Antique China Cabinet Refurbishment

Problem:

What sorts of technical artifacts does upcycling or refurbishment create?

How does the redesign and refinishing of a piece with its own history change the information it contains about humans, their history, and its own history?

How can we make that information accessible to anyone who interacts with the piece?

All of these themes were explored throughout the trajectory of this project, all while giving a stunning antique china cabinet a quick facelift... & my client feeling they got a new piece of furniture without added expense or contributing to the landfill or fast mass production.

About the User:

Meet Kim!

Kim just bought her first solo home! Her brand new build strongly contrasts with her previously owned antique and vintage furniture, and while she generally likes the juxtaposition of styles, she wanted a few of her pieces to get a bit of a face lift to fit the space a bit better.

The cabinet door was also a little off kilter, which made the contact with the closure hardware not function properly. The door would float back open despite ensuring it was closed. I was also tasked with repairing the door closure.