Should I Restore My Antique Furniture?
Do you have antique furniture you’re debating restoring? Whether it’s a family heirloom that’s been in your family for generations, a piece you bought at a garage sale, or something you found on the side of the road, how do you know whether it’s an antique furniture piece that’s worth restoring?
Refinishing valuable American masterpieces can diminish the value, or painting over or removing hand-painted techniques can reduce the integrity of an antique. However, in general, cleaning and restoring old furniture can add value and help bring it back to life.
Just ensure that it’s not a piece by an American master craftsman such as Gustav Stickley, Thomas Chippendale, or William Camp. A professional antique furniture restoration company can help you verify whether to start the refinishing process or keep the piece as is—and they’ll work with you to expertly restore it to your specifications.
Know the Timeline
Restoring antique furniture can take quite a bit of time. Whether you decide to tackle the project yourself or leave it to the professionals, between sanding, repair, refinishing, new fixtures, and paint, it can take several weeks to a month, between requiring dozens of man-hours to waiting in between steps for things to dry or cure.
Patience is a required skill for restoring antique furniture, especially if there’s rust involved, which can take days to remove alone. Know before beginning the antique furniture restoration process the time involved, but the reward is worth it.
Make a Budget
Once again, whether you decide to go DIY or trust a professional company, you need a budget. With economies of scale and experience, a specialized studio can reduce your costs and the time spent on an antique furniture restoration project. Doing it DIY may result in spending more on materials and requiring more time than experts would otherwise need.
Regardless, set a budget that you can stick to for your antique piece. If your antique furniture is too expensive to restore right now, save it for later or think about additional options for refinishing that may be less costly.
Decide on a Final Look
A professional design studio can help walk you through what the final product will look like, with multiple finish option samples, paints, and new fixtures. For the DIY route, ensure you read up on the processes and view similar items on Pinterest and design blogs. Getting an idea of what you want the final piece to look like is an essential part of the process.
Ready to begin? If you’re looking for an experienced partner to help you restore your antique furniture, get in touch with the Aaron’s Touch Up team today and we’ll help transform your treasures.