I've finally entered the blog world. To some it may seem strange to blog about woodworking, restoration, refinishing, and furniture repair work - but this is my profession and in many ways my passion.
The nature of my work has certainly evolved in an unexpected direction over the past couple of years. I never expected to be so heavily involved with water damaged furniture, but that is unavoidable in post-Katrina New Orleans. In fact, the storm created a lot of business for me. It took me a long time to get comfortable with that idea since so many people suffered and lost so much. As time as passed, I've found (or at least convinced myself) that I am, in some small way, moving New Orleans forward towards recovery. Some people are building houses, cleaning up debris, etc., and I am bringing back the furniture.
It's such a small thing, but I am continuously enchanted by how attached people are to their furniture. I've been in a lot of houses that were completely gutted - just an open space interrupted by moldy 2x4's and that all-too-familiar smell Katrina left behind. Often the only things left in the house are a pile of furniture (or parts of furniture) that the owner managed to salvage. For many, these pieces are the only thing they have to connect them to life before the hurricane. As you can imagine, I've heard a lot of stories. I wish I would have documented them as I heard them as they have been truly fascinating. It has connected me with my customers in a way that I don't think would happen anywhere else. We're all moving slowly towards a sense of normalcy in New Orleans, and if a restored piece of furniture helps some get closer to that, then I've done my part.
For now, it's back to the wood shop. Every week is different here and presents new challenges. This week it's the restoration of a flooded armoire, refinishing an old dining set, and various small repair jobs.
