Backroads
People often have this romantic notion of me rumbling along America’s back roads in an old pickup, spotting treasures on creaky wooden porches. I confess that I have been known to do that. And every time, I end up hearing something like this: “Oh, no honey, you can’t have that glider. That was the first piece of furniture I ever bought and I bought it on time at Peaden’s Furniture. My daughter Annette was conceived on that glider in 1947. (Okay, difficult, yes, but not impossible). But sit awhile, (motions to the glider) and have a glass of iced tea.” And before you know it, I’m invited for a delicious dinner of fried chicken and greens. I always left empty handed, but never empty hearted. And I learned how valuable this furniture is to our collective history.
So, now I have a network of antique pickers in the Midwest and South who bring me the furniture six times a year. I believe this furniture is an important part of our manufacturing history and I’ve devoted a lot of time and hours into learning how to restore it. Each piece is carefully sandblasted, refitted with new hanging straps and hardware, as necessary, then custom powdercoated, often with multiple coats of pigments. We upholster with UV treated outdoor fabrics by Sunbrella, Donghia, Perennials, Giatti, and many other designers. After we’ve restored it, Retropatio outdoor furniture should last another eighty years.