Furniture Repair and Restoration — The Conservation Center

Antique & Fine Furniture

The Antique and Fine Furniture Department ensures the functionality of furniture pieces while preserving their historical integrity. The conservators in this department aim to give each piece of furniture they treat the appearance that it has been well-maintained its entire life.

The furniture conservators in the Antique and Fine Furniture Department pair a vast knowledge of artisanal methods with modern conservation techniques. Our conservators aim to preserve the historical and artistic integrity of both period and contemporary pieces of furniture.

The Center’s Antique and Fine Furniture conservators undertake various projects ranging from stabilizing structures and surfaces to fabricating and restoring missing components. Each treatment is tailored to the individual object, placing special emphasis on structural stability, historical faithfulness in restoration, and aesthetic appeal in order to ensure the preservation of each furniture piece.

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Conservation Conversations: Steve Ryan, Furniture Conservator

FURNITURE treatment Gallery

Lincoln Courting Couch c. 1840s. Mahogany and Horsehair Upholstery. Age-related Damage.

read the story on the lincoln "courting couch"

LOUIS XVI TRANSITIONAL GILT-METAL MOUNTED MARBLE TOP MARQUETRY INLAID SYCAMORE, TULIPWOOD AND ROSEWOOD COMMODe. Bearing stamp for Pierre Roussel (1723–1782), Circa 1770. Age-Related Damage.

Early George II Kneehole Desk c. 1735. Cuban Mahogany. Impact Damage.

Clothes Press c. 1760. Mahogany. Age-related Damage.

Chevy Chase Monumental Sideboard c. 1863. Gerrard Robinson (1834-1891). Oak. Water Damage.

read the story on the chevy chase sideboard

Gateleg Table In a Mid-18th Century Style. Walnut Burl. Age-Related Damage.

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Meet the Conservators of our Furniture Department

Our Furniture Department: A Retrospective

Over the years, the Furniture Department of The Conservation Center has helped conserve many works of furniture, both from museums and private clients. So this month, as the weather chills and we all get cozy in our big comfortable chairs, we wanted to highlight them, their work, and what we think are some of their most interesting and challenging treatments.

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Stories related to antique and fine furniture conservation:

a looking glass to the past: preserving a window from oak park public library

The Conservation Center is proud to be part of a vast community of individuals and institutions dedicated to conserving the past. We recently had the opportunity to work with such an institution, the Oak Park Public Library, to help conserve a part of their history.

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Wax On, Wax Off: A Look Inside The Center's Antique and Fine Furniture Studio

Woodworking shops through the centuries—from ancient Egypt all the way until the Industrial Revolution, have been, for the most part, relatively unchanged. Despite variations in readily available materials or slight alterations in technique passed on from master to master, the art of furniture making and conservation essentially revolves around a number of basic, yet important hand tools.