Furniture Magicians: Reimagining beauty and history

Stretching the Point

Owner Susan Price checks the progress of a roll top desk while woodworker, Bill Bieckert, works in the foreground. (Photo by Cathy Welch)

Most families are familiar with a special piece of furniture passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps it is an old rocking chair that your grandparents handed down to your parents. Or maybe it is a chest that a relative from generations past used when traveling. While the pieces of furniture may be different, the nostalgia and history connected to those items is usually the same. Susan Price, of Furniture Magicians, recognizes the emotional value of antique furniture pieces and seeks to restore them, or “reimagine them,” so that the objects maintain both their beauty and history.

Price comes from a long ling of woodworkers and construction workers, so she is no stranger to the intricacies of preserving furniture. In addition to coming from a family focused on furniture, Price and her family have been in the area for the majority of her life, allowing Price to develop a dedication and admiration for the Newport News community. While Price did not originally intend to serve the citizens in Newport News by entering the furniture business, she eventually found her way into it and has been focusing on repairing and restoring damaged and aged furniture for almost 25 years. Furniture Magicians was opened in 1993 and has been operating within the Newport News area ever since.

While the business consists of a small team of four or five restorers, depending on the season, Furniture Magicians offer a wide array of top quality service, stretching from commercial hotel amenities to upholstering and creating custom mosaics for individual customers. One of the most popular requests is its military estimate service, allowing military families who experience frequent moves to acquire an on-site inspection of furniture to alleviate a less stressful claims process for damaged goods.

The furniture restoration and repair company has a wide array of customers. Says Price, “We help anyone and everyone. I enjoy working with all clients, especially those who want their sentimental furniture saved and refurbished to its former glory. When their piece is completed, you can see how excited people are to have history restored.”

Price says Furniture Magicians serves both commercial and individual clients from Maryland to South Carolina because of its ability to offer professional hand caning and rush weaving.

In addition to serving the community through its craftsmanship, Furniture Magicians strives to follow its mission statement to “offer the highest quality furniture repair and refinishing services, while using the newest and most environmentally friendly techniques and products.” Price is passionate about maintaining the environmental focus of Furniture Magicians. She became more inspired to consider environmentally friendly practices when her children began learning about the concept in school to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Today the company uses alcohol or water-based chemicals instead of petroleum. “We have probably saved a ton of trees,” Price says. “To make a new cabinet it can take four acres of trees.”

When she is not helping her customers bring their worn furniture back to life, Price likes to relax by attending music concerts or reading. However, since Price is so passionate about her work, it tends to find its way into her time off the clock. She enjoys helping her church create wooden signs, allowing her to give back through her skills with wood and furniture restoration.

Price hopes that those antique heirlooms that once belonged to family members of generations past will retain the attention of today’s owners with the help of her Furniture Magicians crew, who are always willing to help restore aged furniture, allowing it to regain its former glory.

TO THE POINT:
Furniture Magicians
Address: 4 Quail Place, Newport News, VA 23608
Contact: Susan Price
Phone: 757-988-8920
Business: Furniture restoration
Website: www.furnituremagicians.com

About Abigail Barna 24 Articles
Abigail Barna grew up in the small town of Mount Airy, Maryland, then headed to Virginia to obtain a degree in English from Christopher Newport University. Growing up, Abby read every book she got her hands on and even experimented with writing her own stories. When Abby isn't writing or reading, she prefers to relax and spend time with her friends and family. Abby is currently a student at Christopher Newport University and is looking forward to the future and what career opportunities are ahead.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*