Restoration is hand work, and hand work takes time. For some pieces that time is plainly worth it. For others, a new piece would serve you better. Most of the conversations we have after someone sends photographs are about which side of that line a piece sits on.
What does the piece mean to you?
This comes first because it outweighs everything else. A chair that belonged to a grandparent cannot be replaced at any price, so the usual sums do not apply. If a piece matters to your family, it is worth restoring as long as it can be made sound.
Is the structure sound underneath?
Damage to the finish, loose joints and broken parts are all repairable. What is harder is timber that has been badly weakened by insects or rot, or a piece that has been rebuilt so many times that little original material remains. We look closely at photographs of the underside and the joints before we say yes.
Is there something original worth keeping?
Old finish, original hardware and makers’ marks all add to a piece. If they have survived, restoration can protect them. If a piece has already been stripped, sprayed and refitted with new hardware, there may be less to save, though it can still be a good, useful piece of furniture.
Will it be used, or kept?
A dining chair that will be sat on every day needs a different standard of repair from a cabinet that will stand in a hallway. Tell us how the piece will live and we will recommend the right level of work, rather than the most work.
The simplest way to find out
Send three or four photographs: the whole piece, the damage, and the underside or back. We will tell you what we recommend and what it involves, and you can decide from there.
