Rescuing Vintage, Restoring History

A new life through thoughtful restoration

Midcentury modern furniture continues to be one of the most popular styles in interior design, and Houston is no exception. Interest in vintage pieces has also grown among Gen Z, whose enthusiasm for analog, nostalgic, and timeless items has brought a new generation into thrift stores, antique shops, estate sales, and vintage markets.

Houstonian Brianna Byrd is part of this emerging group of young vintage enthusiasts. By day, she works as a mechanical engineer on green energy projects for a geothermal company. In her spare time, she runs Taaffe Vintage, a furniture restoration business with a unique mission: all of its profits support her passion for horse rescue.

Byrd's interest in furniture restoration began unexpectedly. While shopping at a thrift store with her mother, she discovered a neglected dresser that immediately caught her attention. After noticing a manufacturer's label and doing some research, she learned that it was a 1952 Milo Baughman-designed Drexel Perspective dresser valued at roughly $2,000 to $4,000.

When a professional restoration company gave her a price that was far beyond her budget, Byrd decided to learn the craft herself. She purchased inexpensive practice pieces and began teaching herself through online research and restoration videos. Over time, the furniture she restored began replacing pieces she had previously purchased from IKEA. Eventually, she had more restored furniture than she needed, so she started selling it. What began as a hobby gradually developed into a side business.

Byrd finds furniture wherever she can, including from friends, relatives, neighbors, other resellers, and even items left on the curb. She describes restoration as a disappearing skill and enjoys giving neglected pieces a second life.

Her interest in craftsmanship also has family roots. Byrd discovered that her Swedish ancestors included craftsmen and that her great-grandfather worked on projects for actor John Wayne, including flooring, cabinetry, and furniture at Wayne's California home. She eventually chose the family name Taaffe for her business.

Her larger goal is what she calls "rescue to rescue": saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills while using the proceeds to care for rescued horses. Byrd currently helps care for six rescue horses and a donkey at her family's 45-acre ranch near Nacogdoches. The animals, many of them older or injured, have a permanent place to live and graze safely.

Byrd says she wants customers to purchase her furniture because they genuinely love the pieces, rather than simply because the sales support a charitable cause. She also sees furniture restoration as a possible stepping stone toward designing and creating her own furniture someday.

Four Tips for Finding and Restoring Vintage Furniture

1. Start with pieces you genuinely love.

Byrd recommends choosing furniture that immediately catches your eye. When you love a piece, you're more likely to take the time to research it, restore it properly, and learn how to care for it. She also points out that not every piece will sell, so you should be comfortable keeping something yourself.

2. Look for furniture from the 1950s through the 1970s.

According to Byrd, furniture from these decades was generally constructed to a higher standard than much of today's mass-produced furniture. Even pieces that were considered inexpensive at the time can have impressive durability and craftsmanship compared with many modern alternatives.

3. Pay attention to respected manufacturers and designers.

Names such as Broyhill, Drexel, Adrian Pearsall, Merton Gershun, and Herman Miller can be good indicators of quality. Learning about well-known designers and the manufacturers associated with them can also help shoppers recognize valuable pieces when they're browsing thrift stores or estate sales.

4. Examine how the furniture is built.

Weight can be a useful clue: a heavier piece is often, though not always, an indication of solid construction. Byrd also recommends checking the drawers for dovetail joints, which can reveal quality craftsmanship. With experience, buyers can learn to judge a piece by its construction, appearance, materials, and overall feel.

A Different View: Should You Paint Vintage Furniture?

Byrd prefers to preserve vintage furniture as close as possible to its original appearance. She believes designers created these pieces with specific materials and finishes in mind and feels that refinishing should respect the original design.

She understands that painting can sometimes be appropriate when furniture has suffered severe damage, but she believes restoration is often a better option. Damaged veneer can be replaced, chips can be repaired, and worn surfaces can be refinished without necessarily covering the entire piece with paint.

For Byrd, the goal is simple: preserve the character and craftsmanship of vintage furniture whenever possible, give forgotten pieces another chance, and keep them out of landfills. Just as importantly, her restoration work helps give older rescue animals a safe place to spend the rest of their lives.