oscar cotton - it’s all in his hands
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photo by steed media service
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Furniture Restorer
Oscar Cotton is a rare breed. He is an artisan and a craftsman in an old-world art form — the art of wood refinishing. “I was working in a party store and there was a furniture restoration shop next door. The owner used to tease me about coming to work for him. So one Saturday I did, and on Monday he let the other two guys who worked there go,” recalls the 42-year-old west sider. There, he began the self-education process which would make him one of the country’s leading experts on wood finishing. “It’s all hand-stripping, no dipping, I am meticulous about the process,” boasts Cotton.
Cotton, who has restored furniture and woodwork at some of Detroit’s most historic homes and churches, says he’s especially proud of his restoration work on the doors of the historic Mariner’s Church on Jefferson Avenue. “I especially like to attend services at churches where I’ve done work. I enjoy watching the congregants soak it all in,” he adds.
The entrepreneur is currently fine-tuning some ideas for a restoration television show he’d like to start on a local cable station. “I could show people how to do different projects. People love watching shows like that on HGTV,” he says.
Cotton formerly lived in the Buhl Mansion carriage house in Indian Village while restoring the main house. His list of refinishing accomplishments includes the judges’ benches and boxes at the Wayne State Law School auditorium, the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church and the Hotel St. Regis.
Cotton, who is sought after by some of Detroit’s most affluent and celebrated citizens, advises that all surfaces and styles can be touched up, repaired and refinished. “People are becoming more and more astute about the value of their furnishings. They love it when the all of the nuances of the wood stand out and make them admire it,” he adds confidently.
-todd williams
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