A Chest of Drawers - Above the Treeline

SHOPPING WITH CHRISTOPHE POURNY
A Chest of Drawers
Christophe Pourny, who has an antiques restoration studio in Brooklyn, opens a chin oiserie chest, $6 ,000, at John Rosselli Antiques on the Upper East Side.
By TIM McKEOUGH
Published: April 4, 2012
THE antiques restorer Christophe Pourny has had plenty of time to perfect his French polish. Mr. Pourny, 49, grew
up as the son of antiques dealers in the South of France, where there was a never-ending inventory of pieces that
needed touching up or refinishing.
"My father was an officer in the army before becoming an antiques dealer, so he had this tough discipline," said Mr.
Pourny, who is now based in Dumbo, Brooklyn. "I would be sent to the studio twice a week to work, and that's the
way I learned about restoration. This is a trade you learn as an apprentice."
At the time, he wasn't thrilled. "I actually swore I'd never do it again," he said. But "40 years later, I'm still doing
it."
Since establishing his own studio in 1995, he has become a valuable resource for designers like John Saladino and
Jamie Drake, for whom he restores antiques, creates special finishes and produces custom furniture. He also sells his
own line of restorative "furniture tonics," which he mixes from natural ingredients.
Of all the furniture that passes through his studio, he said, one kind of piece stands out: the chest of drawers, because
it "symbolizes the best- it's heirloom stuff," he said.
"Historically, this is where you would keep your most precious things," he explained. And the chest itself would
often be "as precious as what' s inside."
In search of an example, Mr. Pourny visited L' Antiquaire & the Connoisseur on the Upper East Side, where he
found a mid-18th-century Italian marquetry chest.
"When people think about the classic chest of drawers, that' s what they think of- that's the heirloom," he said.
"It' s the most beautiful thing you can find."
The only problem? The $68,000 price.
At John Rosselli Antiques, he found a William-and-Mary-style chinoiserie chest with timeless style and a more
reasonable price ($6,000). "It would go with a lot of things, classic or modern," he said.
For something contemporary, he liked the Atwood chest at Crate & Barrel, which has drawer fronts made from
various shades of reclaimed peroba wood and a clean-lined black walnut frame.
"It looks like they invented something new," he said of the chest's uncommon appearance.
And for those who would rather have a family heirloom restored instead of buying a new chest, Mr. Pourny had one
important piece of advice: Don't forget to empty the drawers before sending it out.
"I could do an entire coffee table book," he said, "on the things I find in people's drawers."
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Fur11itt1re Care Tips
The Martha Stewart Show, March
2010
Keep your furniture looking its very best with these expert tips from
furniture restorer Christc•phe Pourny .
CLEANING HARDWARE
Begin by removing hardware from the furniture (never clean hardware on
the furniture as you will ruin wood finishes). Dip hardware in pure ammonia
to instantly clean brass to a dull shine. Then, brush with a plastic
toothbrush, and polish with a soft cloth and brass cleaning product. Avoid
using steel wool or a wire brush; it will scratch and tarnish the brass beyond
repair.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Furniture-Care Tips
Christophe Pourny gives
tips for extending the life of
furniture hardware.
For extremely dirty pieces, use gel paint stripper first: dip the piece in a jar
of paint stripper and wait; all the gunk will fall off. Then, continue to clean
the hardware with ammonia following the steps above.
LUBRICATING LOCKS
Simply sprinkle graphite powder on to the lock. Avoid using oil, which will
stain clothing.
CARING FOR CEDAR
Extend the life of cedar blocks by treating with cedar or lavender oils. The
scent can be sprayed in the drawer on wood or mixed with a neutral medium
such as wheat oil.
A Q&A with antiques expert Christophe Pourny
Published: Monday, October 31, 2011, 5:00AM
By Susan Langenhennig, The Times-Picayune
Even Martha Stewart apparently can get stumped on how to restore and care for antiques. When that happens, she
dials up Christophe Pourny, a man who literally has lived with historical furniture his whole life.
Pourny was born in southern France to a family of antique dealers. His
early childhood memories are of playing around centuries-old chests,
tables and chairs. Pourny now lives in New York and specializes in caring
for fine furniture.
Some of his more notable projects have included the restoration of George
Washington's writing desk at New York City Hall and the restoration of a
bed used by the pope during his 2007 visit to Manhattan.
Pourny will be at Balzac Antiques in New Orleans on Saturday (Nov. 5),
answering questions, meeting fans - he's a regular on Martha Stewart's
TV show - and promoting his line of natural Furniture Tonics cleaning
products. We caught up with him at his Brooklyn studio, where he shared
some tips.
Q: Do you have a trick for getting out a water ring on wood?
A: "You should never put a glass on the table. Just don't do that
(laughing), but it can happen. When it does, dry it right away. If you wipe
it off immediately, it will go away. But if the mark is there, moisture has
seeped through the finish. Even if it's dry to the touch, the moisture is still
there.
Take an iron on a very low heat setting - you don't want to replace a water ring with a burn mark. Put a cloth over
the ring on the table, and apply the iron to the cloth on and off for four or five minutes. You should see a big
improvement with that.
If the ring has been there for some time, there are several things you can try; it's all trial and error with antiques.
If you rub the stain with an oil product and very, very fine steel wool, you may get rid of rings and marks. From
there, you may want to re-finish the entire piece to even it up."
Q: What's the single most damaging thing you see people do to their antiques.
A: "People use too many inappropriate things on their furniture. Very, very often, people think they have to
associate the dusting cloth with a chemical, with Pledge or a silicone product. They're gratifying because they give
you an instant shine, but it can be damaging for the wood. When you dust something daily or weekly with harsh
chemicals, it sinks into the wood, and there's a point where the wood says enough and gets dull. Then you'll have
to strip it. You don't need all that. Just dust with a soft, clean rag."
Q: So now we know what not to do. Tell us, what should we be doing to care for our furniture?
A: "Once a year, or every two years, look at the piece, and if it looks dry, use a finishing oil or rewax it."
Christophe Pourny restored George
Washington's writing desk, shown here
at New York City Hall.
NYC&G
New York Cottages and Gardens
Antiques expert Christophe Pourny brings
everything back to life
In his Dumbo ~tudio, Chri~topher Pourny ~ticks to old v.•orld techniques when
cle~n i ng Md refinishing ant ique and vintage furniture Pourny's work ranges
from antique restoration to period finishs.s and custom reproduction~
by Miranda Agee
photographs by Doug Young
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NOT JUST ANYONE could be enjrusjed wHh resjoring George Washingjon's wrHing
desk. To bring it back to its oritina.l Colonial Eu. sheen, the art a.nd conservation
depa.rtrnent ofNew York's Design Commission asked furniture expert Christophe
Pourny to give the first president's peroh a tune~up, which required a. mild cleaning
wUh alcohol followed by the application ofa clur finish in lieu of the original French
polish. Now the desk holds pride of place behind velvet ropes in the Governor's Ballroom
ajCUyHall.
"'Hete I a.m, French, from the other side of the ocea.n,"recalls Pourny. "l realized I must
have done somethinz rizM jo be given thisjobi"The son ofanUques dulers, Pourny was
exposed to the world ofrarefied furniture early on, while he was growins: up in the South
ofFnnce. "As a kid, I was mesmerized by high -,loss finishes -they would drive me
crazy. I always wondered how it was done."
Patience, he lE~a.rned, is key, especially when it comas: to the time·con~uming process of
European-style lacquer.In his Dumbo studio, he sticks to old-world techniques and
avoids chemical applications whenever possible, relying heavily on beeswax and
linseed oils and rags made from old T-sh!rjs, noj jo menUon oounHess hours ofhand
padding and polishing wHh soft ooUon clojhs.Ifhe needs jo strip a piece, good oldfashioned elbow grease: a.nd metal scrapers a.re: the preferred tools.
''Antiques have a life of their own, and we are just the temporary custodians of them,"
says Pourny, who also ma.kes custom reproductions when clients ca.n't find the real deal.
"All of my customers are very curious about the life of their furniture, and that's wha. t
keepi me going."
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preserve naturally: christophe pourny
leather & wood care
september 7, 2013
Local expe1t. Chiristophe Pnlllny. the official restore! for the City of New Yo1k sticks to lime-honored 1echni4ues when cleaning and refinishing
anti4ues and vintage pieces His projects have included City Hall and Gwcie Mansion, yet he claims Jags made from old t-hi11s and oldfashioned elbow grease and metal scrapers among his preferred tools , and patience
The only leathc1 and wood care goods we turn to at ABC naturally come f1on1 Pmuny. as he and his line rely on beeswax and the oils of walnut.
lavende1. and linseed. while avoiding toxic chemicals to bring a work hack to life
His goods. handmade in Brooklyn. me all natural. f1ee of petroleum distillate and othe1 toxins and include nallual drying agents flllm tree sap
Safe for use mound children and pets. explore the line below and some or ou1 favorite pieces f10m inside ABC to accompany
l.eom rip1· ji>r 11/'Jilinu ioll
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Pournr talk\ ll'ith Mllltllll Ste\\'w 1 here
Clean.moisturi~.e.
and shine leathe1 with added benefit of p1otecting from stains and wate1
Made from pureRccswax. 01ganic carnauha wax and natural Essential oils
Leaves a desitahlc
scent and avoids the "shoe polish smell" on sophisticated items like leathet bags. fUinitute.
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articles or clothing
Color Revive! adds a hnost to lu1niturc finish. revivin g aged and wotn finishesnew itctHS - the 1cvivcr wiiiJcfJe'h chu k wood finishe s
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enhancing