Q: I recently purchased this piece of furniture from a Thrift Store. There is a partial label on the back of the piece that says:
“.....ional Furniture Company Mount Airy North Carolina.” The first few letters of the first name of the company are missing. The label also says French Walnut.
1) Do you have any idea of the approx. period this type piece was made?
2) Is this called a vanity or dresser or what?
3) Since the piece has been painted - do you have any idea what it might be worth?
4) What is the style?
Thanks.
A: The name of the company was almost certainly National Furniture which billed itself as “Manufacturers of Bedroom Furniture” in the book American Manufactured Furniture by Don Fredgant.
1) You can tell the age of the piece by the mirrors. All 20th century American plate mirror included in furniture is dated by law. The date is in dark gray on the gray side of the mirror glass itself. You will have to remove any paper or wood backing to see the back of the glass and the date. This is further explained and illustrated in my book How to be a furniture detective.
2) The piece is called a vanity. A vanity is built for the purpose of personal grooming, primarily facial makeup and hair, and provides a place to sit and take your time. A dresser is a taller piece that has a mirror and is used from the standing position.
3) The vanity is made of walnut veneer that was finished in the house color called “French walnut.” It is not the name of the wood. In original good condition it would sell at auction for around $100-150. In its “custom” paint I think its “make an offer.”
4) The style can be described as Colonial Revival with the turned legs and turned half column appliques but the best description is simply “Depression.” Everyone will know what you mean.

Q: A friend sent me your web page as I am trying to find fretwork for above our bedroom doors in a new house we are building in  Florida (about 30-40 minutes from Gainesville). We are trying to make it look like it was built in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. We are having 9ft ceilings and we were going to put tilting windows above each of the four bedroom doors but I cannot find and do not know anyone that does that kind of work. We then thought we might be able to make some out of fretwork but without the window panes. I was looking at your web site and  saw some doors to a curio that we might be able to alter and put above the doorway. I have also sent a picture of some fretwork on the right hand side that is in a home my cousin is redoing in Australia. I would really appreciate any help you can give me. Karen B.
A: The fretwork you are looking for is called “Victorian gingerbread.” There are any number of suppliers online and I am sure there is a millwork supplier in Gainesville that can get it for you. Here are some sites: www.fretworks.com;
www.cumberlandwoodcraft.com; www.wholesalemillwork.com; www.empirewoodworks.com; Just do a Google search on “Victorian gingerbread.” By the way the “fretwork” seen in antique cabinets is called a “muntin” and is composed of individual pieces of wood that hold the individual pieces of glass that make up the panel. The tilting window above a door is called a “transom.”