Doug’s first love of old things was antique motorcycles. Way back in the 60’s and early 70’s he enjoyed restoring old Harleys. He always enjoyed fixing up things that were in bad shape and had the potential of looking great once they were restored. In the early 70’s while working in a band in Aspen, Colorado he became intrigued by all of the terrific looking Victorian houses that had been nicely restored and the wild looking antique furniture. It was during this time that Doug and his wife Vickie purchased a house in Salt Lake City, Utah that was built in 1865. The house had great woodwork in it and had transoms over every door, but were missing the glass. Doug decided to replace the empty transoms with stained glass and proceeded to learn how to do the work. After moving back to Pennsylvania in 1979 Doug began to make leaded glass windows for people and shortly there after he met a guy from Texas who dealt in antiques on the side. Doug mentioned to him that the two of them should open up a shop together selling his friend’s antiques and Doug’s stained glass windows. Several days later Doug’s friend said that he had put his name on a waiting list at an antique mall and had been called and offered a spot. He called Doug and asked him if he wanted to go in on that with him. Doug agreed and gradually started working on furniture and began picking the brains of a lot of different furniture people and eventually developed the techniques that he uses today along with his son Tony. After working part-time in his garage for 4 years, Doug decided to quit his day job as a salesman and do the antique business full time. After about a year he built his first shop behind their house. It wasn’t too many years after later, that he outgrew the shop and began looking for a much larger place. In 1990 he purchased an old saw mill that was built around 1915. Over the next five years Doug poured money into restoring the building.
Doug’s son Tony started helping his dad at the antique shows at the age of nine. That was 39 years ago. After spending 4 years at Penn State in electrical engineering, he informed his dad that he wanted to become an antique dealer and furniture restorer. Twenty-six years have passed since then and Doug and his son Tony are still at it restoring fine quality antique furniture. Tony has evolved into a fine woodworker and uses his electrical and computer expertise in running the business web site. Doug and Tony have always been committed to doing the best restoration job possible and have never strayed from what Doug calls “the German Curse” of having to do everything very precise. As the years have rolled by, Doug sold the family house and put a large apartment in the sawmill building and Tony and his family have put a house next to the shop. Now Tony has his own 18-year old son named Hunter who may end up continuing the family tradition of furniture restoration someday.
Our shop is open by chance or appointment. During the week we can be found working on furniture just about everyday.
