Jim Gozzo has restored 3 pieces for us. The first two were several years ago. We had a rocking chair that belonged to my mother as a young girl. It was in terrible shape. Honestly -- pretty much ready for the trash. Jim restored it -- it is absolutely beautiful -- and we love it! At the same time Jim also repaired a glass curio that my grandfather made for my grandmother 70+ years ago. It had become very unstable and virtually unusable as a curio. It is once again a beautiful -- usable -- curio.
Last July we brought a Spool Cabinet to JIm. It belonged to my mother in law and we acquired it when she moved to assisted living. That piece too was in terrible shape. It had originally belonged to my husband's grandmother. Jim was excited to work on it and did research to determine exactly how it should look. We were SHOCKED when we picked it up. Jim did a magnificent job. Neither my husband nor I ever imagined that it could look like it does now. It will be very well cared for in the future and hopefully passed down through many generations.
The restoration of family heirlooms is often a daunting endeavor and I recommend Jim Gozzo without one second's hesitation. He takes the time to do the work correctly and is meticulous in every way. He is the best of the best at what he does!
Your refinishing work has always proven to be well done and more than satisfactory, but, your latest efforts on my behalf are better than excellent. Each time I see and use the restored dining room set that my grandparents had received as a wedding gift, I am increasingly impressed with the quality of your work.
This set was originally made by a master furniture maker (Kling of New York City) at the turn-of-the-century and contains not only his signature but also the label of the shop in Connecticut to which it had been shipped for delivery to them. Therefore, it holds not only sentimental attachment for me but also other value of some apparent significance.
The effort and time demanded to remedy all the abuse that this table, chairs, and serving board had received over the years simply reinforce my appreciation of your skills. I can recall that it had gone from very dark mahogany to being painted in the black Chinese motif, once so popular, to the once, reddish stained finish and know that all this created a very real challenge for you.
As you know, I was and continue to be pleasantly surprised and truly amazed at your restoration of this set. It is a pleasure to see the once beautiful wood graining with striping and color again. You have surpassed all my expectations and hopes; in addition, other family members who have since seen it have expressed similar views. Your skills are those of a true professional artisan and deserve only the highest accolades. Thank you once again for taking the necessary pains to restore this unique set in a condition so nearly identical to the original.
Most sincerely, Marita M. - Southbury, CT
Dear Jim:
At this time, I wish to thank you for the amazing restoration you did on the bedroom dresser that was damaged in the June 1 tornado here in Springfield. The piece, as you may recall, was built by my late husband, a fine craftsman indeed. Because of that I thought long and hard about whom I might possibly solicit to repair it. We have a few “dip and strip” places in the area but I was leery…the piece was beautifully crafted and meant so much to me. He had built it for me so if someone ruined it I would have had a hard time forgiving. So I searched the Internet and found Gozzo which was close by in Simsbury. After viewing your website at gozzos.com I was convinced that you were, without a doubt, the best candidate for repairing my dresser; I am seldom wrong.
Between the time the furniture was evaluated and later delivered, I want you to know that I appreciate all the communications (written, phone, email) that took place. On the evaluation invoice the language of the description was so specific. You describe the extent of the damage and you also spoke of the quality of the craftsmanship mentioning the “hand cut dovetails, high quality materials and craftsmanship”. You further connected the damages—something the insurance company observed-- to the cause of the damage in your description by mentioning the specific damage that was the result of the tornado and subsequent rains:
“Item has been subjected to an extreme amount of water that came into the house as a result of a fallen tree during the recent tornado. Due to the exposure, the wood substrate and glue joints have swollen; finish has been stained and compromised, as well as, interior water staining. “
Not only was the restoration cost included but also the replacement cost —something my insurance company looked for—and later that amount was useful for my tax return.
You came out early in June to evaluate the damages but you were not hasty in repairing the piece; you told me over the phone several times that the piece was not ready and there were a few more things that needed attention. So I knew then that I was not getting the dresser back until it had met the GGS —the “Gozzo Gold Standard”. Then when the piece was in fact ready, my house had not been completely repaired so I had to ask you to hold it for a while. That also was not a problem; you had it in your workshop, there was no problem storing it until my house repairs were completed.
Thanks for everything, Jim; I thoroughly enjoyed doing business with you.
Best Regards,
Susan S. - Springfield, MA
Dear Jim:
I walk around my home and I see you in almost every room. You did
my wife’s childhood desk, a shoeshine stand, the credenza, and
recently my grandmother’s chest and much more. I just want you to
know how much pleasure you give me when I look at these beautiful
pieces.
Yes, I have paid for your work but I hope you realize that the
happiness and enjoyment goes far beyond the financial side. You
have created and preserved pieces that I will happily hand to my
children and grandchildren.
You are a talented artist and I appreciate the beauty of your craft.
