When Hartford House opened in 1988, owner Sarah Smith did all of the furniture finishing on her own; however, as the business grew, it became necessary for Sarah to hire others to do the staining and painting while she concentrated on the day-to-day operations of Hartford House. Of course, Sarah always finished a few pieces each year, mostly when the finishers were on vacation or during “rush” times.

Something changed in summer 2006 though—Sarah got the “finishing fever” again and couldn’t stay out of the workshop. She began experimenting with paints and crackles, usually working after everyone else had gone home. Many times that summer, the employees would arrive at work in the mornings to find Sarah’s works of art waiting to be placed on the showroom floor.

Sarah’s creations soon became known as “SES Originals”—SES being Sarah’s initials and “Originals” since no two finishes are ever alike. All pieces are hand finished in a varied palette of colors and crackles by Sarah herself, and hand signed and dated. For the final, perfect touch, Sarah searches for “just the right” antique reproduction knobs, pulls and hinges for each of her pieces. The result: a true work of art and love at first sight for Hartford House customers!

This engraved maker’s mark is found on each Hartford House SES Original furniture piece.