portfolio

If you have a comfortable sofa that needs a face lift, or found a broken down garage sale piece that you see potential in, take a look at some of the pieces we have reinterpreted with fun and elegance!  The $3 garage sale chair, left, had a shattered lag, and had been stripped of its original finish.  We gave it new life.

On these and connecting pages, left, we will walk you through numerous reinterpreted pieces: 

bullet Painted Retro Chair
bullet  Before and After Upholstered
bullet And our page of case good pieces and chairs interpreted in Before and After Painted!

We also have:

bulleta Custom Design Portfolio
bulleta Restoration Portfolio

Note:  All customer names have been changed to protect their privacy. 

Contact Information

    Telephone:    Portland, Oregon:  503.452.2800 / Southern Oregon: 541.899.3306           
Contact:     MitchellRPowell@aol.com
©Mitchell Powell Furnishings                          Clipart graphics from Microsoft
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