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FALCONER – Al Bennett, the owner of Chautauqua Furniture Refinishing in Falconer, says that the thing that he likes best about his job is “being able to take something ugly and make it beautiful again.” His showroom, which is attached to the “Gold Star” Building, is a testament to this fact.
The display area of the shop is filled with dozens of beautifully restored furniture pieces ranging from dining room suites to bureaus. Some of the items have been commissioned by clients, but many are for sale to the public. Visitors to Gold Star who stop by his showroom out of curiosity are often surprised at the high level of craftsmanship that they find there.
“I only work with quality furniture – you won’t find any particle board here,” Bennett says. “I get pieces from estate and moving sales, and some from individuals. My goal is to make each piece look as good – or better – than it did originally.”
Bennett received his early training as a teenager in Connecticut, where he worked for a furniture refinisher part time during high school. He continued this work full time for 10 years after he graduated before moving to Western New York in 2005 with his wife for school and employment reasons.
Faced with a dilemma about a year ago when he lost his job, Bennett decided to stay in this area because his two teenaged children were not eager to leave. He says that his change in employment status made him reevaluate what he wanted to do with his life. He completed his degree at Jamestown Business College shortly after opening the shop in October.
“After working in a completely different industry for several years, I decided to follow my dream and start my own business. It has been a challenge at times, but now I love my work,” he says. “It is very rewarding to bring out the beauty in the pieces that I work with.”
Chautauqua Furniture Refinishing offers complete furniture restoration including the stripping, refinishing and repair of various pieces of furniture, including desks, tables, dressers and coffee tables, among others. They also fix broken items, such as chairs, drawers and table legs.
Located at 1765 Lindquist Drive, adjacent to Gold Star Treasures, Falconer, the store is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Samples of completed pieces can be seen in the showroom during business hours or on the company Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Chautauqua-Furniture-Refinishing-1390770024564101/timeline.
For more information call 489-4492.