Giving old furniture new life
By Jennifer Archibald

Years of paint down the drain Kevin Giddens of The Refinishing Barn is using a chemical solution and brush to strip away red and yellow paint on this child's rocker. In just a short time (close-up photo), almost all the paint is gone. With a high-powered ventilation system, Giddens doesn't even have to wear a mask. Comet photos by Jennifer Archibald

People tend to throw away good furniture if it needs work.

Most busy people don't have time to restore a piece of furniture that is broken, marred, has missing parts, is covered with mildew, has fire or water damage, or just needs refinishing.

Kevin Giddens has a business that can save that furniture. His services include refinishing, restoring, and refurbishing.

Called The Refinishing Barn, it is located north of Deer Creek on State Road 29. The business has been open less than a year, but is picking up speed as word gets around.

He said one lady brought in a turn-of-the-century child's rocking chair. She had retrieved it after her husband had thrown it into the dumpster. Giddens repaired and refinished the rocker, and now it looks like new.

Giddens said people find antiques in their attics or buy them at auctions. The furniture has a lot of character, but sometimes needs a face lift.

People often bring him something that they started to refinish, but then gave up. Others don't even want to start such a project.

"They don't want the bother and the mess," he said.

Giddens added that people can damage furniture by scraping it.

He strips furniture by putting it in a tank and spraying on a chemical solution through a brush.

"I can strip anything that fits in the tank," he said.

He has done everything from a child's chair to a whole bedroom suite.

"It takes an average of about two hours to strip something," he said. This includes applying chemical, soaking for short periods, drying, sanding, etc.

He tries to work on 5-10 pieces of furniture at a time so they can be in various stages and he can keep busy.

Giddens said stain and varnish come off immediately.

"Paint bubbles up and peels off like snake skin," he said. He added that lead-based paint is harder to get off.

He works in high-volume ventilation, and the chemical fumes go out a vent, so there is no odor in the room.

After Giddens refinishes something, he puts a seal on it for added protection.

Giddens has a work shop full of power tools where he can make spindles and other parts, repair furniture, and build furniture. He also has a showroom with pieces for sale.

Giddens took training in Vincennes for his work. He recently received additional schooling to do touch-up work to damaged areas without having to refinish the piece.

Sometimes people don't want their furniture perfectly restored. They might want to leave a burn mark or other flaw as a reminder or for sentimental reasons, Giddens said.

"Each piece of furniture is unique," he said. And he can restore it to each person's individual tastes.

He said some people want it to look just like it originally did; others want it stained lighter, or want it to match the woodwork in their home.

So far, Giddens' customers have come from the local and surrounding area, and from as far away as Winamac.

His mother, Marcia Giddens, is co-owner of the business. She does the bookkeeping and assists with some of the shop work.

Giddens is currently working part-time at his business, but hopes to go full-time soon and have a website.