Amazing restoration of a rare CHEST
In this video I will restore a rare chest from Estonian farmhouse.
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Title: Amazing restoration of a rare CHEST
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Yes, young women all over Europe would start working on their daughters chests (dowry chest) from the moment their daughters passed the age of young childhood. Then, the girls themselves would continue to fill the chest with the best of the best they could make. It breaks my heart that my grandmother had prepared a chest for me too. Every time I would be there she would take one afternoon and show me the content of the chest and would explain the embroidery meaning and the specific symbols of our family, though I was very young and didn't care one bit for those old things. Now I cry every time I remember it, I was abroad when she died. I hope the person who found this chest is glad he has something so precious, you restored it beautifully.
Same in Turkey. Also, it is not rare for grandmas to prepare one for their grandson either. Like mine.
I assume every country has their version of the same. In the USA, we call it a hope chest.
Fan of your work. Thanks for saving the possessions of those who have gone before us. I'd like to think you have their blessings but regardless you have mine . Please keep posting videos. I have many pieces of furniture I rescued from rubbish tips, abandoned houses and the side of the road and had restored. They give me a lot of pleasure and are recycling at its best. .
You're a great craftsman but your sense of humour gives your videos the perfect touch! Thanks!!!
This would be called a dower chest in English. It's fun to imagine some farmer or craftsman working hard on this so his daughter can be proud on her wedding day.
Thank you for including the story and the pictures. It was a labor of love when it was built,💜💜💜 and you treated it with the respect it deserves. I really enjoyed this video.
You got it just right Anita! Great work Ahti!
I agree Anita Morales. It's such a special piece, with a wonderful history. I'm so glad he was able to save it. 💜
Yes I totally agree Its beautiful
@@rizpahjael1 Just shows what can be done. I would probably have smashed it up with a sledgehammer and used it for firewood. That's the best option for most people as they don't have his skills.
Anita Morales : Yes ,i think so ,this is a good job und i like it . Bravoooooo !👍
What I enjoy most about you and your channel is that unlike other channels who claim to do furniture restoration you ACTUALLY restore furniture to its former beauty. Other self proclaimed restorers just sand items and paint it with modern colors destroying the unique beauty of a piece.
I love Tom Johnson’s channel too. You should check out the Fixing Furniture channel as well.
Watch his channel. He restores amazingly too. kzhead.info
Trena is a master restorer. You should look at the grandfather clock she restored. It included wood turning and hand painted art restoration. There seems to be nothing she can’t do. I love watching her work.
@@tetedur377 they are fantastic at what they do, it's nice to see a woman do what she does, Trena is a treat and Thomas is a great old school craftsman.
Hes not wrong though, the vast majority of channels that do "restoration" are actually doing refurbishing. They will make the item look new again, but not necessarily the way it originally looked or with the appropriate materials and techniques. Certain words on KZhead like "diy" and "restoration" have basically lost all meaning.
What I like is that you didn't break the whole thing apart and redo everything. You fix just the faults and try to keep the most of the original "story".
My heart cried “please don’t over-restore this chest” when I first saw it. I should have known better. You did a remarkable job conserving and restoring this chest to just the right degree. Perfect! 👌
HAHAHA!!! What a great beginning! Love the spy music, but not quite Tom Cruise Mission Impossible! (That's a good thing!) Lol. Love you, love your talent! ❤️
13:07 Thank you for the cultural/tradition overview, and the beautiful folk music!
This is a beautiful restoration. Thank you for sharing the history behind the chest’s design. Your color matching is right on the mark, and I also appreciated your pointing out the repairs on the finished piece. The intro was cute, too.
There are many restoration channels in KZhead. Why this channel is my best - because every video is a cool performance. And I still cannot say which I like more - restoration technique or staging.
You save not only the furniture, you save the culture and history. Thank you.
Loved the folk music tie in to the old culture and history. Glad the original finish was preserved and refreshed using classic pigments
Absolutely loved the intro. But jokes aside you are not just a master craftsman but a genius as well.
Beautiful restoration, in complete sympathy with the history of the piece. That linseed-based paint really held up well and probably helped preserve it, despite it's less than ideal environment. I liked the technique of allowing the shrunken timber to remain as is and a thin piece of timber put in the sawn crack. There's no tension and everything remains square as a result. Your videos are real gems Ahti. I always look forward to them. Cheers.
Loved the way you used natural pigments as were used then and matched them so well...such a maestro! It's always about the stories to me and how the craftsmen/artisans create the value and longevity with quality like those hinges and curved top. Thank You for bringing us with you on your journey of quality, saving these wonderful pieces and the history.
Historian, comedian, master woodworker, thanks for making my Sunday. Cheers Michael🇨🇦
I love Saturday evenings: A nice, relaxing dinner while watching AT Restoration.
How wonderful you found those photos! They really brought the chest back to life, and you made it look new again. You asked us what kind of furniture you should restore on your channel. This was absolutely perfect. Thank you!
I love big pieces like this. You did an awesome job bringing it back, but the back story makes it even cooler. Great work.
And now that chest will once again be someone's special treasure. Terrific restoration, and a wonderful history!
Nicely done! Sometimes IMO you go a little further than I’d like in restoring/repainting (it’s a debatable point, I know), but what you’ve done here will preserve this piece of history for another 120 years. Also - sometimes the pieces you restore prove that not every old craftsman was a good craftsman, but this guy knew his stuff!
We cannot see what he sees in person. He does minimal repairs to restore the items to good working condition.without being there we cannot adequately see the true damage ourselves.
@@cab102361 Sorry, with due respect, and I mean that, by the same token, the camera might also hide imperfections in his work. We can’t see everything. But I like his work.
Estonia meet new friend with Latvian grandparents. This chest is so beautifully handled. Thank you from new admirer from Penn's Woods(Pennsylvania,USA.).stay well.
WOW- love it! the jack-in-box opening, the cultural background + music, the finishsed product, the orange & black jumper!!!👏🏽❤🔥
Thank you for sharing this beautiful restoration with us. What a beautiful and quite rare glory box. It was nice to see that you respect the integrity of the original finish and didn’t try to make it look brand new, it is truly a credit to you and your skills. The difference from start to finish is fantastic. More restorers should do this instead of trying to make things look new. Regards from Australia 🇦🇺, Rob T.
Great that you kept it very original and not over restored it
in chests like that it was not only the garments ( clothes, that is) but also bedlinen, curtains, dishcloths, table clothes, everything that a new bride needed to give the new home HER personal touch. i like these kinds of Episodes. no talking, no - heroic - music. just the translation. and this way it can easily also be changed for audiences that do not speak english. where i grew up, my grandmother had a similar one. inside there were still - inserts- , sitting on a wooden - frame- in smaller sizes. to be used for smaller things.
In the past, wedding chests were widespread in the countryside (Europe). My grandmother had one in the attic that was very old. Not hers, she got married in 1931, so they were out of fashion. Probably from some grandmother. Unlike the one shown, it was twice as big and made of oak, with small inlays. It also had an insert to hold small items and a false bottom. There were initials and a year (1841 or 42?) painted on the side.
Actually laughed out loud when you popped up from the chest! Then gasped when your phone took a dive. Really liked the history lesson as well. Thanks Ahti
You saved it. I loved hearing about the history of pieces like this and knowing that you preserved it so beautifully.
This was lovely. Not only a seamless & flawless repair (that paint was awesome) but the history of this type of chest was wonderful. Thanks for a great video.
I could watch a man scrubbing all day. 😊 You color matching skills are also amazing. Beautiful restoration.
It looks perfect! And thank you so much for giving us the history behind it. That really brings it to life, and sets it in a time and place.🐝🤗❤️
It's a miracle that some of these pieces ever survived, given the tumultuous history of Estonia in the last 100+ years.
@@cv990a4 I love learning about the history.🤗❤️🐝
I believe in flat wood. LOL!😂
Impressive...and thank you for including the history of the peace...lovely 🥰🥰
Интересно смотреть не только на вещь, которую Вы реставрируете, но и какие инструменты и приспособления используете. Спасибо за мастерство! 👍👍👍
Ah, the symbolism of the double X’s. The old trunk in the photos also had interesting “art”/symbolism on its side. Great find and restoration as always.
Amazing job as always. Thanks for sharing your skill and bits of Estonian history, culture, and language too. You rock!!
Your skills are commanding of respect. The moment the chest became something special was sealed with your words "this piece of furniture was somebodys pride and joy". Beautiful work.
I greatly appreciate your unobtrusive restoration of this piece.
"If it ain't broke don't fix it." You have repaired what needed repairing, lubricated the wooden hinges with a candle (beeswax I hope) in true old school fashion, and given this wonderful heirloom another hundred years of usefulness, preserving its value. Thanks for another great video!
Once again your ability to colour match and blend old with new both astonishes and amazes me. I’m thoroughly impressed as always with this restoration.
That was a brilliant restoration. You never cease to amaze me with your talents.
Beyond all the qualities mentioned, let's not forget the sense of humor that you regularly put into the development of your videos in order to brighten them up ! Awesome :)
I congratulate you, this is a true restoration. I have seen videos where they disrespectfully destroy wonderful classic furniture, painting it with totally inappropriate colors or stencils. I believe that cultural heritage should be cared for and respected, and a piece of furniture like this is. Thanks.
I enjoyed the history of the chest along with the historic pictures and singing. It really added to the value of this piece of furniture. Beautiful restoration of a family heirloom.
What a lovely thing to have! And lovingly restored with care and consideration for its history. You didn’t overdo it, just enough and to keep it going another few hundred years
Seeing a new AT video is one of my best weekend presents. Always a pleasure to watch a true Master at work.
I find your channel rather relaxing to watch! Thanks!
The history and the film make the chest even more special. Thank you absolutely beautiful, couldn't convince the furby to get in the box!!!
For someone who collects antiques I can appreciate what you have done to restore this beautiful and important piece of history. Im glad the brides chest came to you to preserve it for another 100 hundreds. Well done!
Beautiful! I love that you repair and RESTORE these beautiful antiques!
Excellent restoration 👍👍👍Thank you for sharing. Be safe🇨🇦
Thank you for sharing the cultural significance of this piece. It’s quite beautiful in its form and function.
You put a lot of love into these beautiful pieces. Its true, another man's waste is another man treasure.
I said WoW so many times that I just had to hit the subscribe button. To observe a Master Artist and craftsman as they work is a privilege. Thank you for giving us history on these objects.
Amazing color matching! I have a feeling the owner of the chest was watching you from above as you repaired her chest with such care. Just Beautiful work!! 💙🥹💙
Beautiful and well made chest. Your story of its origins and purpose shows the reason it was so well made. A labour of love. You showed the unfinished carving which just adds to its charm. Thank you for respecting the chest so much. Using the original ocher paints and restoring it without robbing it of its patina was wonderful. The original bride and groom may be gone but their precious momento will grace someone else's home. I hope they show it the same love and respect.
I really enjoyed seeing this restoration. I am so glad you were able to save this wonderful piece of History.
Beautiful restoration
Absolutely beautiful! I have collected American primitive furniture for many years and this chest is a real treasure. 💞
incredible restoration and lovely to know the story behind those chests. Hopefully it will be someones pride and joy for another 100 years
I love how you kept the character of the trunk. Looks great.
This is such a beautiful antique and it’s wonderful to see it returned to life
You made that look like new. Amazing. Thank you for telling about the chest. God bless you.
It’s so beautiful even before you began.
не обычное начало. Как всегда великолепная работа! Чем вещь проще, тем сложнее её реставрировать. Браво!👍
this makes me so happy! takes me back to my childhood with my Papa and also when I used to watch my husband many years ago
I like you work and can learn a lot from you. Thank you for sharing. I occasionally work whit old furniture, mainly from southern Germany, I find it fascinating how similar and how different furnitur from different areas can be.
I absolutely loved this restoration! Thank you!
Wish we could send you all of the 100 year plus stuff we have over here to restore, you do great work.
Wow! Color matching sorcery yet again...well done! What a cool story behind the chest as well. In the Midwest (and probably other places) we have Hope chests, but they are not quite the same. The one you restored is much nicer and has a cooler story behind it. The photos really bring it to life. That finish is amazing, to hold up to steam cleaning and all those years? That's some good stuff. Didn't think of adding the mineral powder to the finish, need to try that, seriously good idea. Thank you, (yet again!) for posting! Always learn something and see some amazing bits of history.
WOW, that is stunning. What a lovely story about its history too. Somebody must be very proud to be the custodian of it now. Thanks for sharing your skills with us. Take care 🙂
While I personally usually prefer natural wood to paint, I love that you kept this true to its original state. Wonderful restoration and a beautiful piece of history.
Special treatment for a special piece with a special history. Bravo, well done Sir! That's true restoration.
Beautiful!
I like it when restoration if kept as one to the original as possible. The pictures are greatly appreciated as well as the story behind them.
Such a nice video adding the historical picture accompanied by singing in the native language. Thanks so much! BTW, I love that little steamer tool!
Once again, I'm in awe of your color-matching genius. A very lovely job.
What a beautiful restoration! I was so fearful you would remove the soul of this chest, especially the carvings. Instead, you gave it new life! Well done!
You are one of my favorite KZhead Channels! I love your work! Amazing.
Incredible transformation. Loved back story about brides dress and gifts. ❤
Once a prized item that had become shabby, your restoration brought it back to being useful & attractive. I liked that you kept the same warm color tone. Another admirable job. Thank you.
Beautiful and very sympathetic restoration. Loved the story that came with it as the brides garment chest.
Thank you for saving some brides dream. It is beautiful. Very similar to a Hope Chest here in the states. Beautiful history for a beautiful bride. Have a great day
Always a joy to watch a master of his craft at work. Thank you.
Look what you were able to do! Beautiful!
the beginning surprised me so much lol thank you for your amazing work and for including the story and the photos. the before/after is pure magic
The little bit of history was really cool! I liked seeing you point out at the end the places where you made your (invisible) repairs. And you varnished the inside! A complete job. 😀
'Hope chest', 'trousseau chest', 'dowry chest'. They have several names. In the UK, it's the 'bottom drawer'. You did a very loving restoration.Thank you for uploading.
Great to understand the history behind the object. I hope this chest was part of a happy home and will continue to be so. I hope you didn’t smash your new phone. It was a great opening and totally worth the effort 😂
Great job . Beautifully done!
A real pleasure to watch a Master at work! A stunning restoration. 🌟
Absolutely beautiful!
Never saw anyone make paint in that way. Touching restoration. Thank you.
Wow amazing patience and skill! Enjoyed watching you save her just like a surgeon in an ER
Looked high and low for a foot locker style trunk to store my daughter's dress up clothes. kzhead.infoUgkxRkkpE1_3gMEZ2mPhAt6b2moNCUXyH8tG I had one growing up that I stored my Barbies in and wanted something sturdy like that for her costumes. This arrived really, really quickly and is exactly what I've been looking for. Perfect size, color (pink) and has stood up for nearly a year so far against my kids using it as a chair, stage, and barricade (😬) to keep each other out of their rooms. I'm probably going to order another one for my daughter's Barbies.
Wow it is so beautiful! Thank you for including the historical photos! Wow!
Love this restoration you never painted it you kept it's history and the original artwork beautiful it must be a keeper
Hi! Loved the start! the simple beautifully made functional chest has a wonderful new life now. Thx 4 the vlog. Ciao.