In the Press

When Is Something Old, New?
When It’s From Steven-Thomas Antiques

If the hundreds of European antique armoires, bedroom sets and dining room ensembles on display in the showrooms of Steven­-Thomas Antiques would reveal their secrets, there'd be endless story lines to fill dozens of Danielle Steele and Jackie Collins' novels.

However, you can scribe your own fantasies simply by gazing upon the gorgeous wooden treasures found in the spacious Steven-­Thomas emporium off the 55 Freeway and Dyer Road in Santa Ana. To speed by is to ignore a virtual museum of some of Europe's out­standing pieces of century-old furnishings that reveal degrees of workmanship and quality absent in all but the most custom crafted furniture. And it's all for sale, with quick delivery assured, said co-­owner Steve Shedd, who, with partner Tom Silk, started their busi­ness 25 years ago.

That antique furnishings have become the investment choice of thousands of cus­tomers is evident by Steven-Thomas' 17,000 square-foot showroom. However, like the dimensions of an iceberg, the majority of their square footage remains mostly unseen by the shopping public. Adjacent to their main store is a 20,000 square foot Annex crammed with seemingly enough antiques to furnish the grand estates of Europe. Of course, one ulti­mately realizes that the majority of their inventory did come from those grand estates, whose previous owners (for whatever reasons) had different perceptions of the worth and importance of that furniture.

When one absorbs the scope of invento­ry, it's easy to see that Steven-Thomas is the region's major importer of high-end European furniture. "The quality of selections we want for our customers is becoming very hard to find," Steve said, adding, "Our customers are demanding truly the finest quality and condi­tion - furniture that is different and unique." Thanks to the multitude of overseas relation­ships the pair has established over the years, they often hear about important estates up to one and one-half years before the antiques are actually available. When a family or estate is ready to surrender the furniture, the long line of hopeful buyers more times than not queues up behind Steve and Tom.

To supplement the occasions when they don't enjoy that purchasing advantage, either will jet to Europe, to peruse warehouses full of antiques worth upwards of $150 million. Because of their practiced eye for quality and their intimate knowledge of what their cus­tomers demand, they'll select only the creme de la creme - perhaps only $250,000 worth ­for containerization to LA. Perhaps omni­sciently, their annex has been sufficiently inventoried to withstand the recent dock strike at LA. Harbor.

As international passengers know, no one disembarks from a long plane ride with­out feeling like a piece of "damaged goods" that needs refreshing before going out on the town. Likewise, no matter how well packed a piece of furniture is, it too requires special attention. To that end, Steve and Tom have created a 12,000 square foot workshop adjacent to their warehouses, manned by long-time employees who are among the finest craftsmen and refinishers any­where in the world of furniture. Unsung heroes of the antique busi­ness, these men restore, repair, refurbish and refinish with such skill that veteran antique experts find it difficult to perceive the reparative work. On a typical day, joints are refastened; fabrics are mended or period-compatible upholstery is reapplied; lacquers are brushed on or sprayed driplessly; inlays are reset or duplicated; pieces are refash­ioned and replaced; and beds may be expanded from singles to kings - to name just a few of the magical transformations.

Equally magical, carpenters will take small sections of irreparably damaged furniture and mate them to other injured pieces to create an entirely new antique. In fact, this transplant surgery is a proce­dure no different than craftsmen performed 100 plus years ago to save compromised furniture.

"We go through everything to make sure it will last the buyer another 50 years. In fact, we guarantee every antique we sell from our showroom to meet the test of time," Steve said. -And should cus­tomers desire to change their antique interiors, Steven-Thomas will guarantee a trade-in of 90 percent of the original purchase price toward a replacement in the same furniture category of equal or greater value if originally purchased at their store. They know of no other dealer making that offer.

History books underscore that in terms of the life of nations, America is but a juvenile. And although much American antique furniture is considered collectible, it generally does not offer the evolved sophistication of European pieces. Today's refined home­owners look to elegant furniture not only as domicile enhancement, but also as heirlooms for their children. It is living art that appreci­ates with time - and becomes more appreciated as time passes.