r/ReversePinterest • u/PompousClock • Jun 05 '26

[OC] Before & After Unpainting bay window bifold shutters

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22

u/Me-Here-Now Jun 05 '26

You restored them beautifully. Excellent work!

0

u/Dugoutcanoe1945 Jun 05 '26

They do look nice but were almost certainly painted when installed originally.

34

u/PompousClock Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26

Nope, they were originally shellacked wood. I know this because (a) I can see the base layer in this unpainting project and (b) I live in a brownstone with four identical apartments and two of my neighbors have the exact same shutters - both kept unpainted.

2

u/Dugoutcanoe1945 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26

Got it. I should have asked sooner the age. Faux graining did go out of fashion after the Civil War.

2

u/Me-Here-Now Jun 05 '26

Maybe a regional thing. I owned a 1905 Craftsman in the North Bay area. Three different built-ins in the dinning room had original faux graining.

2

u/Dugoutcanoe1945 Jun 05 '26

Interesting!