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c/furniture-finishers•park.irispark.iris•3mo ago

My client in Austin asked me to leave a small scratch on his restored table

He said the piece had been in his family for 80 years and every mark told a story. I had just spent two weeks stripping, sanding, and applying a new oil finish to make it look brand new. He pointed to a specific shallow gouge near one leg and asked me not to fill it, just clean it and seal over it. It made me think I've been too focused on making things perfect instead of honoring their history. Has anyone else had a client ask you to preserve the 'flaws' on a family piece?
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3 Comments
hayes.tara
hayes.tara3mo ago
Actually, he said the story was in all the marks together, not just that one.
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terry_martinez
terry_martinez3mo agoTop Commenter
Did he explain what story that particular scratch held for him?
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iris_mason88
Yeah I used to sand everything down to bare wood no matter what. A client wanted me to keep the crayon marks her kid made on a dresser and it totally flipped my view.
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