http://mainesteamertrunkcompany.com/

Maine Steamer Trunk Company, The Waterfront Flea Market, 14 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME (2026)

04/13/2026

This item is not for sale, this is a restoration project for a client.

If you’re going to have a sofa, have a sofa - and this one is definitely a statement piece. As rough as it looked when it came in, it was actually in pretty good condition. A bit wobbly and worn, but nothing we couldn’t sort out.

The worst part of the job? Removing the old upholstery. If you’ve never done it, take it from us, it’s not fun. Huge respect to upholsterers who do this every day, they deserve it. Once that was out of the way (three 33-gallon bags of horsehair and straw later), we moved on to making the frame structurally sound with a full re-glue and as many glue blocks as we could add throughout the frame.

From there, it was a more straightforward process, stripping, a couple of coats of finish, and hand-rubbed to a smooth result. Now it heads off to the customer’s chosen upholsterer for the final stage.

If you’re thinking about reupholstering a piece, make sure it’s structurally sound first. Once it’s upholstered, going back means removing all that new fabric again, we’ve seen it happen. If you’re considering a project like this, give us a call. We can handle the structural work and connect you with a fantastic upholsterer we trust. Thank you for your support.

Maine Steamer Trunk Company
www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
(207) 208-9043
Brunswick, ME

02/12/2026

This item is not for sale, this is a restoration story for a client’s trunk. We’re based in Maine and offer full restoration services for trunks and furniture.

It’s been a while since we restored a trunk, and this one was a real beauty. Apologies for some of the shadowy photos, these were taken early in the morning.

Thankfully, the trunk didn’t need too many repairs, just a few minor bits and bobs. Some of the original canvas had rotted out, so we replaced those sections. Once the structural work was complete, we gave the entire piece a thorough cleaning, then sanded down the wooden slats and the interior. The wood had developed a lovely natural patina over the years, so there was no need to stain it.

The client chose a beautiful grayish-brown paint for the canvas, which really gave the piece a timeless look. After painting, we applied a couple of coats of clear finish, then hand-rubbed everything to a smooth, polished surface. We finished it off with new handles and straps to complete the restoration.

As you can see, this is a wonderful piece that will fit beautifully into any style of home. If you have a trunk or a piece of furniture that’s in need of a little attention, give us a call, we’d love to help.

📍 www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
📞 (207) 208-9043

Thank you for your support!

01/14/2026

We’re kicking off the new year with a heartfelt thank you to all of our customers who trusted us to work on some truly incredible pieces of furniture this past year. It means the world to us.

A huge shoutout to Pistol Pete’s Upholstery and the ridiculously talented ladies at Mey & Co. for sending work our way - it’s been greatly appreciated. And a big thank you to Katie at KHG Upholstery for taking such good care of our customers’ upholstery needs.

And last but certainly not least, thank you to my wonderful daughter Lilly for all her help with media and marketing this year. She’s recently headed south for the next chapter of her life, leaving me without my night-out partner… Billy No Mates!

This has been the most challenging year we’ve had since starting the business during COVID. Between slower periods and the never-ending price increases on materials, it’s been tough at times. But even in a hard year, we met wonderful people and worked on some stunning pieces, and for that, we’re truly grateful.

Here are just a few odds and ends we worked on throughout the year. As always, if you have a treasured piece of furniture or a trunk that needs some TLC, give us a call.

Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a brighter year ahead!

📍 www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
📞 (207) 208-9043

This is a restoration service—items shown are not for sale.

12/07/2025

It’s been a while since we restored a trunk, so we were excited to take on this unique piece.

Overall, the trunk was in good structural shape but needed some cosmetic repairs. The client wanted the trunk to look “on the newer side of beaten up,” so we gave it a fresh paint job while preserving its character.

After completing the repairs, we stripped out the rotted paper lining, scraped and cleaned the old exterior paint, and cleaned up the hardware and buttons. The interior was thoroughly sanded and prepped. Once painted, we let the trunk fully dry for several days before applying a clear coat. Finally, we installed new handles and hand-rubbed the entire piece to a smooth, polished finish.

This trunk belonged to the client’s grandfather, who escaped Germany during the outbreak of World War II, so it carried deep sentimental value. This is a restoration service, this trunk is not for sale.

If you have a trunk or piece of furniture with a story to tell, we’d love to help bring it back to life.

📍 www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
📞 (207) 208-9043

Thank you for supporting our work.

10/17/2025

We haven’t restored a Governor Winthrop desk in quite some time, and when they do come in, they’re usually in pretty rough shape, this one was no exception.

Structurally, the desk was intact, but it needed a full re-glue, especially the drawers. It was also missing several glue blocks, a drawer runner, and had a broken hinge that needed replacing.

The first step was simply putting the poor desk back together. Once reassembled, we stripped the finish, which, thankfully, was easy since much of it had already worn away. The client requested a natural wood look, so no staining was needed. We applied a couple of coats of finish, hand-rubbed it to a beautifully smooth surface, and completed the reassembly.

With a little care and craftsmanship, the desk came back to life beautifully.

This is a restoration service, this desk is not for sale.

If you have a much-loved piece of furniture or trunk in need of some attention, we’d love to help. Give us a call.

Thank you for your continued support!
Www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com

09/24/2025

We finally had the chance to work on some trunks again, and I have to say—this was one of the toughest trunk restorations I can remember.

These two pieces belonged to the client’s father, and he recalled seeing them every time the family moved growing up. That military connection hit home for me too, as my own son is a transport officer in the U.S. Army.

The chest was the easier of the two—just a matter of gluing down loose wood and smoothing out sharp edges to make it safer to handle. But the trunk… that was a different story. The interior needed to be stripped, cleaned, and refinished. The tray had to be re-glued, and we installed new handles as well.

The biggest challenge? Cleaning the exterior. Both pieces were completely encrusted with dirt and grime—but they were also covered in tags and destination stamps that were incredibly meaningful to the client. That meant no harsh chemicals, no solvents, no alcohol-based cleaners. Instead, it came down to hours of slow, careful scrubbing with a toothbrush and baby shampoo. Once the metalwork was cleaned up too, the results were far better than I expected—and the client was thrilled.

This is a restoration service—these trunks are not for sale.
If you have a piece with family history that needs restoring, we’d love to help.

John Gardiner
Www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
[email protected]
207 208 9043

09/04/2025

This piece is not for sale—it was a custom restoration project for a client.

“It’s been a while since we worked on a roll-top desk, and while they’re always a labor-intensive project, they’re absolutely worth the effort.

This desk was no exception. Structurally, it was in great shape overall—it just needed to be re-glued and had a few missing glue blocks that we replaced. Fortunately, there were no major repairs beyond that.

The biggest issue was the roll-top itself, which was jammed tight. Typically, that’s due to debris in the runners, but in this case, the canvas backing that holds the slats together had stretched and loosened. As a result, the slats weren’t running smoothly and were binding up inside the tracks. Once we replaced the canvas and completed the re-glue, we moved on to stripping and sanding.

The customer requested a natural wood finish, but the original muddy, dark finish made it hard to determine what kind of wood we were working with. Once stripped, we discovered it was poplar. While poplar is a fine wood, it often contains green tones in the grain that don’t always look great when left natural. To even it out, we used multiple stains to blend the color. It ended up a bit darker than hoped, but still clean and elegant.

I’m old school—I prefer to let the color live in the wood itself rather than using toners or colored layers. That way, the finish has depth and clarity, not a muddy or opaque appearance.

Once the staining was complete, we applied a couple of coats of finish and hand-rubbed it to a beautifully smooth sheen.

This piece is not for sale—it was a custom restoration project for a client.

If you have a piece, large or small, that needs some attention, we’d love to help. Give us a call!

Thank you for your continued support”.

John Gardiner
Www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com
Brunswick, Maine

08/17/2025

All of the chairs in this recent batch (except for one upholstered piece) needed similar work: re-gluing, repairing veneer, and addressing plywood delamination. The upholstered chair also needed re-gluing and had a broken arm, but the first step was removing the old upholstery to get to the frame.

Once the structural repairs were complete, every chair was stripped and sanded down. In true mid-century fashion, these pieces were all finished in natural wood, so no staining was needed. We sealed everything with a couple of coats of topcoat and then hand-rubbed each piece to a beautiful, smooth finish.

Two of the chairs are now off to our fantastic upholsterers at KHG Upholstery in Gardiner, Maine, for the final touches.

If you have a set of chairs that need re-gluing, repair, or just a little refresh, give us a call—we’d love to help.

Thank you for your continued support!

07/19/2025

First off, an apology — both for the lack of recent posts and for forgetting to take “before” photos of these beautiful dressers. I was eager to get started, and that’s my excuse.

All three pieces were in rough shape and in serious need of a reglue, especially the drawers. There were a few minor repairs and a number of missing glue blocks that needed replacing. The biggest issue, however, was the finish — worn, heavily orange (a once-popular look), and darkened over time.

Once the structural issues were resolved and the pieces stripped, we gave them a thorough sanding and spot-bleached areas with water stains. The two vanity units were finished with a very light stain to enhance the natural grain. The dresser needed a bit more attention, with darker stain used in places to blend uneven wood tones. While we typically avoid stain blending on natural finishes, the color variation was too strong to ignore in this case.

Each piece received three coats of finish and was hand-rubbed to achieve a smooth, polished surface.

If you have a piece of furniture that needs a little care, we’d be happy to help bring it back to life.

06/19/2025

Lately, we’ve been on a bit of a mid-century modern streak—and I’m not complaining. If you’ve seen our previous posts, you know I love simple, clean furniture, and mid-century design is right up there for me.

This dining set was designed by Paul McCobb, a major figure in the mid-century movement. It came to us in solid structural shape—just a few nicks and scratches—but the finish had suffered badly from water damage, especially on the legs.

We started with a few small table repairs and re-glued the chairs. That part was fairly straightforward, although the biggest challenge was dealing with rusted bolts connecting the seat backs to the bases. Since the chairs were upholstered (and the client didn’t want that disturbed), we had to work carefully around it.

Once everything was re-glued and secure, we stripped the finish, bleached out the water stains, sanded the surfaces, and applied three coats of lacquer—then hand-rubbed it all to a smooth, clean finish.

The simplicity of the bowtie-style chairs and the understated design of the table are what really make this set shine. I’ll admit, this was one of those projects that gave me a bit of furniture envy.

If you’ve got a piece that needs a refresh, give us a call—we’d love to bring it back to life. We’re located in Brunswick!

Thank you for your support!
John Gardiner
207 607 2978

Www.mainesteamertrunkcompany.com

05/17/2025

With summer just around the corner, these Adirondack chairs felt like the perfect project to share.

We don’t typically take on outdoor furniture—weather damage can be unpredictable, and it’s hard to know what contaminants may have soaked into the wood, which can cause finishes to fail. But we made an exception for these, partly because they’re beautifully crafted, and partly because, frankly, things have been a little too quiet lately.

We started by disassembling the chairs and began the long process of stripping, sanding, bleaching, sanding again, scrubbing with thinner, and—you guessed it—more sanding. The goal was to get the wood as clean and bare as possible to ensure a solid finish.

After some research and great advice from the team at Sherwin-Williams in Brunswick, we decided to try something new. We applied a base coat of tung oil as a sealer to give the wood extra protection—especially in case the top coat ever breaks down. Once that cured fully over a couple of weeks, we applied multiple coats of oil-based urethane, allowing it to dry thoroughly before reassembling the chairs.

The customer wasn’t in a rush, just wanted them ready for summer—so we worked on them between other projects. It was a slow, steady process, but absolutely worth it.

These chairs would look right at home on any deck, porch, or patio. If you’ve got a piece of furniture that’s seen better days and could use a lift, give us a call. We’d love to help.

John Gardiner
[email protected]
207 208 9043

Maine Steamer Trunk Company

04/13/2026

02/12/2026

01/14/2026

12/07/2025

10/17/2025

09/24/2025

09/04/2025

08/17/2025

07/19/2025

06/19/2025

05/17/2025

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