Old pieces should still look old when they leave us. We restore stock for dealers, galleries, auction houses and estate buyers, and we stop before the work starts costing you money.
Over-restoredStripped back and sprayed even. It photographs fine and sells for less.Restored with its ageStable, cleaned and nourished, with the darker wear left where hands rested.
The argument
Too Much Restoration Costs More Than Wear
Buyers of old furniture are paying for age. Antique furniture restoration Chicago dealers can rely on treats that age as stock, not as a fault, and protects it first.
Where the value sits
Four Things We Guard on Every Piece
PatinaDecades of handling, darkest on the arms and the front rail.Original nailsLifted, cleaned and tapped back into the same holes.ButtoningTufts and folds left in the pattern the maker set.The frameCovered while we work on the leather, and mended where it needs it.
Method
Six Steps, Always in This Order
Often the job ends early: a good clean can be the whole restoration.
01
Identify the hide
Is it aniline, coated, or a later re-cover?
02
Test it
A swab tells us about red rot before any liquid touches it.
03
Clean, then judge
Grime goes first, and much of what looked like damage leaves with it.
04
Consolidate
Splits supported from underneath, missing areas built back.
05
Color by hand
Sheer layers blended into the old color next to them.
06
Feed and finish
Nourished slowly, then finished to a sheen that suits its era.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfter
