Rusty old metal dresser before. Photo: Purpose Restoration
Los Angeles's Purpose Restoration saves furniture from a death sentence.
Would you throw this metal dresser out? It's covered in rust, dirty and missing drawer pulls. It looks like trash to me, but not to Jason Fox and his team at Purpose Restoration. When they looked at the dresser, they saw see a beautiful, silver dresser accented with green handles -- and that is exactly what they created from this dilapidated, unloved piece of furniture.
Purpose Restoration was created by 35-year-old, Pratt Institute-grad Jason Fox. About a year ago, Fox decided it was time to leave his boring job and get creative with his hands. We're glad he did -- and so are the furnishings that he's rescued from a landfill fate!
Purpose Restoration restores and refinishes old furniture, giving it new life and a new home. They also create custom furnishings and custom blinds fashioned from reclaimed material. Jason's restorations take traditional furniture and put a modern twist on them so that they feel current.
Jason's inspiration comes from Japanese graphic design and graffiti and tattoo art, which can readily be seen in pieces such as the Fisherman Coffee Table. However, when speaking to a Los Angeles Times reporter, he noted that he wanted his pieces to feel more streamlined and artistic than an Ed Hardy shirt. (Ed Hardy is known for his Sailor Jerry-style tattoo art.)
Purpose Restoration's creations were recently on display at High Profile Productions in Culver City, CA. Among the pieces on view was the cart below. What was once a TV stand takes on a totally new personality as a kitchen cart on casters, complete with an edgy paint job of knife silhouettes. I never would have thought of that, and certainly couldn't make that ugly TV stand look so fresh!
Love a good furniture makeover? Check out this before and after dresser project.
Would you throw this metal dresser out? It's covered in rust, dirty and missing drawer pulls. It looks like trash to me, but not to Jason Fox and his team at Purpose Restoration. When they looked at the dresser, they saw see a beautiful, silver dresser accented with green handles -- and that is exactly what they created from this dilapidated, unloved piece of furniture.
Brand new modern silver dresser after Purpose's restoration. Photo: Purpose Restoration
Purpose Restoration was created by 35-year-old, Pratt Institute-grad Jason Fox. About a year ago, Fox decided it was time to leave his boring job and get creative with his hands. We're glad he did -- and so are the furnishings that he's rescued from a landfill fate!
Purpose Restoration restores and refinishes old furniture, giving it new life and a new home. They also create custom furnishings and custom blinds fashioned from reclaimed material. Jason's restorations take traditional furniture and put a modern twist on them so that they feel current.
Jason's inspiration comes from Japanese graphic design and graffiti and tattoo art, which can readily be seen in pieces such as the Fisherman Coffee Table. However, when speaking to a Los Angeles Times reporter, he noted that he wanted his pieces to feel more streamlined and artistic than an Ed Hardy shirt. (Ed Hardy is known for his Sailor Jerry-style tattoo art.)
Purpose Restoration's creations were recently on display at High Profile Productions in Culver City, CA. Among the pieces on view was the cart below. What was once a TV stand takes on a totally new personality as a kitchen cart on casters, complete with an edgy paint job of knife silhouettes. I never would have thought of that, and certainly couldn't make that ugly TV stand look so fresh!
Brand new modern silver dresser after Purpose's restoration. Photo: Purpose Restoration
Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
They're taking junk and "restoring" it to look even worse. Restoration means giving back the original look and style of a piece. All this company does is slap on garrish looking paint and ruining the original charm.
ReplyWhile some of this was junk the minute it came off the production line, I agree -- their solutions are shoddy and impossible to redress. "Restore" is the last word I'd use, but if you have a piece of cheap, ugly furniture just sand lightly with ultra-high grit and put a coat of paint on it. What they're doing will make you wonder a year from now why you own the piece at all.
I don't particularly care for the way they have redone these pieces but Im all for the fact that these things are being put to use instead of being thrown away, I think that is very cool!
ReplyMy friends and I have been doing this for years. Of course the "trash" we rescue must have dovetail drawers etc., and no veneer. it is fun for us and can be very profitable. One small dresser I got from Goodwill cost me 7.50, was solid cherry and just beautifl. Stripped it and used tung oil on it, sold for 150.00, at a garage sale. But remember you can never count your time. you have to enjoy doing this type of work.
ReplyI agree with the concept, its just not my style. I have done and same thing and saved lots of $$ in the process. I found an old solid wood dresser and stripped it of its many layers of varnish and converted the top drawer into a shelf for my dvd player. Now I have a rustic looking media center/tv stand for under $100 vs paying over $500 for the same thing I have seen at funiture stores.
ReplyAlthough the "rescued"dresser is 1930's Grand Rapids assembly line furniture, if people are not careful they will take valuable antiques and turn them into junk. The "alligator" patina is very prized among collectors, and should never be removed. If you don't like it, put it in the classifieds and sell it! Just stripping will reduce the value of a genuine antique by 90 percent. Do your homework.
ReplyThe reason why these things get thrown away is that the cost of redoing them is more than the piece is worth. Even if one uses one's own time it has to count for something. How much can they get a customer to pay for such urban chic? Doing one piece for one's self perhaps the time spent could be a labor of love but as a business model I'd be hesitant.
ReplyThe "junk" looked better before they messed with it.
ReplyThe don't appear to be professional at all.
Wow yeah who ever redid these things really is bad with no taste. Those look horrible and truelly looked better before he did what he did.Yeah its definately not restored I suggest a pocket dictionary as this is refinished not restored and basically looks like cheap silver spray paint on the metal dresser and sprayed badly at that
ReplyHorrific! Looks like a "Rattle-can Restoration"! This is blasphomy to any antique lover
Replylooks just as bad after the restoration as before. who do they restore such crap for homeless & ghetto people ?
ReplyAMAZING. I don't know how they got away with it,but in my neighborhood, NOTHING is taken from the landfill. You are not permitted to handle any items. There is a guard on duty, watching, who will prevent you from salvaging anything from there.
ReplyWow..I'm getting hit hard here. I love antiques and we do classic restorations as well (On our website under restorations). We would never add something "funky" on to a piece that had antique value. FYI...I am the biggest fan of Antique Roadshow. I understand that heavy graphics is not everyone's taste, however we are taking pieces that are walking the plank into the landfill and giving it new life. The butcher's block was an old TV stand that no one wanted. Painted and graphic furniture is nothing new and has been done since the creation of furniture. We are just updating that concept with new trends. Everything we use is high end lacquers and topcoats for all of our restorations in a professional shop.
ReplyI thank you for your comments and criticism and hope you visit our website for more information about what we are doing.
Yes, you are getting hit hard. If these 2 pieces are the best of what you have done, you're in trouble. They look like they need to go to the landfill right now. If you have done better, why not show them??
Negative comments are probably coming from people who would just throw something away rather than fix it. That's why our counrty is going downhill; Americans looking for instant gratification rather than looking for a better solution for their wallets and for our environment. No, wait, NOT their wallets, their credit which they then can't repay!! Keep up the good work Jason! Don't let these haters, most of whom can't even spell, bring you down!
They really blew it with the second piece, that was a valuable antique oak ice chest, the missing ice dorr and hardware could have been easily replaced, then they would have something of true value. They did the same thing to antiques back in the 60's, and I have spent 30 years of my career correctly restoring those 1960's mistakes. Guess I better rollup my sleeves for the new batch of "restored" antiques mistakes. Arghhhh
ReplyI think the pieces are incredibly redone! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that dresser! Any hope this guy can get his own show on TLC, DIY, or the like? I would definitely watch it!
ReplyI'd have stripped it and mended whatever, stained it, either searched around for era hardware, or purchased new depending on my whim and lined the drawers after perhaps freezing them in a bag with baking soda to get out musty smell, not sure it works on wood like paper). But the end product would have been a deeply rich natural looking piece. I have done this so many times. I had my parent's Duncan Fife (sp), some old Barnham castaways, and my grandmother's furniture. As I tired of the stuff, it went to other relatives and strangers. The time consuming process leaves one with absolutely beautiful stuff, with a history. The bed my children used as a balance beam (the footboard), was the bed that we traveled all over the US with and before that was moved from my grandmother's home, to us, before it was in my grandmother's home, it was the depression and families moved in together and this bed was stored beneath a home, and before that it was my interior decorator grandfather's purchase. It is still awesome, and it holds so much memory. Right now the headboard is in my shed, and the footboard is at my sister's because nobody has a vehicle large enough to move it to my neice's. She asked if she could have it. It's time.
ReplyNope, still ugly. Not an improvement in the least.
ReplyI have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of the two items shown above. However, after going to their website I can appreciate what they have done with salvaged items. The article did not pick the best of their work to showcase. Even if I might not use these pieces in my home I can appreciate the artistic value.
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