Antique Restoration Masters, LLC
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Antique Restoration:
Restoration can be as simple as light cleaning to remove disfiguring dirt or grime, such as on the surface of painting, or it may include near complete rebuilding , or replacement, as it may be tha case with old furniture. The main goal of "restoration" is to restore the original apperance or funcionality of a piece. There is a lot of difference between restoring and repairing. You may achieve functionality with a repair, but restoring item properly is an art-form. Finishes might/may be stripped and redone, but it is essential that the original patination is retained, if possible. Stripping is only done as a last resort, especially with antique furniture. Poor restoration is the bane of a trained restorer. Working on someone else's bad repair is the worst possible situation. Often with antique restoration, there are also other issues as well. For example, some collectors value "patina", or also want an item to still reflect an aesthetic that shows its age- in this respect, an "over restored" item can actually take away from its value than if nothing has been done to the item at all. Therefore, restoration should always be left to professionals who are sensitive to all of the issues- insuring that a piece retains or increases its value after restoration.
Antique Restoration Masters, LLC
"Old World quality for New World needs"
At Antique Restoration Masters LLC, we take care to provide our customers with the highest quality services personalized for their unique needs. We are available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8am - 3pm at our studio (appointment are highly recommended) and are happy to respond to your email inquires outside of the business hours as well. Our staff members are professional, courteous and efficient. Our estimates are free and priced competitively, and our work is of very high quality. You will not be disappointed - we will make it right for you!
Services/Definitions:
Antique Conservation:
Conservation typically aims to preserve the remaining material as being worthy or valuable on its own without necessarily being functional or looking new. There are several criteria for what work is necessary and how far to take any work performed. Chiefly, is the object ( painting, statue, furniture) actively deteriorating? Slowing or stopping deterioration and eliminating or mitigating the root cause is the first task of the conservator. To this end, conservators are usually trained in the science of materials and chemistry, as well as art history, archaeology, and other disciplines related to their areas of expertise.
French Polishing:
French polishing became prominent in the 18th century. In the Victorian era, French polishing was commonly used on mahogany and other expensive woods, and was considered to give the best possible finish to exclusive furniture. The process was very labour intensive, however, and many major manufacturers abandoned the technique around 1930, instead preferring the cheaper and quicker techniques of spray finishing nitrocellulose lacquer and abrasive buffing.
French polishing is a wood finishing technique that results in a very high gloss surface, with a deep colour and chatoyancy. It consists of applying many thin coats of shellac dissolved in alcohol using a rubbing pad. The finish is considered to be one of the most beautiful ways to finish highly figured wood, but it is also recognised to be sensitive to damage. It is softer than modern varnishes and is particularly sensitive to spills of water or alcohol, which often produce white cloudy marks. The process is lengthy and very repetitive. The finish is obtained through a specific combination of different rubbing motions (generally circles and figure-eights), waiting for considerable time, building up layers of polish and then spiriting off any streaks left in the surface.
Goldleafing:
Gold leaf has traditionally been most popular and most common in its use as gilding material for decoration of art (including statues and Eastern Christian icons) or the picture frames that are often used to hold or decorate paintings, mixed media, small objects and paper art. The term gold leafing covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold.
Fine Art Repair:
Refers to the process of bringing the artwork back to its original condition as the artist had intended, and to also help preserve the artwork for the future
High Gloss Lacquer Finish:
A piano-like finish achieved through meticulous preparation which is
the foundation of this type of finish. It requires multiple coats which
must be also fine sanded in between coats. The final coat is then buffed
to the perfection
Paintings Cleaning:
The main objective is to remove aged & discolored varnish,
as well as to remove dirt, grime and accretions
Picture Frame Repair:
Repair & restoration of antique and period gilded frames may include
any of the following: structural repairs to the frame system, joining &
reinforcing of damaged corners, replication and replacement
missing elements and ornaments,gesso restoration, regilding & antiquin as well as restoration and conservation of original gilded surface,
and possibly removal of incorrect finishes.
Hardware replacement (if needed or desired) may also be addressed.
Touch ups/ Spot Repairs:
The object is to repair the minor damage to the wood (such as
scratches or blemishes) and blend the finish to match
the surrounding area so that it is virtually undetectable.
Waxing/Polishing:
Used to improve the appearance of the furniture, repel water to
some degree and create low friction surface that resists scratches.
Both polish and wax assist in adding a slick protective film that helps
to protect the finish from abrasion.
Distressing/ Custom Color Matching:
Distressing refers to adding speckles and marks intended to
give an item the desired dented and distressed appearance
(antiqued look).
Custom Color Matching is the process of matching customers
sample as closely as possible.
On-site Repairs/ Touch ups:
Small repairs performed at customers residence or place of business
Furniture Repair:
Applies to all of the aspects of repairs needed to make a piece
of furniture functional and properly working again (such as
adjusting doors, drawers, replacing hardware, fixing unstable/wobbly elements, tightening and repairing of loose joints, adding felt pads, etc)
Furniture Refinishing: (involves stripping)
Used to either achieve a completely new look for a piece of furniture,
or when the original finish is beyond repair. The original finish is
entirely removed, then the exposed wood is sanded, stained and
new finish is applied.
Furniture Refurbishing (no stripping):
The objective is to clean and cosmetically improve the overall appearance of a piece. It includes coloring, filling up scratches
and chips, blending worn areas with new stain, revitalizing existing
finish with a fresh new clear coat if needed.
Services:
