Rex
Nekola of Toledo, Iowa is an old hand at crafting new things, and at pleasing
his customers. His delightful creations include entertainment centers,
beds, bookcases, pie safes, linen presses, tables, stepback cupboards,
shelves, and a wide assortment of other unique items available in custom
sizes, and captivating colors, which he has perfected over the years.
In the Beginning
Rex discovered his passion for making furniture at an early age. At the
age of 13, he made his first piece. He restored an antique china hutch
that he had rescued from a junk pile, and from then on, he was hooked.
Shabby Chique
vs. Antique
Customers prefer the Rex Nekola Collection to antiques for many reasons:
- Rex Nekola furniture
comes with classic antique charm, but not the classic antique high price
tag.
- The furniture
is new, so it has the antique look, but not the antique smell.
- You can custom
order to get the perfect piece, and the perfect fit, without a long
hunt.
Making New
Furniture Look Old
It takes hard work and skillful craftsmanship to make new pieces look
like they’ve been around for a century. Through years of practice
and fine-tuning, Rex has discovered many tricks, and developed them into
his various aging techniques. Besides sanding and finishing to give the
furniture its aged appearance, Rex sometimes likes to add some old wood
from places like old barns or machine sheds in with his new wood. He believes
that there is no use burning up a good piece of wood, or burying it in
a landfill, when it could add an interesting bit of history to his furniture.
Keeping it Creative
Rex started his crafting business shortly after graduating South Tama
High School in 1983. He dove into it, attending numerous shows throughout
the Midwest, where market representatives started feeding him orders.
Soon, the orders were pouring in and his business was growing rapidly.
Naturally, he was excited and enjoyed the compliments that flowed in with
the orders, but Rex made a decision to scale back. He did not want to
grow into a large company fearing that he would become a mere administrator
and lose sight of the creativity that fueled his work. He is happy with
his decision to stay with the creative side of things, and his customers
have been happy, too. Quality is never an issue since Rex completes each
piece of the Rex Nekola Collection by himself.
Best Wishes,
REX |
