As is always the case, thankfully(!), furniture restoration in Surrey is always in demand.  I suppose this is because there are so many beautiful properties in the area, many of which have a large selection of antiques and fine furniture.  Meanwhile, most Britons have a fondness for old items of furniture (whether wealthy or not) and implicitly appreciate their value.  Equally, there are few of us who have not inherited antiques that are either valuable in their own right or that lack real sentimental value.

Recently, we have been working on many different items, amongst which has been the oak table and gilt mirror shown here.

The oak table, when it was brought into our workshop was almost black!  It really was quite horrible and required considerable work to bring it back to its previous glory.  A good deal of careful cleaning was required and then we were able to polish it – so that now it positively glows.

Our furniture restoration in Surrey goes well beyond just large pieces of furniture.  In fact, we receive a bewildering array of items (both large and small) that need repair and restoration with the ornate gilt mirror pictured being an example of something that requires very particular skills.  This particular mirror had many missing pieces and these we had to make to exactly match (obviously) the rest of the frame.

However, our work was far from over when we had completed the tricky carvings and re-inserted them within the frame.  We then had to very carefully match the new carvings with the colour and patina of that existing elsewhere on the frame – so that any repair work would be, quite literally, impossible to notice.  This, of course, is of the first importance.  Clumsy repairs and restoration can badly devalue an item and look very ugly indeed!

Of course, if you have any items that you need restoring then do bring them into our workshop (although ring beforehand to make sure we are in).  I am sure that we will be able to transform what you have – so that it becomes as useful and beautiful as the day it was made…

Peter Snelling

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BURR WALNUST CARD TABLE – BEING HOT BLOCKED AS VENEERS ARE LIFTING

Recently a client brought into our workshop a gorgeous burr walnut card table, which has suffered badly over the years – not least from the lifting of its veneers.

Well, as you can imagine, this card table is not only a valuable piece but also one that is treasured by the family concerned as an heirloom.  Indeed, it has been in the family for many generations now and is in need of expert attention from someone (like us) used to professional restoration of antique furniture in the Guildford area.  It is certainly not a piece of furniture that would retain its value if any repair work was ‘bodged’ (as so often happens when amateurs attempt to restore antiques!).

In fact, professional restoration of antique furniture is required whenever a piece has inherent value.  This may seem obvious but we tend to receive a great many antiques that have been repaired badly or, at the very least, repaired without sympathy for the piece concerned. 

Of course, restoring or repairing an antique properly is not just about making it structurally sound.  It is about ensuring the original patina and colouring is correct and that the piece, as a whole, retains its authenticity.  If it loses that then, frankly, much of its worth will disappear.

BURR WALNUT CARD TABLE – VENEERS LIFTING AND BEING REPAIRED

 So – the essence of professional restoration of antique furniture in the Guildford area (or elsewhere!) not only needs technical skill but also a real ‘sense’ for how individual antiques should look (and feel).  This is something that takes years of practice to attain (unfortunately!).

In any event, at Snelling Associates in Shere (Surrey), we have several fine craftsmen who are superb at restoring antiques and who revel in complex and difficult restoration work.  So, if you have something special that needs really careful attention then do contact us and let us return your antique to its previous glory…

Peter Snelling  

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As always, the past few weeks have been hectic!  In fact, we have been exceptionally busy with furniture repair and restoration of antiques – given the extraordinary array of different items that have been brought into our workshop recently.

Of course, chairs are a constant problem for everyone – not least because they get so much use and once joints start to work loose then the whole chair tends to quickly become unstable.  Sometimes, before a chair can be repaired spindles or supports break and therefore require new ones to be turned to match that broken.  Meanwhile, of course, the covering and support for chairs can deteriorate and need replacing.  All of this we undertake, helped by our superb upholsterer.

Needless to say, our work consists (thankfully!) of doing a good deal more than the repair and restoration of chairs!

In fact, we will be very busy with some chests of drawers that you can see here.  These require significant attention – well beyond what you can see on the surface.

Indeed, one typical problem with chests of drawers is the wear that occurs on the runners of the drawers and on the areas where the sides of drawers meet the runners.  Once these parts become worn then drawers become problematic to open and close (and when closed end up at an odd angle).  So, one of the matters that we have to undertake, when furniture has drawers, is to replace worn runners and restore drawer sides where they have been worn down.  Once this has been accomplished drawers will ‘run’ as well as ever (and close properly), irrespective of the weight in them.  That can be blissful to anyone who has struggled with drawers for years!

I actually do not believe that many people have the slightest idea of the extent of the furniture repair and restoration of antiques we can tackle – which is why I have posted up this image of a grandfather clock case!

Now, you may think that the grandfather clock case is beyond repair?

Well, it is not and by the time we have finished with it the case will look almost as glorious as the day when it was finished years ago.  Of course, it will take a great deal of skilled work – but that is exactly what we are capable of and, to prove the point, I will put up some images of the restored clock case once it has been finished.  You will be amazed!!

My point, of course, is that all too often people throw away or discard in their attics antiques, objet d’art and furniture that could be repaired or restored to their past glory.  Apart from massively increasing their value you can end up with an item to treasure.

So, if you need furniture repair and restoration of antiques then do contact us.  You will be delighted by our personal service, the results of our work and the great value that we provide.

 Peter Snelling

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STUNNING TABLE – FULLY RESTORED

Over the past few weeks we have been busy with a wide variety of furniture repairs and restorations within our Surrey workshop.  This has included some very attractive pieces of furniture, which we have completely transformed!

LOVELY CHAIR – NOW SOLID AND USABLE!

Indeed, all the three examples shown here are a tribute to what can be done.  Certainly, we are pleased with the results achieved!

A DESK TRANSFORMED INTO AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY!

In fact, all three pieces required substantial work from making new turnings to finding and laying new veneers (to match those existing).  We then had to do some very careful colouring, in the case of the desk and table, followed by French polishing.

Peter Snelling

The post Examples of Snelling Associates’ repair and restoration of Surrey furniture appeared first on Antique Restoration Surrey.

NEWLY RESTORED PIANO STOOL – LOOKING GORGEOUS!

Recently, a client brought a piano stool into our workshops for repair.  At the time, the piano stool looked pretty awful, frankly, and needed a great deal of work, including French polishing and general restoration.

However, our client does not have a piano so, in a way, the piano stool had become somewhat redundant, despite being a rather nice piece of furniture.  So, the point was whether it was really worth going to the trouble of having the stool restored or not!

Well, after some thought, we came up with the idea that the piano stool could actually have a use, beyond being purely decorative – and our client decided that it would make an excellent bedside table.  This was a rather novel solution but one that made some sense and more than justified the restoration and French polishing work involved in returning the piano stool to its previous glory!

In any event, as you can see, the piano stool now looks really terrific – and I suspect that our client will revel in having a bedside table that will be quite unusual and very attractive.

I suppose the moral of this tale is that it is always worth seeing if you can find a use for a piece of antique furniture – rather than just dumping it into the nearest auction or (worse still!) throwing it away.   Indeed, you would be amazed at what we can do to turn something that looks awful and tired into a beautiful object that has value both in monetary and aesthetic terms…

So, if you have a piece of furniture that looks the worse for wear then do bring it into our workshop or give me a call.  I think you may well be surprised at how beautiful some objects can be made and how it really does not costs a fortune…

Peter Snelling

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FULLY RESTORED AND RECOVERED CHAIR

Of all the many combinations of furniture and antiques that we receive for repair and restoration at our workshops in Shere, it is chairs that are the most common.

Frankly, this is not all that surprising; given the very tough, long term usage that chairs get.  Equally, the construction of chairs is such that they are, in many ways, innately delicate objects.  They are assembled from many different pieces, all of which are doweled or interlocking, and, if just one joint gives way or loosens, then very quickly thereafter other joints also untighten.  The whole chair then becomes unstable; with every likelihood, that one piece or another will either break altogether or come away from its fixing.

Obviously, the best time to bring a chair in for repair is before anything breaks or the joints throughout the entire chair start to come apart.  However, normally, the joints of a chair loosen over a long period of time and it is only when the chair has become very unstable that it is brought to us.

IT IS VITAL THAT CHAIRS, ONCE RESTORED EXACTLY MATCH THE WHOLE SET

Repairing a chair is rarely straightforward and it is very unusual that our work ends in just re-gluing or re-doweling a single loose joint. More often than not, we have to completely disassemble a chair and re-fix all the joints, so that the whole chair is returned to its solid and stable, original state.

Of course, over the years we have handled just about every conceivable type of chair and rectified every imaginable problem – from re-making parts of legs and stays, armrests and ornate details.  We have also waxed, coloured and French polished an amazing variety of woods, whilst always making sure that the finished chair looks exactly as the original craftsman intended (with its value enhanced not adversely affected!).

Part of our work also involves the recovering of chairs.  This is almost always ‘part and parcel’ of any chair repair where the chair has a covered seat.  Fortunately, we have an excellent upholsterer – so, this aspect of the work can be undertaken by us for you.

A GORGEOUS ANTIQUE HIGH CHAIR RECENTLY RESTORED

So, if you have any chairs that need repair or restoration and you live in the Guildford or Dorking areas then do contact us.  We have long experience of chair repair and we should be glad to provide you with a quotation for any necessary work.

Peter Snelling

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SUPERB SADDLE BOX!

What never ceases to surprise me is the extraordinary range of antiques and objets d’art that come to our workshop for repair and restoration!  Indeed, it is fair to say that one of the pleasures of our work lies in the unexpected.  For us, as furniture restorers, there is no greater pleasure than a challenge and something a little bit out of the ordinary – almost irrespective of its actual market value…

Recently, for example, I found a rather fine saddle box – although it was in absolutely terrible condition.  As you can see from the images here, we have restored the box to its original condition.  It looks really good now and is in perfect order.

I dare say that in the past there must have been many saddle boxes around but they are now comparatively rare and belong to a different age.

Certainly, I think that many people are not fully aware of how effective professional restoration of antiques and furniture can be and how, often, it is not as costly as they think.  Equally, I am appalled how some potentially beautiful items are either discarded or left in attics or garages because, over the years, they have lost stability or become tarnished.  I reality, there are very few things that we cannot deal with in our workshop and, if you have an item that you think could be restored then bring it to us.  You may be very surprised at how wonderful it can look and, possibly, how valuable it may be.

So, if you have furniture or antiques and live in the Guildford or Dorking areas then do contact me and bring your furniture or objet ‘d’art to our workshop.  We can provide you with a quotation and restore your item to its past glory.

Peter Snelling

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STEAMER CHAIR – VERY UNUSUAL AND RATHER WONDERFUL!

Recently at our workshop in Shere we have had the pleasure of restoring some very attractive and unusual items.  This is always a pleasure, as tackling the restoration of objets d’art and select items can be both fun and challenging.  Different technical problems can arise and it is great to have to think our way round how best to resolve items that have very particular finishes or construction.

The warming pan shown here was brought to us with a broken handle, a not uncommon problem.  The handles are long and heavy use over many years often causes them to break.  This is a shame as these items are naturally attractive – and remind us all of a time when central heating and electric blankets did not exist.  Indeed, during the winter these warming pans must have been extremely welcome – although I often wonder how many fires they caused!

WARMING PAN – LOOKING AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS MADE

Regarding our recent restoration of furniture, we have just finished a beautiful marquetry table, which came to us in a severely damaged condition.  This meant that we had to remove some of the veneers altogether and then find new veneers to match that existing.  After laying these we had to colour and French polish all the surfaces, so that everything looked exactly the same.  This was not easy work but the finished result (I believe) more than justifies the faith in us that our client had.

GORGEOUS MARQUETRY TABLE – NOW FULLY RESTORED

Meanwhile, the Steamer chair was a joy.  It is American, beechwood and cane, manufactured by Gebruder Thonet and Circa 1860.  It has handles on it and was made in such a way that it could be folded and then hung up.  It was probably taken on sea voyages and is actually rather comfortable!

Peter Snelling

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BEAUTIFUL, FULLY RESTORED PINE BLANKET BOX

Over the years I have seen many changes to what people like and dislike with regard to furniture. For a few years, one type of furniture or style is in favour and then a few years later a different sort.

I can certainly remember when having ‘brown’ furniture went out of fashion and more modern ‘Ikea-type’ furniture started to appear. Easy to clean and maintain, it was instantly popular and, to some degree has remained so. Sadly, at the time, a great deal of lovely mahogany furniture was destroyed! This was a great shame, to put it mildly.

A few years ago there was another considerable change in fashion when pine furniture suddenly became popular (along with bare floorboards!). Everyone seemed to want pine and there was an insatiable demand – so much so that the stripping, repairing and waxing of antique pine units became common. This then started a flood of new pine furniture that was manufactured in the Far East (some of it in robust and decent designs).

Of course, it is certainly easy for an antique restorer to be a bit ‘snooty’ about pine furniture.

After all, ‘brown’ furniture is composed of far more expensive wood and the skill required to veneer and French polish ‘brown’ furniture is greatly more than that required for a pine equivalent. It is also fair to say that few great cabinet making masters have ever specialized in pine – not least because carvings and sharp detailing is next to impossible!

However, pine has some tremendous advantages over ‘brown’ furniture. It is light (both in weight and colour) and goes well in most modern environments, particularly flats. Pine is also forgiving in that surfaces can be restored reasonably easily when marked or damaged. In fact, sometimes (ironically) pine can look better when it is slightly marked, as this provides it with a patina that can often make it look more attractive than when in a ‘perfect’ state.

On a personal note, the only type of pine furniture that I am not keen on is pine furniture that has been lacquered – most notably (and horribly!) in a lacquer that is almost orange in colour. I think this is ghastly and an aberration for a wood that can (with care and attention) glow in a gorgeous golden colour.

Thankfully, lacquered pine is not impossible to deal with. Lacquer can be removed and the process of doing so can ‘age’ the wood – resulting (after some work) in an item looking really wonderful.

In fact, you may be surprised by how much pine furniture we restore in our workshop near Guildford and, frankly, how much pleasure that we can gain from this. At the end of the day, what we love is the pleasure gained from turning something that is defective or ugly or damaged – into a piece that looks good and that is fully serviceable. Whether that piece is pine or ‘brown’ is almost irrelevant!

So, if you have some pine furniture that needs restoration then do not think that we shall ‘turn up our noses’ at it.

Far from it! Bring your pine furniturte to us and I am sure you will be impressed by how we can turn it into something that you will really love and treasure. If it looks really good then just see how sorry we shall be to see it leave our workshop!

Peter Snelling

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FULLY RESTORED – AND LOOKING AS FINE AS WHEN IT WAS FIRST MADE!

Of course, it is easy for me to always just show glorious images of the finished furniture that we have repaired!  The images (normally!) look great and are reassuring for any potential clients. However, I am often asked what furniture that we repair looks like before we have completed our restoration of the items concerned.

Well, I think you would be amazed by the condition of some of the items of furniture that we deal with – when they are first brought to our workshop!  Indeed, below you can see some of the items of furniture that are either currently undergoing restoration or are about to be tackled by us.  All, without exception, will be transformed beyond recognition within the coming weeks and I shall prove this by placing images of the finished items once completed.

A DREADFULLY DAMAGED TABLE AWAITING RESTORATION

In any event, as you can see, the condition of some of the furniture that we deal with almost beggars belief!  Indeed, it is not unusual for people to ask us if we can really restore an item to its previous glory…

Well, in fact, given enough time, we can restore most items of furniture.  Over the years we have built up a superb store of different woods and veneers for almost any type of furniture brought into us.  This enables us to make repairs almost irrespective of the type of furniture concerned.  Meanwhile, we are able to undertake skilled cabinet making which means that we can make up individual parts that are missing or rotten.  This, of course, includes making new turnings – which is very skilled and awkward work.

A CHALLENGE – BUT IT WILL LOOK GREAT ONCE WE HAVE FINISHED (AND WILL BE FULLY USABLE!)

Finally (and critically!), we have long experience of colouring wood, laying veneers and French polishing.  These skills are vital, if a furniture repair is to be made invisible and the patina of a given piece is to look authentic.  The latter is absolutely vital, as any mistakes can badly damage the value of a piece – or make it look very unsightly.

A BADLY MARKED TABLE TOP – SOON TO BE RESTORED TO ITS PREVIOUS GLORY!

Incidentally, almost all of the items shown here have come from our local Guildford area.  So, if you live around the Guildford area and want any furniture repairs undertaken then do call us.  We are very close to Guildford and well known locally.

Peter Snelling

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