loose joinery,

bug infestation and/or damage,

breaks in the frame or veneer, or

a severely compromised finish. 

    AMERICAN ROCOCO REVIVAL POLYCHROME RADIO CHEST CA. 1925 (PDF): A family heirloom, this beautiful radio chest was broken in shipment to the families new home on the West Coast.  Several areas needed reparation, then the entire radio was waxed for protection.  We did not infill the missing gold leaf.

  SHERATON KIDNEY LEATHER-TOPPED DESK (PDF):  A family heirloom, this kidney shaped Sheraton mid-twentieth century leather topped desk was in poor condition.  The finish on the body of the desk was experiencing loss due to the move from a moist climate to a dry climate; the leather top had many problems besides a layer of deep grime form decades of use.  The desk was beloved by the owner, who saw her mother use it her whole life; however, costs needed to be reasonable.  MPFC thoroughly cleaned the piece, repaired the finish losses on the body of the desk, and cleaned the leather top.  We did not infill color loss to the leather top.   

AMERICAN GREEK REVIVAL CHEST OF DRAWERS, CA. 1910 (PDF):  A family heirloom, this chest of drawers had many accidents over its many years of use.   Perfume bottles, white rings from water glasses, spills of colored liquid, and numerous scratches had marred it surface, plus the usual nicks, dings, and gouges.  Ammonia had been sprayed on the mirror surface, and had seeped into the wood and finish around the mirror.  The owner had tried to refinish it herself then decided to bring it to us, so we also had to match the sanded side and drawers with  the older finish.  Our goal was not perfection, but to bring the piece back to an acceptable appearance with its aged flaws as part of its history.  To that end, we did no sanding other than to lightly etch the surface.  We thoroughly cleaned the piece, repaired the minor woodworking issues, then began the long process of finish infill, ending with wax top coat for protection.

  KENTUCKY LIVERY TABLE (PDF):  A Family Heirloom, this Livery Cabinet was passed down thought several generations.  We believe it was made in Kentucky, with a Germanic influence.  The piece had a broken and missing top edge, broken base, and the finish was in poor condition. 

  1730 PAINTED WINDSOR CHAIR (PDF):  This family heirloom is from the early 18th Century, and had the original monochromatic finish.  We repaired loose joints, used a barrier and performed some infill on two large chips in the seat, and preserved the existing original finish.

  IMPERIAL BUFFET  (PDF):  This piece was one of the original three dozen pieces bought for the first Crater Lake Superintendent's House.  It has unusual features, like a hidden prohibition bar that is accessed through the top drawer!    See all three dozen pieces on our page covering the NPS Imperial Monterey line, including the IMPERIAL CORNER HUTCH.

  PRIMITIVE WOOD BOX (PDF):  Possibly made by the by one of the Superintendents, this wood box has been part of the collection in the first Superintendent's House at Crater Lake National Park.  Layers and layers of shellac and polychromatic paint over many years had created a wonderful patina.  We repaired cracks, then cleaned and protected the finish.  

  AMERICAN FAMILY TABLE (PDF):  A sentimental family piece from the 1920's, this table suffered extreme color damage to its leaves, damage to the table base, and needed preservation treatment to the overall top.  In addition, the family requested that we create a reversible prosthetic to stabilize the table from excessive wobble.

  BUCKS COUNTY TILT-TOP TABLE RESUME  (PDF):  A family heirloom, this Bucks County Pennsylvania piece circa 1750 was passed down through the generations.  It came to us with several cracks in the base and a cracked top.  The finish was compromised.  Our goal was to repair all compromised areas; assess previous repairs (but not necessarily "fix" them); clean, repair (where necessary), and preserve the original finish.  TO VIEW THE TREATMENT REPORT, CLICK HERE.

RANCH WINDSOR (PDF OF TREATMENT COMING SOON!):  This  barrel-backed Windsor, a family heirloom, was used daily for generations by ranch hands in Oregon.  The arm, back, and seat had serious breaks and splits, and the finish was compromised.  We repaired the compromised areas, cleaned, repaired, and preserved the original finish.

  MUSIC STAND (PDF):  A sentimental family heirloom, this piece was to be conserved so that the very old music books that were embedded in the finish stayed intact, while the frame was repaired, and the entirety preserved. 

    1940'S TEA CART (PDF) showing Sheridan influences.  This is a well-cared for reproduction that had an accident, and shows the ability for traditional finishes to recover.  Broken shattered wheels were also repaired, but the French Polish of the deep gouge is miraculous.

  LATE 1800 GERMAN RENAISSANCE REVIVAL BUFFET (PDF):  A German family heirloom, this piece needed some disassembly as many joints were loose, and the finish was compromised.  When this piece was conserved, we had no digital camera, but we visited our client and took photos fifteen years later.