Imagine: Your mother gives you a piece of furniture that she got from her great grandmother, but either it doesn’t match your home décor or you don’t have room for it. You consider putting it on the curb at your next yard sale, but you’re afraid that your ancestors will roll over in their grave. Before dumping it for extra cash, it may interest you to know that restoring antiques can be fun, and help you discover tremendous value among your junk.
In this blog, we will discuss why you should prolong the life of your antique furniture. We also consider how to go about preserving its value, from deciding whether or not to undergo DIY repairs to investing in professional restoration. When it comes to restoring antique furniture, sometimes the ‘less is more’ rule is important, and sometimes pieces can use a complete refinish. We are here to help you know how to tell the difference.
Identify The Value of Your Antiques
Before you attempt any repairs or restorations, first you will want to identify if your item is a rarity or just an old, common piece of furniture. Don’t make the mistake of sanding and re-painting a piece before you take the time to inspect it. Look at the overall quality of the wood or upholstery and the craftsmanship. Look for a signature or manufacturer’s mark, which will enable you to determine how valuable the item is. Locate your item in an antique price guide (here: http://www.kovels.com/). If it is extremely valuable, leave it alone and consult a restoration professional. If you need a recommendation for a professional, call your local museum curator – they will most likely be able to point you in the right direction.
How to Save the Artist’s Signature or Manufacturer’s Mark
The artist’s signature or manufacturer’s mark stamped on a piece of furniture makes it worth more than the same piece with no signature. Look for these marks of craftsmanship on the bottom or back of the piece to indicate the origin. Oftentimes the mark is so small or faded that it may require a flashlight and magnifying glass to pinpoint, but these identifying signs will assist you with research about its source and value. Decades of wear and tear on any piece of furniture can cause signatures to fade. However, a restorer can buff and refine these essential markings, which can contribute to the overall value down the road. Saving the original autographs and marks help tell the story of the piece and appropriately esteem the artist’s work, which should never be forgotten.
Preserve the Condition
If you located your item in an antique price guide, your piece of furniture should be in comparable condition in order for the price to apply. Chips, cracks, excessive wear and tear, stains or missing parts can prevent your antique from being in “like new” condition, which diminishes the value. Restoring your piece can help preserve the condition and maintain your antique’s valuable distinction for future generations. If it is valuable, restoring a piece to its original state is always preferred over changing or patching it. Investing in professionals for more complicated restoration projects will help you preserve its value.
Professional Restoration vs. DIY Repairs
Whether your antique furniture holds sentimental value or value in the marketplace, proper restoration will prolong its life. In most cases, amateur repairs negatively affect the value of antique furniture. Haphazard repairs oftentimes remove the antique value-added “patina” of a piece of furniture, which refers to the natural darkening and aging of the original finish. Most diehard collectors value a little bit of wear and dirt that builds up over time. Minor repairs may not affect the value of a piece at all, but if your antique needs major repairs to make it functional, a restoration professional may be worth the time and money. Unless your piece simply needs a good cleaning and minor repairs, restoration professionals know to choose the least invasive methods for making a piece of furniture usable in your home while respecting the integrity of the antique.
Proper Storage To Prolong Your Antique
Once your furniture is repaired to the point of being restored, you will want to store it properly to prolong its life even further. Take care to display your antique piece out of the direct sunlight to avoid damage. Avoid unusually damp rooms like the garage or basement, and overly hot temperatures like those in an attic or sunroom.
Preserving antique furniture is like saving the rich history and beautiful treasure of our past. Hard-to-find pieces are well worth restoring to hold their value. Once you know the value of your piece, you can use your best judgement to decide which restoration measures to take. Most importantly, if you are unsure, seek the advice of a professional before you make the mistake of mistreating an item that could bring you great enjoyment and/or cash in the future.
