The Woodbriar Reunion: A 40-Year Search Finally Complete
In 1982, Marie and her husband began their marriage with a set of Drexel Heritage Woodbriar pieces they loved. When the collection was discontinued, completing it seemed impossible — until Honored Crafts listed the missing chests on December 22nd...
Before
After
The Origin
In 1982, Marie Finnegan and her husband began their life together — and among the first things they chose for their home were pieces from the Drexel Heritage Woodbriar collection. A beautifully crafted campaign-style furniture line with distinctive vertical plank doors and solid brass ring pulls, the Woodbriar pieces felt like the right foundation for a home they were building together. They purchased their initial pieces and figured they could complete the set later as they built their home. What they didn't know was that Drexel would discontinue the Woodbriar line shortly after. For over 40 years, Marie searched. Every reseller she found wanted exorbitant prices for the matching pieces. She had nearly given up on ever completing what they had started together in 1982 — until she found a listing from Honored Crafts on December 22nd.
“I have a three piece of Woodbriar wall unit (original purchase in 1982) and was looking to expand, your tall chests seem to fit the bill. Is there any way we could come and see them; I live in Denton (we moved from Dallas in 2014) so we could pick up if they are what we are looking for. The short chest would also be a great addition.”
When It Arrived
The pieces arrived with the honest wear of four decades of storage and use. The back panels showed the raw particleboard construction typical of the era, with water ring marks on the top surfaces and oxidized hardware. The drawer interiors, however, told the real story of quality — solid cedar-lined construction with the original Drexel brand stamp still clearly visible on the drawer guides. The bones were exceptional. The exterior simply needed care.
The Restoration
The restoration focused on preserving the original character while addressing the surface wear. The exterior walnut veneer was cleaned, conditioned, and refinished to bring back the warm honey tones. The brass ring pull hardware was polished and reinstalled. The drawer slides were cleaned and lubricated. No structural work was needed — Drexel built these pieces to last, and 40 years later, the joinery was still tight. The goal was not to make these pieces look new, but to make them look exactly as they should: like the quality American furniture they were always meant to be. The pieces were listed on December 22nd. Marie and her husband came to view them the same day. They purchased on the 23rd.
The Result
On the morning of December 26th, at 8am, Marie's husband — a retired military and government service veteran — arrived with his trailer. We loaded the pieces together in the early morning quiet. Two tall armoire chests and the credenza, all in the same warm walnut tones, all with the same polished brass hardware. A perfect match to the set that had been started in 1982, at the beginning of a marriage, was finally complete. Marie drove from Denton. Her husband backed up the trailer. And a 40-year search ended on a December morning in Dallas — four days after the pieces were listed they found their home. This is what Honored Crafts is here to do: source well-built pieces from obscure corners, restore them with care, and return them to folks who are just starting their next chapter or finishing their last. Locally found. Locally sold. Gone within days.