Hubby and I found another one of these Authentic Cedar Chest by Honderich Furniture. How Lucky!! The chest still had the original Honderich stamp and the original $100.00 moth insurance certificate stapled on the inside of the lid.
Just a bit of history behind these beaut’s. In 1911, C.R. Honderich and sons and August Eidt, founded the H.E. Furniture Company. In 1917, the firm added cedar chests to their line. In 1926, the H.E. Furniture Company became the Honderich Furniture Company. The furniture was primarily constructed using solid walnut and walnut veneers. In 1967 the factory was sold to Messrs. Dow and Kirkham (Fry & Blackhall, Wingham) who operated it under the Honderich name. In 1969, the plant was sold to Electrohome. It was in Milverton, Ontario.
For this piece I decided on the Annie Sloan Pure White colour. I think this colour helps retain the pureness of this antique chest. With the Natural finish showing through the distressing, it added just the right amount of antique with a touch of modern.
This chest needed some sanding and prepping. The veneer had started to peel off in some spots and the drawer handles needed to be fixed before I could start with my painting project. Because, the finish was brought down to the natural grain, I had to apply a thin coat of Shellac before proceeding. (Great tip I learned along the way. The achieve a even paint colour with different starting textures, always Shellac first! Wether it’s raw wood, bleeding through paint, wood glue… if you see the colours are uneven, stop what you’re doing and Shellac!)
I LOVE these cedar chests! Not only do they smell absolutely wonderful when opened, they are perfect for any decor to store your extra throw pillows, blankets or other knick-knacks!
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