If you are a family member who’s been given a family heirloom, breathing life into a piece of older furniture can make it feel all the more timeless. Whether it’s for interior design reasons, or to keep sentimentally, you should know why it needs to be restored and who can help restore it.

Why You Should Restore Antique Furniture

In some cases, antique furniture may need to be fully reupholstered or refinished. Just be prepared to ask an upholstery specialist for help in determining how much work will need to be done. This can vary depending on the intricacy of the woodwork and material already on the piece (if there is any to salvage). It also could take some time to work out the dents and dings. If you come across a very rare and unique piece, then be sure to contact a professional who specifically works with high-end antique rarities. Most of the time, however, this won’t be the case, thus giving you the green light to restore and refinish.

“Restoring and refinishing” is a concerning phrase when talking about antique furniture, especially for the specialized antiquarians. However, the goal of this process is to preserve and improve the usability for future family members. Your son may not share the same sentimental feeling you have with a broken piece of furniture. Instead, think about how you can provide a family heirloom that will be deemed “useful” for them to use. This may involve restaining, repainting, or reupholstering.

Purchasing older furniture is an investment. Occasional maintenance will be needed to preserve the value it already has. If you are interested in handing it down, then adding a little TLC is a must if you want it to be useful for the next generation of users. If you are like many, you won’t want to get rid of all the natural patina. That’s why you may need some structural antique wood repair or added cushions to freshen it up.

Often times, the fabric will take the brunt of the damage. This could mean a plethora of tears and stains. Sometimes all you need to do is replace the fabric and padding. That way, if the wood is still intact, you can customize the cushion without sacrificing the old-timey feel of it all. You can easily make it fit the design of any room with colorful materials. If you want to keep the original patterned fabric then you can have it professionally cleaned at McDowells, too.

Who Can Repair Antique Furniture?

As we’ve said before, if you’ve done your research and have come across a very rare piece, then you may not want to do anything to it. But, if you are the latter, then let’s make sure you are contacting the right people!

McDowells Specialty Repair in Boise has both upholstery and wood repair specialists that can breathe life back into great-grandma’s chair. Your antique furniture is receiving the best care and attention in the Treasure Valley when you choose McDowells!

(208) 378-1530