HOW FAR DO YOU WANT TO GO ?

This is a question I ask frequently when someone's beloved piece of furniture is presented to me for restoration. The same question applies to a Museum piece, which is usually just for display rather than everyday use. Most pieces of antique furniture are used daily and endure the abuse of modern central heating which dries out the glues and raises the veneers, also they suffer the indignities of heat marks and ring marks from glasses, etc. Do you try and remove these marks without repolishing or do you repolish the surface completely ? Many people think that you have to keep the original patina. This is usually a build up of old waxes and dirt. Other people prefer a piece to be pristine without any blemishes at all. The same dilemma occurs with brass mouldings and handles. Whether to clean or not to clean - that is the question? In most cases the piece is restored trying to keep it as original as possible and replacing the minimum . In some instances you will have to replace badly broken legs, tack rails (under the upholstery which is usually a softer wood and affected by worm) and worn out sections, i.e. drawer runners. There are many ways for people to look after their furniture themselves and stop the wear and tear - basically care. Make sure you use mats and coasters under glasses and vases. You may think it is dry, but condensation forms from ice and cold water. Also use humidifiers in very dry environments. With Museum pieces you restore as little as possible as they do not get the wear and tear of modern life. If a leg is broken you can often glue it back together without replacing it because it will not have the load of someone sitting on it, the same applies for upholstery and original fabrics. I try not to repolish Museum furniture as a few stains, digs, scratches, etc. adds to its character, but if a piece is really badly damaged, it may have to be repolished, antiqued and distressed afterwards. I have been restoring furniture for over 30 years and my partner handles the upholstery side of the business. Every job brings a new challenge which I enjoy. I have worked in a variety of important houses and it is nice to have clients who are keen on collecting the original furniture for their houses and maintaining it.. Jeremy Czerkas

PRESSED INTO SERVICE

A few months ago when I was visiting my sister in law, I received a call on my mobile telephone.

After I had finished my conversation, I turned round to see my sister in law in fits of laughter and disbelief. The conversation I had had on the telephone went roughly like this:

Hullo Jeremy this is the housekeeper of ****Mansions, our Mrs. *** is in great distress and hysterics. She is having a dinner party tonight and asked the helper to lay the table. The helper said the tablecloth was quite creased, so she was told to iron it. Anyone with any sense would have got out the ironing board and ironed it. But, No ! Ironing a tablecloth on a highly polished dining table surface is not to be recommended. Believe it or not this is what happened.

After the tablecloth was peeled off the table, I received this frantic call. I explained the rest of the conversation to my sister in law, which she still found incredible and then, I made my way into town to inspect the tragedy. When I got there the lady of the house was in tears. I was shown the table that had a very interesting patterned polishwork top. I explained to her that I could not get the marks out and that the top would have to be completely stripped and repolished. Not something that could be done at the drop of a hat! Then I was told the table had three more leaves and they had also been burnt. I never saw the tablecloth, but I imagine it was beyond repair.
About a week later, I went back and collected the table and restored it to its original beauty.

The moral of this story is do not presume on anyone's common sense, but if it does happen to you, it can be rectified.

Jeremy Czerkas