Restoration

Antique Restoration & Conservation

Work on older and inherited pieces that weighs what should be repaired against what should be left alone — because on an antique, the wrong intervention costs more than the damage.

Photos coming soon

In short Antique restoration covers repair and refinishing of older furniture where the piece's original material and history carry value of their own. The central judgment is how much to intervene: an original surface, old hardware, and honest wear often contribute more to a piece than a flawless new finish would, and stripping them is not reversible. Our approach is to stabilize what is failing, conserve what is sound, and be explicit about which choices can be undone later and which cannot.

A good fit for

Inherited and family pieces where the history matters as much as the appearance
Older furniture with structural problems that need stabilizing
Pieces with original hardware, surfaces, or maker's marks worth preserving
Furniture being documented, insured, or prepared for sale

Not the right fit

Museum-grade conservation of accessioned collection objects, which belongs with an accredited conservator
Formal appraisal for insurance or estate purposes — we document opinions of value, and certified appraisals route to a credentialed appraiser

Older furniture asks a question that newer furniture does not: how much should be done at all. A dining table from last decade wants to look new again. A piece that has been in a family for four generations may be worth more, in every sense, with its wear intact.

Intervention has a cost

Every restoration choice sits somewhere on a line between conserving and renewing, and the two pull against each other. An original surface carries evidence of a piece’s age and history that cannot be recreated once it is removed. A failing joint, on the other hand, will keep getting worse and will eventually damage the surrounding wood. Stabilizing the failure while conserving the surface is usually the right balance, and it is more work than either extreme.

Reversibility as the default

Where we have a choice between two methods of comparable quality, we take the one a future restorer can undo. That means hide glue where hide glue was used, mechanical fixes over adhesive ones where the piece allows it, and no permanent alteration to sound original material. The goal is for the next person who works on the piece to have every option we had.

What we say plainly

We tell you which of our recommendations are cosmetic and which are structural, and which choices can be reversed later. We do not present a documented opinion of value as an appraisal, and we do not claim affiliation with any conservation or appraisal body. Where a piece genuinely belongs with an accredited conservator or a credentialed appraiser, we say so.

Step 1

Look before touching

The piece is examined for original surface, old repairs, hardware, and any maker's marks or labels before any work is proposed.

Step 2

Separate structure from surface

Structural problems are identified apart from cosmetic ones, because the two carry very different arguments for intervening.

Step 3

Agree what stays

We set out what we recommend conserving and what we recommend repairing, including which choices are reversible, and you decide.

Step 4

Stabilize

Failing joints, lifting veneer, and active damage are addressed first, using methods that a future restorer can undo.

Step 5

Finish only as agreed

Surface work is limited to what was agreed — which on many pieces means cleaning and reviving the existing finish rather than replacing it.

Common questions

Will refinishing my antique destroy its value?

It can. On a piece whose value rests substantially on an original surface, stripping it is the single most damaging thing that can be done, and it cannot be undone. On many other pieces — particularly ones already refinished at some point, or where the finish has failed outright — refinishing costs nothing in value and makes the piece usable again. Which case yours is depends on the piece, and it is the first thing we look at.

Can you tell me what my piece is worth?

We can document a comp-backed opinion of value, naming the kind of value and giving a range, and we disclose that we are an interested party. That is not a certified appraisal. If you need one for insurance or an estate, we'll refer you to a credentialed appraiser.

What if the piece has old repairs from a previous restorer?

Old repairs are part of the object's history and are not automatically undone. If a previous repair is failing or is actively damaging the piece, we'll say so and propose a fix. If it is sound but visible, leaving it is often the better answer, and that's your call to make.

Do you keep the original hardware?

Wherever it survives, yes. Original hardware is cleaned and refitted rather than replaced. Where a piece is missing hardware, we'll source the closest sympathetic match and tell you plainly which pieces are original and which are not.

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