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Two Just Right Restorations

by on Jan 13, 2014

John Hodge

Some people might think restorations take less time than full-blown makeovers. In my experience, they take MORE time. You can cover a multitude of sins with filler and paint, but getting down to original raw wood takes a lot of patience and elbow grease. Take for example these two projects, both executed by my multi-talented nephew, John. Not only is he an athlete and a musician*, he’s a chip off the old DIY block. First up is a kitchen built-in located in a circa 1900 apartment

building in downtown Minneapolis. John stripped the top down to its natural wood, revealing its luscious grain. Then he used a grinder to remove about 100 years of paint off its hardware. Here’s what the built-in looks like now:

Small kitchen with checkered floors, old counters and cabinets.John Hodge

For this next one, the apartment entry door on the left looked very much like the door on the right before John rolled up his sleeves. There’s nothing quite like a solid wood entry door with bevelled glass, is there? Luscious. 

Two large wooden doors in a brick building.John Hodge

*To hear John perform in his band, Kenwood Mansion go to Reverbnation to listen to and download their latest single “Outlaw Runnin’.”