Frequently Asked Questions

We've gotten a lot of inquiries and we love it, but seem to get the same questions so here's a place where you might find your answer!

Q.  I have a piece marked Heywood-Wakefield but it doesn't look anything like the pieces on your site.  How much it is worth?

    A.  The Heywood-Wakefield Company made furniture for more than 150 years.  The wicker and split reed and fiber furniture made the company famous in the 1800's - early 1900's and may be the most valuable of all the lines.  They also made a line of Early American furniture called Old Colony which was a big seller in the mid-century.  Another fairly successful line was Ashcraft , a more casual rattan-look .We specialize in the "Modern" line, made from the 1930's -1960's and includes a large number of well-documented styles as shown on this site.  Most had style names,  some didn't, but they were all numbered which is a great way to identify the piece.  The Modern styles and numbers are in Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture* by Rouland.  There were later styles such as Cliff House and Contessa which are featured in Danish Modern and Beyond*.  We haven't seen much interest in any of the lines other than Modern, but feel they could become important some day.

*These books are available through our website, Amazon and other bookstores.

Q.  Are the values in Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture "right on the money?"

    A.  We agree that generally, the rarer pieces continue to go up in value while the more common pieces have gone down due to overexposure.  The values are national retail for PRISTINE MINT original condition (we know these are few and far between) or a professional quality refinish.  The Wheat and Champagne finishes were and still are more desirable than Platinum (1954-61) Westwood (1962-66) Modern Walnut (1936-44) and darker finishes of the late 1950"s and 1960's including Tampico, Winthrop, Priscilla Maple, Sable Grey, Walnut, Topaz, Windsor, Fruitwood, Clove and Sherry.  Early pieces were also marked "Amber", "Bleached", and "Wheat Rub".  Prices may also indicate Pristine Mint original fabric on upholstered pieces (also far and few between) or newly reupholstered in a period fabric. 

Q.  Do all the Heywood-Wakefield Modern dealers refinish the same way?

    A.  No - and we think there's too much confusion over refinishing.  We've been refinishing for over 20 years and we've seen pieces done by all the major dealers.  We think they all do a great job.  We personally know how much time and effort it takes. And, the original finish was never meant to last over 50 years.  Most pieces need to be redone at this point.   

Finish on the piece is really a matter of personal taste.  The "new" pieces being produced today have an "Amber" color and a more natural finish to complement the modern furniture of today.  On the west coast they like their pieces "bleached" so it's very light; some prefer to have the original finish duplicated as close as it can be with today's standards, others a more natural finish to show the beautiful wood grain and graceful lines of the piece - we still swoon over a piece of curly birch with a tiger striped look. 

We've perfected our version of the Wheat finish and our customers are happy and come back for more!  What more could a dealer want?  We think the integrity and strength of the piece  and what's under the finish is also important.  We refinish to accentuate the streamline design and solid construction.  Our finish is durable and you can really use and enjoy the piece - an ice tea glass won't leave a ring or turn the piece white and a cup of coffee won't stick to the finish.  All the pieces are personally refinished by us and not a subcontractor so the look is always consistent, year after year.  Our pieces have a hand-rubbed look because they ARE hand rubbed.  All pieces are taken apart during the process and re-assembled when finished giving a "as good as new or better" piece.  We use a toner coat to shade the piece toward the Wheat color, more than a clear coat, less than factory painted out finishes.  Our finish will amber over the first year after refinishing, we count on that and allow for it in the process.
  
We know there are "die-hards" out there that think refinishing diminishes the value or the finish should be an exact duplicate of the old company's finish.  And we would agree with them if the pieces were "one-of-a-kind" but this was mass-produced furniture, solidly built for the upper middle-class who wanted a more contemporary look in their day.  As far as we know the only piece you'll find in a museum is the M593  Buffet/Credenza we put in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum!  (a shameless plug!)

Q.  Are all the Modern pieces stamped with the Heywood-Wakefield logo?

    A.  No - the earliest Streamline Modern marking was a yellow woodgrain paper label with red print.  Then later a red and blue paper label with white print.  These were placed on the backs and bottoms of the pieces.  Obviously, after about 68 years many of these are long-gone or maybe you'll find traces left.  Post WWII the Heywood-Wakefield eagle logo was branded, then paint stamped in blue then black.   The earliest rendition of the eagle logo is a tin foil label on the Riviera line and the 1947 dining room pieces. 

Q.  I just found a piece of Heywood-Wakefield in a thrift store  that's pretty beat up  and really needs refinishing and want to refinish it myself.  What do I do?

    A.  We get this question a lot!  Our best answer is that we prefer you have it professionally done.  We don't use the same methods available to a homeowner.  We've invested a lot of time and money for professional equipment and facilities for stripping, sanding and finishing.  We don't think a homeowner can achieve the same great results. 

Q.  Do you have a piece that will match my original Wheat or Champagne finish?

    A.  Probably not.  Maybe.  Again, the original finishes were not meant to last 50 years or more.  Each solid wood piece will "age or patina" according to how it was used or abused, the UV ray exposure, heat, cold, moisture, etc.   If you have a true original finish piece and put it next to one of our true original finish pieces, there's no guarantee it will match exactly.  It will truly blend nicely and no reason to pass on a hard to find piece!  We've also seen many thought to be "original finish" pieces that were actually re-sprayed years ago with a fresh lacquer coat or two.  The Champagne finish, originally a pink tone blonde,  tends to turn brown over the years.   All the original finishes will have ambered up considerably over the years.  If you have an original Wheat piece, our finish will also blend nicely.