Heirloom Chest of Drawers Restoration
Employer
Mykola
Project parameters
Type of cooperationOne-time project
SectionAdvertising and marketing
Prepaymentwithout prepayment
Payment methodsCash, Bank transfer
Acceptance of requestsfrom today, 12:45 until Sep 23, 2026
Project description
This commission covers the complete restoration of a treasured antique chest of drawers that has been passed down through the family for generations. Before any tool touches the wood, I will carry out a full condition survey: photographing every surface, testing the existing finish, checking each drawer for square, and mapping every crack, split, and area of veneer lift so the owner knows exactly what the piece needs and why.
Structural work comes first. Loose mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joints are disassembled where possible, old hide glue is cleaned out, and joints are re-glued with a compatible adhesive rather than modern epoxy, which can trap moisture and stain surrounding wood. Split panels are clamped and reinforced with hidden wooden splines, drawer runners are rebuilt or replaced with matching hardwood, and any lifted veneer is re-glued under weighted cauls, with missing sections patched using veneer matched for grain and color.
Once the frame is sound, I assess the original finish. Where it still has value — a mellow, honey-toned shellac, for example — I clean and revive it rather than strip it, preserving the patina that gives an antique its character. Where the finish is beyond saving, it is stripped carefully by hand, the bare wood is repaired and toned to match the surrounding areas, and a period-appropriate finish is applied: shellac french polish, hand-rubbed oil, or wax over sealed wood, chosen to suit the piece's age and original construction.
Hardware receives the same care. Original handles, escutcheons, and hinges are cleaned, degreased, and re-plated or re-lacquered wherever the base metal allows; anything missing or damaged beyond repair is matched with period-correct reproduction hardware in the same finish and scale, so the piece reads as a coherent whole rather than a patchwork of old and new.
Expect the full project, from intake survey to final wax buffing and photography, to run over roughly two to three weeks, with progress photos shared at each stage — disassembly, joint repair, finish work, and reassembly — before the piece is delivered back into the home ready for another generation of use.
Structural work comes first. Loose mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joints are disassembled where possible, old hide glue is cleaned out, and joints are re-glued with a compatible adhesive rather than modern epoxy, which can trap moisture and stain surrounding wood. Split panels are clamped and reinforced with hidden wooden splines, drawer runners are rebuilt or replaced with matching hardwood, and any lifted veneer is re-glued under weighted cauls, with missing sections patched using veneer matched for grain and color.
Once the frame is sound, I assess the original finish. Where it still has value — a mellow, honey-toned shellac, for example — I clean and revive it rather than strip it, preserving the patina that gives an antique its character. Where the finish is beyond saving, it is stripped carefully by hand, the bare wood is repaired and toned to match the surrounding areas, and a period-appropriate finish is applied: shellac french polish, hand-rubbed oil, or wax over sealed wood, chosen to suit the piece's age and original construction.
Hardware receives the same care. Original handles, escutcheons, and hinges are cleaned, degreased, and re-plated or re-lacquered wherever the base metal allows; anything missing or damaged beyond repair is matched with period-correct reproduction hardware in the same finish and scale, so the piece reads as a coherent whole rather than a patchwork of old and new.
Expect the full project, from intake survey to final wax buffing and photography, to run over roughly two to three weeks, with progress photos shared at each stage — disassembly, joint repair, finish work, and reassembly — before the piece is delivered back into the home ready for another generation of use.
