What may seem like a quick project can more often than not quickly turn into a long-term chore. Taking your antique restoration project to Linder’s can help save you time and money while bringing your antique furniture back to life. The professional restoration experts at Linder’s are perfectionists in their process, specializing in Old World techniques to maintain the original craftsmanship and style of any piece of antique furniture.

1. Antique furniture is one of the best options available if you
want to carefully decorate a home. Antique furniture is
normally higher quality from modern furniture options.
Restoring antique home décor is a great way to create a
unique style in your home, but takes work and planning.

2. KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Whether you pluck your antique
furniture from a roadside curb or
are looking to give new life to
your grandmother’s old
furnishings that have been in
storage, here are a few tips to
keep in mind when looking to
restore your antiques.
A major element of selecting the right
antique furniture is knowing how much
space you have to work with. If you
discover a great piece of furniture, but it is
too large for your room, you need to avoid
it. Consider restoring the piece and selling
it through an antiques store or antique
fairs. The other concern is that the
furniture can be too small for the space
you need to decorate. Write down the
dimensions of the space to help you
understand where you are planning to add
some vintage furniture. Furniture in a
store can look larger or smaller than when
it is brought to your home. Never buy
furniture if you do not know the
dimensions of the space you can work
with.

3. PLAN FOR TIME AND BUDGET
Before beginning any work on an antique
restoration, consider having your piece
professional appraised if you feel it may
be worth any sort of value. Be sure to
document any markings or tags found to
help a professional better identify and
evaluate your furniture. Additionally
check the quality of the wood,
craftsmanship or any carvings within the
piece. Seeking a professional antique
appraisal can help you determine the
next steps for your antique home
furnishings.
When looking at a
possible antique restoration project, be
sure to consider the amount of time and
money it will take to restore your piece. It
is easy for any small, side project to
quickly become a time consuming, full
restoration chore. Gently used furniture
will make for the easiest antique
restoration projects, as the condition of
your antique will directly determine how
long the restoration process will last. A
gently used piece will go much more
smoothly than a piece that is old, worn
out and in need of much damage repair.
RESEARCH AND INSPECT

4. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE WORKING
WITH
Look for good wood beneath the layers of badly
applied paint, varnish or lightly damaged wood
with any piece of secondhand furniture.
Material, craftsmanship and the general
appearance of any piece of antique furniture is
more important than its present state when
considering restoration. The right bone
structure of furniture will allow you to
reupholster it correctly to give you durable
furniture. Plastic furniture or other cheap
materials are something that you need to
watch out for as it has a high chance of
cracking. Wood furniture is a great option that
allows you to restore the exterior to have
furniture that is sturdy and durable. Be certain
that your piece has quality workmanship and
materials before investing in any extensive
restoration services.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
RESTORING AND REFINISHING
Restoring and refinishing are terms that often
are misused. Restoring refers to return a piece
of antique furniture to its original condition and
style. Refinishing is completely replacing the
finishing of a piece with a newer finish. Anyone
familiar with the popular show “Antiques
Roadshow” can tell you that you may diminish
the value of your antique during the refinishing
process. Knowing the true value of your antique
will help you be able to determine what will
add or take away value from your antique.
Rather than a complete refinishing of the
wood, consider “deluxing” your piece. Using a
gentler approach and maintaining its original
finish with period specific stains may help you
add new life to an older piece while remaining
true to its original style.

5. BENEFITS OF
PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION
With small scale projects quickly turning into
long-term chores, you may consider taking
your antique restoration project to
a professional restoration service, helping you
save both time and money in the long run.
Many professional restoration services offer a
team of professionals that specialize in
knowing both the history and craftsmanship of
your antique home furnishings, ensuring that
your antiques will turn into classical and stylish
furnishings for any room in your home.
While some minor restoration can be finished
with the proper care and time, it is always wise
to take your antique restorations to a
professional to ensure quality. Whether you are
looking to restore antique furniture for
personal use throughout your home, or simply
looking to add some value before selling an
older piece of furniture, the specialized
antique restoration staff at Linder’s can help
you bring new life and value to an older piece
of furniture. For all your design solutions, stop
by the Linder’s showroom in Mckees Rocks, Pa
today or call at 412.771.2345 to arrange a
design consultation.
www.linderspgh.com