My love of Lane ® Acclaim Furniture

I have a passion for mid-century modern furniture in general but specifically, I love Lane ® Acclaim Tables. The Acclaim series of furniture was made in the 1960's in Altavista, Virginia. It is solid wood furniture and has a beautiful dove tail detail that I think is timeless. It was made in a variety of shapes and sizes from the types to two-tier end tables people automatically associate with mid-century design to basic coffee tables, end tables and even drop leaf dining tables. The dove tail design is what distinguishes the Acclaim series and once you see it, you'll always know it when you see any other piece of these Lane ® creations.

I hit the jackpot one day this past summer when I walked into a thrift store and saw a two tier Lane ® Acclaim Surfboard table. I tentatively checked the price tag fully expecting a ridiculous price and I couldn't believe my eyes - $4.98! Score! Mine, mine, mine!

Now let me be perfectly clear that this table was a mess. It was a fifty year old table but structurally, it was completely sound, a testament to the outstanding workmanship of Lane ® furniture. The top, however, was a different story. The finish was a mess with water rings, dark stains of unknown origins and a series of deep scratches and gouges. The stain under the compromised finish was sorry looking to say the least. But this table was the absolute poster-child for the idea of a diamond in the rough. I so regret not having the forethought to take a picture of it in its "before" state. I have some pictures for you in the completed state so you'll just have to imagine how bad it was that a thrift store would put a price of $4.98 on it!

It is a solid wood table so I stripped the finish and stain, sanded out the scratches and gouges, refinished it and it is now a show piece in our den. I feel like I resurrected it from the brink of the burn pile. There is only one scar left on the edge of the table top that was just too deep to effectively sand it without leaving a visible divot. My Black and Decker Mouse sander was the ticket when it came to redoing this table and if you are going to re-do furniture, I highly recommend getting yourself one. It will cut down your time and effort when it comes to sanding. It is small, easy to use and easy to store even if you have limited storage space.

Lane ® is a registered trademark of The Lane Company, Inc., Altavista, VA, USA. This post has not been authorized or endorsed by The Lane Company.