By CATHERINE FRONDORF
When it comes to restoring antique furniture, one might find oneself in the predicament of, “What to do with it, exactly?” To answer this question, we must delve into the multifaceted and complex world of antique furniture. In fact, the word “restore” can have different meanings depending on who you’re talking to. In this article, we will explore two approaches to antique restoration, their differences and how you can make the best decision for your antique piece.
ROBERTA CANNON
A piece by Barrett M. Keating
“The reason we are so attracted to antiques is because antiques give us something you can’t buy; they represent the passage of time,” said Barrett M. Keating of Keating Conservators in North Falmouth. Mr. Keating, who has been a conservator for more than 30 years, said that the profession is “a third scientist, a third historian and a third skilled-craftsman.” There are many disciplines of conservation: photo, cloth, painting, paper, sculpture and furniture/wooden objects, the last two being Mr. Keating’s specialties. So, what does a conservator do exactly? “We do forensic science… it’s like CSI, but for art,” he said. Essentially, “in conservation, everything we do to a piece is reversible. We don’t do anything that disrupts the original finish, hardware, or materials, because that is very valuable to the piece historically, scientifically, and value-wise. Conserving an antique is usually very difficult and costly, but you’ll always end up with the valuable original materials.”
This approach is completely different from what is known as antique refinishing, which, according to Mr. Keating, is “when you take off original material or hardware from a piece, or add something that’s not reversible, that devalues the piece monetarily and historically.” You can find classic examples gone-wrong on “Antiques Roadshow,” where, had the antique owner not stripped and sanded their rare handcrafted chestnut boudoir from 1792, it would have been worth $100,000, now only to be worth a fraction of the original value. According to Keating, “stripping and refinishing takes about nine-tenths of the value away. If you have a piece that is worth $10,000 with its original finish and you strip it, it would be worth approximately $500 after.”
Pieces from antique refinisher Jim Zine
However, not all antiques have monetary value, and antique refinishing just might be the right choice for someone who is on a budget, has a time constraint or simply wants the piece to match the décor to the rest of their home. For those who want a piece to look “new and improved,” a refinisher “is in the business to take the finish off something as quick as humanly possible and get a finish on as quick as humanly possible,” Mr. Keating said. A “finish” meaning a coat of lacquer or varnish, or preferred chemical, to make it look fresh.
Jim Zine, owner of Cape Cod Furniture Restoration in Wareham, needs his furniture stripped and sanded as quickly as possible so that he can focus on the “finishing” aspect of refinishing. He laughed when asked, “How do you know when to refinish an antique versus when to restore it?” “It’s a tough and complicated subject. The best I can do is provide guidance, but the people in the furniture business pretty much dictate to me what they want to be done,” he said. From the perspective of Mr. Zine, by putting on a finish, you are not hurting the furniture; you are only protecting it for the future.
Pieces from antique refinisher Jim Zine
The focus of a conservator is completely different from the focus of a refinisher, as are the desires of the customers who seek them. Ultimately, in determining what is best for your antique piece, it comes down to preference, time and money. Mr. Zine said, “A lot of conservators, they would rather that you have a chair that’s valuable and left untouched…whereas I would rather you have a chair that is usable and nice because, after all, if you can’t enjoy the furniture that you have, then what is the point in having it?” Furthermore, if a customer is determined to paint their great-aunt Betty’s chair red, “Who am I to say what they want?” For Mr. Zine, his motivation is to provide his customers with refinished furniture that is both cost-effective and beautiful, customized in a way that is just to their liking and most importantly, that will make them happy regardless of its age.
Pieces from antique refinisher Jim Zine
Many people who come to Mr. Zine bring in their family heirlooms and pieces that are falling apart or broken and need to be fixed. They want to keep that canopy bed for sentimental reasons, not because they are looking to resell it or preserve the original finish for historical or monetary reasons. Occasionally, Zine will see a piece and refuse to touch it because he knows what it could be worth should they choose to conserve it.
So, how does one determine if their antique is valuable? It’s a tricky business and even Mr. Keating said, “it requires many years of training.” If you are unsure about your antique and serious about learning more, it’s best to take it to a conservator or antique appraiser. It is possible to beautify your antique without doing permanent damage, meaning that everything applied to the antique will be reversible.
When attempting to improve the life of your antique, it is important to consider environmental factors such as sunlight, heat, humidity and the pH levels in your cleaning products, all of which can have detrimental impacts on wood. To remove dirt, Mr. Keating recommends “one drop of dish detergent in a pint of tepid warm water, applied with a barely wet cotton ball while gently wiping away dirt, and rinsed with distilled water.” Additionally, “you’ll want your cleaning solutions to be between 5.5 and 8.5 pH, anything above or below that is basically stripping the finish off your antique,” he said. It’s important to keep your antique in a location where it will not develop mold, nor be baking in direct sunlight. The ideal climate for your furniture will have a temperature below 65 degrees and humidity levels below 65 percent. For people who are interested in either refinishing or conserving their furniture, Mr. Zine said, “YouTube is an invaluable resource.”
Looking through the eyes of both a conservator and a refinisher, it is clear that each approach to restoring your antique has its own benefits. There is no one right answer, and although a conservator might beg to differ, ultimately only you can determine what will make you most happy when restoring your antique piece. Without question, it is important to be informed before making a decision or making any permanent changes, but if your heart truly desires Granny’s chair to be blue, then so be it. If you have the time and resources to conserve your antique colonial caned chairs, are deeply fascinated by an old mystery sculpture you found at an estate sale, or want to go for gold on “Antiques Roadshow,” then take it to a conservator. What matters most is that you take pride and joy in using or looking at your antique piece, and that is something no one can take away from you.