Antique Repair and Restoration: For over 50 years, Wallrocks have been restoring antique furniture by hand.
The road to antique repair and restoration restoration is never a straight one.
High quality antiques are unique – they are individual. This was not limited to the design but also the construction, and as such means there is no limit to the challenges we face when we commence antique restoration and repair. Sometimes straightforward, but most of the time not. Meticulous attention to detail, traditional skills and only the best materials are essential.
And, despite the passage of time, for the restorers in the Wallrocks workshop, the thrill never ceases to die. The marvel of what lies beneath keeps us coming back.
Simply toggle the mouse over the arrows below to see the before and after restoration and repair of each piece.
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This console is a very early 19th century French Empire mahogany and bronze console table, the original marble top above a mahogany frieze enclosing a single drawer supported on four square tapering legs with original bronze mounts. The piece had been polished at some point in its lifetime, and Wallrocks gently cleaned the existing polish and re-polished and waxed the console by hand. The marble was cleaned and waxed and the piece transformed into a beautiful piece of furniture once again.
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The beautiful etagere above had seen better days. Completely structurally sound, the polish had faded and lost all clarity resulting in a muddy and faded out appearance. Yes – patina is beautiful, but mud is not. This fine 19th century French etagere occasional table was also gently cleaned and re-polished and the bronze and brass mounts cleaned accordingly. The result of this antique restoration and repair is simply spectacular.
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A substantial 19th century French mahogany commode, the beautiful shaped Brecher marble top above a break-front with graduated mahogany drawers embellished with ormolu mounts and original drop handles flanked by a pair of panelled sides all supported on four cabriole legs.
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This is one of the more remarkable transformations of the antique restoration and repair tasks we have done in recent time. This piece was always going to be spectacular…the sheer quality of the piece, the marquetry, the outstanding quality gilded bronze; everything about this piece screams quality. So while not a surprise, the result was spectacular.
An exceptional 19th century French Louis XV side table, it would undoubtedly have once been a pair, the original pink and white Incarnat Turquin marble top above a cross-banded parquetry drawer and door enclosing a cupboard flanked by a pair of parquetry side panels all embellished with exceptional well cast and pierced ormolu mounts in the form of flowers and leaves above a cross banded and string inlaid frieze supported on four cabriole legs with ormolu acanthus feet.
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A beautiful solid oak plank top refectory table that with drat-leaf ends on both sides, this beautiful table was in need of some attention. The fllaking polish was unsightly and irreparable, so the here the table sits, clean and tidy but retaining the hallmarks of age, waiting for its next owner to decide whether it will be polish, wax or both.
The antique repair and restoration performed on these articles inside, underneath and behind, before the front surfaces are even touched, is astonishing. It takes a true expert to be able to solve the myriad of problems we face during restoration, and with 37 years of experience, our restorer is just the man for the job.
These are just a few of the many skills required to master the art of antique repair and restoration.
