A Must-See Antique Pool Table Restoration by Boston Billiard Emporium

Talk about going the extra mile…. When billiards aficionado Paul Lohnes was in the market for Brunswick’s ‘Monarch’ pool table—arguably the most coveted antique pool table created by the leading billiard authority—he brought friend and owner Stephen 凯利 of Boston Billiard Emporium with him to California to scope out the find prior to purchase.

君主, built back in 1865, are an investment piece—an antique treasured by presidents, industry moguls, movie stars and sports heroes—and Lohnes trusted 凯利’s discerning eye and expertise. 凯利, who has owned Boston Billiard Emporium since 1975, has become known not only for his love of antiques but for the way he painstakingly restores period pool tables. 凯利 returns antique pool tables to the glory and luster of “The Golden Age of Billiards,” from the 1850s into the Great Depression, and sells both new and used billiard tables as well.

年后, 当Lohnes, who has an appreciation for “the sociable game of billiards,” had an opportunity to purchase a Brunswick ‘Brilliant Novelty’ (the second most sought-after billiard table by the brand, 说Lohnes), he agained turned to 凯利. Lohnes had viewed the pool table in pictures, but wanted to see it firsthand in Vermont with the expert. “As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was,” says Lohnes, his admiration clear. The table would need restoration, but 凯利 was more than up to the challenge.

Photo by Roger Pelissier

两次. Just after its purchase, 凯利 returned the 1880s pool table to its original Victorian grandeur, 巧妙地 bringing out the finish of the mahogany, its details and exotic woods inlaid in the table, including Brazilian rosewood, an endangered species. But before the table could take its rightful place on the top floor of Lohnes’ glorious Shingle Style home on the ocean in Gloucester, there was a fire to the garage and carriage house where it was being stored.

凯利 again worked his magic. “It was a major project,他说, and a complete restoration to the woodwork, cloth and cushions to rid the table of extensive water and smoke damage. It would have been easier to replace the table’s many intricacies over a restoration, 他解释说, but Lohnes wanted to keep the original. 凯利 went in and stripped it all down with a knife and a syringe, painstakingly salvaging and refurbishing every detail until the damage was undone. Today, the table gleams in a family lounge and gaming space overlooking the sea.

Though the work on the Brunswick speaks for itself, Lohnes can’t say enough about 凯利’s skills. “I have recommended him to at least 20 to 30 people,” says Lohnes. “凯利 is a genius and a supreme craftsman.” 

Photos by Warren Patterson except where noted.