Whenever I’m watching Antiques Roadshow — which, believe you me, is quite often — I find myself thinking, “Wow, they sure don’t make ’em like that anymore.”
No matter what it is — dolls, tables, or even little brooches — it seems that things from the past were made to last. Nowadays, you can’t own something for two days before it completely falls to pieces.
That’s why I was stunned when I saw this incredible restoration. With just a little time, energy, and love, this century-old console was completely brought back to life. It looks like it just came straight from the early 1900s!
But this gorgeous antique hasn’t just been restored: It’s been carefully modernized so it can be fully enjoyed once more. I’d love to have this in my living room!
After scrolling through this amazing restoration, be sure to watch the video at the end. It’s a truly beautiful slice of the past.
Please SHARE if you love antiques as much as I do!
While helping his mom move, this Imgur user discovered a beautiful old record player just sitting in the basement. His mom had bought it at a yard sale years ago, and she was planning to throw it away.
But after taking it apart, he realized it was a beautiful piece that could be fixed up.
He got to work, first polishing up all the beautiful pieces.
When he gave the medallion a good rub, he noticed the dates of the piece. One patent went as far back as 1916!
Once he removed the veneer, he used liquid paint stripper to take off the varnish.
He then sanded it all down by hand.
He kept some of the imperfections to maintain its charm. He also painted the sound cone and cabinet black.
The original front grill was missing, so he used 1/4" plywood and a dremel multi-tool to create a new one.
In the back, he noticed that over the years, bugs had eaten and drilled through the wood — so he had to fill the divots before he could continue.
He chose a mahogany veneer to stay true to the original.
Using contact cement, he applied the new veneer.
It was beginning to look like a brand new piece!
He gave it a beautiful, rich stain.
He then gave it a couple coats of satin poly.
He wanted the piece to be more than just decoration: Since the phonograph was originally designed to play music, he decided it should play music once more.
He installed some speakers in the sound cone, then set up a Spotify music server. It was a beautiful marriage of the past and present.
With a thin piece of burgundy felt and some spray adhesive, he lined the grill and turntable. After repairing a spring in the motor, the record player will be in full working order.
Don't you love when people restore beautiful pieces of history? I think he did an amazing job. Let us know in the comments below if you agree!
To hear what a 1916 phonograph would have sounded like, be sure to watch the video below! Please SHARE if you love antiques!
