Zannee’s Blog at BargainsLA.com

Okay, call me tacky or weird, but I can only handle grief in small increments. Closing an estate, handling obits, burials, legal matters, estate sales and other icky-ness do not make for a happy day. So, one of the things I have been doing to lighten up a rather bleak, sad time and help keep me sane is restoring the antique Victorian dresser and bed set mom left my daughter. It’s a beauty and a family piece handed down through all the women in the family since 1864. But it was in bad need of attention. Years of wax and regular use had taken its toll.

I pulled out my Howard’s Clean A Finish, Restore a Finish and Feed n Wax and have spent an hour every day for about a week working on this lovely set. I LOVE this stuff and if you have furniture that needs attention, I’d try this product first before throw away or send off a furniture piece for professional restoration. At around $6-$7 dollars a bottle, it works wonders. http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

I did have to take one of the original metal drawer pulls in to see if it could be repaired. I stopped in Crown City Hardware in Pasadena ready to spend big bucks on repair or replacement if required. To my complete astonishment they hammered the piece back into shape in just a couple of minutes and only charged me for the nuts for the hardware’s bolts…. A whopping 27 cents. I almost fainted from joy and gratitude.

This was friendly, incredible service with a smile. I doubt the pricing on the antique or reproduction hardware here is a real bargain, but the service is fabulous!

Crown City Hardware
1047 N. Allen Avenue
Pasadena, California 91104
626.794.0234
http://www.crowncityhardware.com/index.html

In addition to the hardware repair, I also took in the rose marble top from the matching dresser to get it glued back together. I knew the piece was American made Victorian and I decided to go to Best Way Marble. Mom had recommended them so strongly years ago as a great source for solid deals on marble, travertine and such along with stellar service. I felt it was good bet. I wasn’t disappointed.

Expert, Bob Martinez took one look at my 130 year old broken marble pieces and knew he could repair it to make it just as good as new rather than replace it. That alone saved me at least $200.

I did take the time to look at the amazing selection marble they had in stock for bathrooms and kitchens. Since I haven’t caparisoned shop marble yet, I couldn’t make an assessment, but for real “know how” and honesty, Best Way Marble gets my vote!

Best Way Marble
5037 Telegraph Road
Los Angeles, CA 90022
323.266.6794
http://www.bestwaymarble.com/home.html