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JohnP writes:
There is always debate on this issue.
There is a difference between restoration and refinishing that
I believe is often confused as interchangeable words or processes.
They are not!
Restoring an antique adds value, refinishing devalues
(if it was original that is).
Here are some pictures of a sweet little job we just completed.
I say sweet because of what it is and how it turned out. There
is a lot of pride and joy when something like this can be saved.
The client told us it was in his family for years and used to belong
to his great grandfather who was president of Borden back in the
1800's and this chair was in his office. He said he had a painting
somewhere that depicted his great grandfather and the chair.
We used hide glue for some structural repairs, tightened a few
screws, and did a general cleaning. We used oil stain to mask
the raw wood that had been banged up in a few spots over the
past 150+ years of its life. We did not remove any color or add
any toners. Just a dab of oil to mask the raw wood. The shellac
was padded on in some places and sprayed elsewhere.
After the wood work we did the reupholstery.
The springs he brought in were not original in the chair and did not fit.
We cut and reshaped them to fit as close as we could estimate
to the original. We removed the leather covered tacks and saved them.
The entire original back of leather front (decayed), some type of
dyed canvas back, burlap, straw, horse/hog hair was saved.
The original back was installed over which we added webbing and
supports plus new cotton padding. We used the springs in the
seat, there was nothing left of the original, and built the seat up.
We then covered the seat and backs in USED leather we salvaged
off of another job some time ago. This way it LOOKED old but
would hold up for generations. The other option would be to buy
"distressed" leather hides. When this was all done we used the
original leather tacks again. There were not enough saved to do
the entire chair so we did just the front and the seat. On the back
we used some salvaged antique brass tacks we kept from another
job a while back. (I like to keep certain things that might come in
handy someday :-)
It now looks like an antique should look like, an old, well used and
well cared for piece of furniture. To restore is to remove as little as
possible, stabilize, then protect what is left also adding as little as
possible and keeping what is added in the original scheme of things.
Everything that was original and still there is STILL THERE.
If this were to be some highly valued museum piece in the future,
some conservator somewhere can remove the upholstery and the
original is still there to be displayed. Why they would want to
do that is not for me to judge. But it is possible if desired.
Had we just chucked everything and stripped and refinished the piece
it would not have the value it does now as restored. The original stain
that is left is still there, the original shellac is still there, the patina is
a true patina not faked, and the only thing added was a coat of shellac
to protect what is there and new leather covering what is there.
On key items that are, or have the potential to be, valuable antiques
I believe they should be restored, originality preserved, as little as
possible taken away and as little as possible added. I even take it
to the level to try and utilize materials, methods, and products of
the era whenever possible. Once using certified antique wood to
fabricate broken and missing components on an antique.
These old furnishings are a part of our history/history and I feel they
add to our cultural heritage. I have turned down work because a
potential client wanted to refinish a perfectly good or restorable
100% original in much better condition than this particular chair.
I won't destroy it and advise them against it. If they want to restore
it I will gladly take on the project. If they want it painted or whatever,
I politely decline and share my beliefs. I lose a job a year over it.
No big deal. Besides, restoration takes longer, gives greater
sense of accomplishment, and pays better.
Thanks for your time to review the above.
John Polgar
Clearwater, FL