ABOUT
A B O U T
Hello, I’m Jonathan Vogtner, creator and owner of Vintage Furniture Works. Vintage Furniture Works is mostly a one man shop along with the help and support of some dear friends and my amazing children. My passion is working with my hands in order to restore and bring to life furniture and other items that we use in our living spaces that ultimately enhance our lives. I feel these items bring beauty, value, and function into our experience.
In my life I have had many sources of inspiration and experiences that have culminated in this effort. As a young boy I watched my father build things out of wood. I also saw my grandmother create and craft home décor items to fit her personal style. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama and I attended college there as well. While at Spring Hill College, the oldest educational institution in Alabama (est. 1830), I developed an interest in historical artifacts and collectibles while curating the antique objects and relics associated with the college dating as far back as the late 1700’s.
My own family history in Mobile dates back to the late 1800’s. Around the 1940’s my great grandfather owned a furniture repair and refinishing shop there. He restored furniture and pianos as well as bank and store fixtures. In addition to inspiration and experiences there apparently was a gene influence as well!
After school I relocated to Tampa, Florida where I spent a short time managing the furniture warehouse for an antique shop. The next 5 years were spent at another antique shop repairing and refinishing hundreds of furniture pieces imported from the UK. Completely immersed in furniture I became interested in furniture design and construction. I taught myself woodworking with the help of books and a local high school wood shop open to the public in the evenings.
Eventually I shifted from refinishing antiques to building new pieces as a woodworker and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. During my time as a woodworker I had the opportunity to help create furniture and fixtures for clients such as Macy’s, Disney, Mayors Jewelers, the Florida International Museum, and the Lowry Park Zoo. Raising a family required some career changes so I became involved in the world of technology and finance.
Fast forward about 17 years to present time…
In late 2018, I decided to revisit my love of furniture and the restoration process. In a short amount of time I had refinished enough pieces that my house began to look a bit like a furniture gallery! I had often entertained the idea of having my own shop to sell and refinish furniture, so I opened up a storefront on Etsy. Vintage Furniture Works was born!
It was launched in April 2019 and is still growing and evolving. I appreciate you being a part of it. Your reading this personal story and visiting this site is helping to further grow and evolve this project. Thank you!
If not working on furniture, you are likely to find me enjoying one of the many local beaches in St. Pete, hiking a nature trail, appreciating a well-made latte, or practicing Salsa or Spanish.