Antique Restoration is Both an Art and a Science

Antique furniture refers to those interior furnishingsinvolves the process of removing the disfiguring dirt,
that are of significant age. Generally, these furnishingsgrime, stain, or any other foreign materials that the
function as human support fixtures such as beds,furniture acquired through the years. However,
tables, and chairs; or storage equipment such ascareful consideration to maintain the "old" appearance
cabinets, drawers, shelves, and the like.of the furniture should be made. This type of antique
Apart from playing functional roles in the dailyrestoration is usually applicable for paintings, jars,
existence of men, antique furniture also function aspots, goblets, and other small furniture.
decorations and designs in one's home. Antiques canOn the other hand, there are some cases when the
also be in the form of religious or cultural symbols.antique furniture is valued only when they seem
Basically, antique furniture can be made from varioususeful or functional. This is usually the case of antique
materials such as wood, metal, glass, or plastic. Thecabinets, chairs, tables, drawers and other storage
value and price of an antique is basically based on itsfurniture. As such, light cleaning will no longer be
age, condition, and its peculiarity or uncommonness.sufficient. Refinishing, stripping, and repairing should
In the quest to preserve the value and price of suchalso be made. Such processes may entail the
precious tools, people have tried various processesreplacement of some parts of the antique furniture.
to "restore" antique furniture. Such art and sciencePolishing and repainting can also be considered.
that was developed, is referred to as AntiqueHowever, regardless of the process that will be
Restoration.applied, it is important to note that the value of the
Factors to Be Considered In Antique Restorationantique should be retained or increased after the
The main purpose of antique restoration is torestoration process.
maintain the value and worth of the piece. As such,Another form of antique restoration is conservation.
the usual main basis for the antique's worth is its ageUnlike other restoration processes that aim to retain
or its functionality. In restoring antique furniture, it isthe object's functionality or appealing form,
often necessary to first examine whether the age orconservation is mainly concerned with the
the functionality of the item should be emphasized orpreservation of the remaining material. Note that in
prioritized.such cases, the value and worth of the antique solely
Note that there are some antique furniture collectorsdepend on the fact that it is old.
who value the "patina" of the item. As such, theyBasically, conservation is highly applicable for an
make it a point to examine if the appearance of theantique furniture piece that is only displayed. In the
item still reflects its age and aesthetic value. In suchconservation process, the task of the antique
cases where the age of the furniture should berestorer is to not to make the object seem new.
reflected by its appearance, light cleaning should beInstead, he needs to stop or slow down the
made.deterioration process of the antique material.
Light cleaning refers to the form of restoration that