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| SHINE: A silver drawer can cut your polishing time in half, and it’s an eminently doable weekend project. |
Makeover
The Challenge: Saving the Silver
Yes, there is such a thing as a silver lining, especially when it comes to preserving your precious sterling from clouds of tarnish. Keeping it stored in silver rooms and drawers reduces the amount of tarnish on your flat- and hollowware. The iron oxide in the cloth absorbs oxygen from the air, oxygen being the culprit that turns silver black.
Ken Sturrock, one of Dallas top wallpaper installers, has been making silver closets and drawers for almost 20 years. And, he can line a silver drawer in less than 60 minutes.
The technique consists of cutting the cloth to fit the drawer perfectly and using the right adhesive. “You cannot press on the fabric because you don’t want the glue to come through,” says Sturrock, who prefers using heavy-duty wallpaper adhesive that he can brush on. If you’re working with flat, square cabinets with removable shelves, Sturrock recommends doing it yourself. Built-in shelving is trickier, as are drawers with built-in dividers: You may want to call a pro.
Purchase anti-tarnish felt fabric online, at local fabric stores, or at specialty silver-care shops. Prices range from $9.99 to $18.99 per yard. Although the colored fabrics are more expensive than traditional cloths, there is no difference in the iron content.
If you bring in a pro, expect to pay about $300 for a silver drawer. A 9-foot-tall, 3-foot-wide closet with no shelves will run about $2,000. Pricey yes, but a huge savings to the homeowner (and housekeeper) in elbow grease.
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1. Editor Mary Candace Evans Francis I flatware had been tossed into drawer organizers and needed a good polish. (Mother would have been horrified.) 2. Sturrock pulls out the drawer, unscrews the handles, and measures the fabric. Our editor chose regular brown felt, the most inexpensive. Sturrock then glues the fabric in place with wallpaper adhesive. 3. Sturrock makes a drape to cover the flatware, protecting it from oxidation. He also makes anti-tarnish, pull-down draperies for silver closets, some with air-sealant enclosures.
CREATING A SILVER DRAWER: Sources
Dallas Silversmiths
11126 Shady Trail, Ste. 113
972-620-8866
Ken Sturrock
Custom Wallcovering
PO Box 7643
214-908-1097
Hancock Fabrics
635 Campbell Rd., Plano
972-669-9791
Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts
10233 E. Northwest Hwy.
214-503-8332
