Background

The Rosebud Co. was started in 1973 in one of Atlanta, Georgia's oldest inner city neighborhoods, Inman Park. From the very first, we sought to work directly with homeowners in helping them restore and renovate their 1890's vintage homes. Like many urban inner city neighborhoods in large cities, the work in Inman Park was far more challenging than most residential properties or new construction. Aged yellow pine and intricate parquet patterns of vintage oak, walnut and mahogany were buried under multiple layers of old finishes, paint, linoleum and just plain dirt and grime. The grand old homes had been hacked up into boarding houses, slums and in general, fallen into various states of disrepair and dilapidation. A growing army of dedicated homeowners simply refused to cave into the conditions and neglect of the city and set out to recapture the faded glory of the old neighborhood. It is also important to understand that the early 1970's probably represented the lowest point in the decline in interest in wood floors. This once thriving building trade had experienced one of the most severe depressions ever experienced by any trade due to the popularity of wall to wall carpeting. In this setting, The Rosebud Co. hung out its shingle and began cutting its teeth in a very difficult and demanding market.

Fortunately, with the renewal of inner city neighborhoods and the realization that wall to wall carpet was generally a wall to wall failure, interest in our services continually increased. And our interest in wood floors in older homes also increased. By the early 1980's, The Rosebud Co. began to seriously study the means, methods and materials used in originally finishing wood floors in historic properties. This interest eventually led to trips to a variety of museums to study and collect information and data. The Winterthur Museum of Wilmington, Delaware, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, PA and The Victoria & Albert of London, England proved to be the primary sources of information. This information provided the resources for numerous papers and presentations for The Association of Preservation Technology, The National Park Service, The American Assoc. of State & Local Histories and a variety of other restoration and preservation groups and organizations.

In the late 1980's The Rosebud Co. began to explore other options to the conventional methods of restoring wood floors. The loss of wood from traditional sanding simply went against all the fundamentals of preservation and conservation work. Using a variety of techniques the process of Passive Refinishing evolved and gave history professionals and interested homeowners an option they had been looking for.

As we move into the next century, The Rosebud Co. has placed itself squarely in the forefront of providing the best options for restoring and extending the life and service of wood floors. We are also aware of our obligation to Atlanta homeowners in providing them with the same level of service they have had for almost thirty years. We never forget that of all the flooring materials that have ever been put under our feet, wood has proven itself to be the most versatile, economical and desirable. And our goal is simple - to make sure that never changes.