Robert Mathez Interiors

Robert Mathez Interiors Custom made fine furniture reproductions and antique furniture restoration in the Northern New Jersey area. Member Society of American Period Furniture Makers.

Specializing in the early Dutch-American furniture of the Pascack and Hudson Valleys.

Time to take the sign off the wall. When I moved to Park Ridge seven years ago, I felt the need to take stock personally...
07/03/2023

Time to take the sign off the wall. When I moved to Park Ridge seven years ago, I felt the need to take stock personally. Have been blessed to live in my "fishbowl" over seventy years. A corollary to "Life is what you make it." should be "Life is what makes you." I feel I have achieved what I wanted. The sign is coming along with me!

The next installment of "Kitchen Table Cabinet making !" Here the underside supports for the Campbell table are taking s...
06/16/2023

The next installment of "Kitchen Table Cabinet making !" Here the underside supports for the Campbell table are taking shape. The two main supports are at upper right. They allow the table top to tilt. Because of the deeply cut "Gothic" perimeter, I decided to include "wing" supports to further stiffen the top. Sockets for the swivel pins on the center shaft must be plotted next. Challenging!!

Finally the Canadian smoke has cleared here in the New York Metro area! This morning am fine tuning the pair of top supp...
06/08/2023

Finally the Canadian smoke has cleared here in the New York Metro area! This morning am fine tuning the pair of top supports for the Campbell tilt table. The circa 1850 base is lavish and crude at the same time. I must repeat that for the supports to be believable. Lots of engineering going into the build. The finished table must be steady and not tip over when used.

Happy Mother's Day to all those patient women who have raised antiquarians! The day blouse pictured has no historic valu...
05/14/2023

Happy Mother's Day to all those patient women who have raised antiquarians! The day blouse pictured has no historic value. Purchased by my mother in the early 1970's at K Mart, the coffee stain on the bodice was the result of her spontaneous laughter. Holding a cup of coffee was difficult for her. She survived a severe bout of polio in 1932. She endured six months in an iron lung, then a full year in a body cast. She lost the use of her right arm. But was nonetheless able to raise her three children literally "single-handedly !" She passed away in 1996. But her quiet courage still inspires me.

Received the mother-of-pearl discs today. Had not expected til next week. Was able to line up dry and fine tune the deco...
05/12/2023

Received the mother-of-pearl discs today. Had not expected til next week. Was able to line up dry and fine tune the decoration. Will inlay next week once the varnish dries. To honor the early Campbell family and their wampum, the blue discs represent quaahog shells and the white Caribbean conch. Inlaid MOP was highly fashionable in New York City in the 1850's. It was much used by John Jelliff of Newark , New Jersey, that city's premier cabinet maker. With the abundance of wampum in the Pascack Valley, rural cabinet makers may have attempted MOP decoration on a small scale. But no original samples exist to my knowledge.

Part of the contents of the French sewing box sold last month. A pair of women's split drawers circa 1900. Growing up in...
05/11/2023

Part of the contents of the French sewing box sold last month. A pair of women's split drawers circa 1900. Growing up in Westwood, New Jersey in the 1950's meant an obligatory trip downtown to the lingerie shop on Westwood Avenue. A frilly slip for Mother's Day was sure to please my mother! A survivor of the polio epidemic of 1932, my mother lost the use of her right arm. She found the strength to raise her three children literally "single handedly!" I am still in awe of her courage seventy years later.

Among the things I have decided to sell off is this circa 1999 copy of a French armoire. Made of Philippine mahogany and...
05/11/2023

Among the things I have decided to sell off is this circa 1999 copy of a French armoire. Made of Philippine mahogany and all solid wood. The interior has two shelves and the back is drilled to accept internet cable. Doors are on pintle hinges and are locking. A bargain at $200.00 in excellent estate condition. Also listed on Facebook Marketplace.

Photo of the Erie Railroad depot shed in Central Valley, New York circa 1920. Had hoped this might have become the new h...
05/11/2023

Photo of the Erie Railroad depot shed in Central Valley, New York circa 1920. Had hoped this might have become the new home for Robert Mathez Interiors. But the building had no utilities of any kind. Regretfully must leave to the ghosts of Hendrik Hudson and the "Haalve Maen" crew! Often heard still playing ten pins beneath Storm King.

Found this on the internet last weekend. Wonderfully decrepit former freight depot on the Erie Railroad line at Central ...
04/20/2023

Found this on the internet last weekend. Wonderfully decrepit former freight depot on the Erie Railroad line at Central Valley, New York. Built in 1909. The place is for rent. But I suspect has no utilities. Could it be reconfigured to start another chapter in my life? Stay tuned......

Cleaning out closets! Found a French sewing box with 85 pieces of garments and lace. Late 19th and early 20th Century ex...
04/16/2023

Cleaning out closets! Found a French sewing box with 85 pieces of garments and lace. Late 19th and early 20th Century examples of wonderfully crafted French lace. Star attraction is a beautiful christening gown featuring an embroidered monogram barely 1/4 inch tall. A treasure trove of ideas to inspire a historic costumer or even the casual seamstress, Priced at $250.00.

Regretfully it's time to say farewell to 91 Roland Street. The old place gave me six wonderful years of shelter, which a...
04/01/2023

Regretfully it's time to say farewell to 91 Roland Street. The old place gave me six wonderful years of shelter, which allowed me to focus on restoration and cabinetwork. Best years of my life! The house will never be forgotten. Thank you Henry L. Bush!! Hoping to stay in Park Ridge and continue to pursue my dreams!

Color is complete on the Campbell tilt table. I must still inlay wampum "moons" in the area above the conch roundels. Th...
03/31/2023

Color is complete on the Campbell tilt table. I must still inlay wampum "moons" in the area above the conch roundels. Then install a brass gallery around the perimeter. A pair of swing supports must also be devised for the underside. I feel I have captured the honesty of early New Jersey cabinet makers - my original intent! A stint as Curator of the Pascack Historical Society benefitted me in many ways. Enjoy!!

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91 Roland Street
Park Ridge, NJ
07656

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