Churchill Drive

Private Home

Restoration of a Family Heirloom Dry Bar: A Journey from Neglect to Showpiece

This project was hands-down the coolest restoration I’ve ever had the privilege to work on. When my client first reached out, he asked if I could breathe new life into an old piece of furniture that had belonged to his father. It had been languishing in his garage, neglected for years. Intrigued, I went to check it out—and when I laid eyes on it, I was hooked. I knew right then that this wasn’t just any piece; it was a challenge I couldn’t resist.

What I found was a dry bar with a story as rich as its potential. The client shared that it was won by his grandfather in a card game against a Canadian Navy admiral, and it originally came from a WWII ship. That history alone made it special. But the bar itself was in rough shape: its original rose-colored mirror cladding was mostly broken or missing, and the base and frame were rotten. Still, I could see the bones of something incredible, and I was determined to restore it in a way that honored its past while fitting into a modern home.

The Vision Takes Shape

I brought the dry bar back to my studio, where it sat for a while as I mulled over the best approach. I’d catch myself staring at it, imagining how to balance its historical charm with a fresh, contemporary vibe. The client mentioned it was destined for his new "man cave," which sparked an idea: corten steel. Its rugged, industrial look and durability felt perfect for the space. But I didn’t want to lose the bar’s soul, so I decided to weave in elements of the original design and add some warmth to offset the steel.

The Restoration Process

Here’s how it all came together:

Rebuilding the Frame
The rot had taken its toll, so I started from scratch, reconstructing the entire frame to ensure it was solid and stable. This was the foundation—everything else depended on getting this right.
Replacing the Cladding
Out went the broken rose-colored mirror, and in came the corten steel. I cut, welded, and finished it meticulously, transforming the bar’s exterior into a sleek, modern statement. The steel gave it a bold, masculine edge that screamed "man cave"—but the story wasn’t over yet.
Adding the Interior Elements
To bring warmth and functionality, I installed a solid walnut shelf inside the bar. Walnut’s rich, natural tones were the perfect counterpoint to the steel. Then, I crafted two catchall boxes using more walnut and—here’s the nod to its roots—pieces of the salvaged rose-colored mirror. Those little shards tied the new design back to the bar’s original character.

Challenges Along the Way

This wasn’t a straightforward job. Preserving the bar’s history while modernizing it was a delicate dance. The salvaged mirror in the catchall boxes became my solution—a tangible link to its past. Pairing the corten steel with walnut also took some finesse to ensure they complemented each other, not clashed. And of course, the rebuilt frame had to be rock-solid to handle the weight and wear of the new materials.

The Final Reveal

Fast forward through the sweat and sparks, and the result was beyond what I’d hoped. The restored dry bar didn’t just end up in the man cave—it earned a spot in the client’s main living room as a showpiece. It’s a stunning blend of rugged steel, warm wood, and those shimmering bits of rose-colored mirror that whisper its incredible backstory. It’s functional, it’s beautiful, and it’s a conversation starter that honors the grandfather’s legacy while fitting seamlessly into a newly renovated home.

Project Scope: Rebuild Family Heirloom Dry Bar

Objective: Restore a WWII-era dry bar, won in a card game, to preserve its historical and sentimental value while updating it for modern use.
Key Steps: Rebuild the frame, replace the cladding with corten steel, add a walnut shelf and catchall boxes with salvaged mirror.
Outcome: A revitalized heirloom that’s both a tribute to the past and a standout in the present.

This project was more than a restoration—it was a chance to turn a forgotten relic into a living piece of family history. I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out.

Client Testimonial

After searching for years for someone who was willing and able to refinish a family dry bar I found Mary. We shared a few brief conversations and withing seconds I knew I had picked the right person. When I dropped off the (broken and old) dry bar she told me that it would take some time but she was very excited to work on it. Fast forward to the final product and it is beautiful. Trust Mary with your soul and she will make it even more beautiful. and timeless. The dry bar is amazing and it brought tears of joy to my dad and his sisters. Thank you so much again for breathing new life into the bar. Words can not express how happy I am to have worked with her.

Brendan McKenna