Maintaining And Restoring Antique Furniture The Right Way

By Author: John Cory
Total Articles: 654
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Whether it is appreciating a specific piece from afar, or spending days searching for the perfect cupboard, antique furniture is the focal point of numerous hobbies. A kinesthetic predisposition in conjunction with a fascination with old world style has led many collectors to focus their energy on not just ownership, but also into the realm of restoration. It is important to note that without a certain baseline awareness, restoration is not only difficult, but often expensive and disappointing.

Many a novice collector of antique furniture has had to discover the hard way that not every dusty old piece of junk that they find qualifies as a bona fide collectible. Costly old things are considered antiques, while cheap or generally worthless old things are fundamentally no more than paperweights or garbage. Unfortunately, most people are not very good at evaluating an item when it comes to age, often misunderstanding certain signs of poor maintenance or structural upkeep with a part of the natural aging process.

Whether something is actually a legitimate piece of antique furniture is an important question when ...
... looking at a personal restoration project because honestly, even damaged or worn antiques of any type are worth significantly more in their "natural" state. All of the dirt and worn out finish on the surface of an object is a true sign of aging, and something that is in fact highly prized in the world of collectables. Even though very few individuals will get the chance to work on a true antique, almost everyone can find something that belonged to their grandparents that they want to restore, for the emotional appeal alone if nothing else.

Any successful formula for restoring a piece of furniture has to be based on the individual characteristics of the item in question. One of the biggest mistakes that most people make is believing that they have to completely redo the original finish of antique furniture, when really, a classic look is best. Any foreign debris or material that cannot be taken off of the top layer of the item with a minimal amount of effort is actually a part of the finish, and should be left. Removal of unwanted accumulation can be done best with a solution that is not overly harsh and a toothbrush or other delicate cleaning tool.

Just like when it comes to protecting finish, the original materials used to make antique furniture, even those that may not be functioning completely or contain all of the pieces are worth more to collectors than high quality replacement parts. Occasionally the extent of the damage is so severe that the item cannot function without a new leg, handle or runner; in any event, as much of the original material should be salvaged as possible. Lost grips and knobs can often be found by searching though second-hand stores; in this case, the journey is as enjoyable as the reaching the destination.
Additional aspects can be found on antique furniture or maybe through reproduction furniture. Heartfelt appreciation to Dennis Q. Morales for his unending support for the success of the subject.