I like to think I’m a pretty fearless do-it-yourselfer but I’ve got nothing on Richard Cope. The first time I admired the credenza, above, in Richard’s Toronto shop, Cose di Casa, he said he wasn’t loving it and would probably give it a makeover. I never imagined how far he would push it.
Not only did Cope completely reinvent the paint treatment, but he severed the two outer sections using an ultra-thin beaded saw, or rather he had his associate, Timothy Murphy of Continental Interiors (647.822.1744), divide and conquer the piece. Talk about adding value — Richard nearly doubled the price of what is now a versatile set rather than a cumbersome single unit.
The secret to this type of antiqued paint treatment is to use several shades of paint, says Cope, who started with a medium grey then rubbed on two lighter shades and finished with a pearlescent glaze. He silver leafed the raised moldings and knobs. Any professional woodworker could have cut two additional pairs of matching feet for the stands but since Richard’s client wants to use them as a single cabinet, there was no need; he united the two halves with screws and exterior brackets.
In all, a remarkable transformation and a reminder that a little ingenuity can you take a very long way, indeed. Beautiful job, Richard!
June 16th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Good morning. What an interesting concept. Great idea and just like paint transforms a room, so does the same principle apply on furniture…Lois of thanks for that visual treat