Until recently Antique Furniture Repair and Refinishing was mainly a local refinishing company. Recently, however, they have entered the worldwide market and are refinishing Violanos, which are coinoperated musical instruments that were originally built in the early 1900s. They are now valued anywhere from $30,000 to $175,000. The musical instruments are a combination of one or two violins and a piano, operate like player pianos, and primarily owned by private collectors and museums. They were the forerunner to the juke box and were originally used as musical entertainment to entice customers into entering a business establishment, according to Antique Furniture Repair and Refinishing.

Terry Haughawout, of Bloomdale, Ohio has been restoring Violanos (manufactured by Mills Novelty Company of Chicago) since the mid 1970s. Previously sending the cabinets to shops from Michigan to Pennsylvania to he refinished, he recently discovered Antique Furniture Repair and Refinishing of Genoa. Haughawout now contracts with the local company to refinish the Violanos.

According to the company, Antique Furniture Repair and Refinishing combines "Old World craftsmanship with New World technology." Tom Nickelsen and Chris Strong, owners, have been business partners for over 22 years. Besides stripping, repairing, and refinishing old or damaged furniture, the company also replaces woven seats and sells replacement hardware and furniture care products.

Other items Antique Furniture Repair and Refinishing refurbishes includes kitchen cabinets, passage doors, woodwork, pianos, and steamer trunks. The company is located in Genoa's Historic Downtown District in a recently restored building.

Publication: Toledo Business Journal
Date: Sep 01, 2004
Subject: Furniture