Restoration of a Biedermeier top chest of drawers

This chest of drawers with a display cabinet is a typical Biedermeier piece of furniture with neo-Gothic elements. Both the type of wood chosen, cherry, which contrasts with blackened elements, and the strictly cubist construction are typical of the period in the first half of the 19th century.

The obvious damages were detached veneers and faded surfaces, as well as missing keyhole fittings and keys. In addition, the blackened writing surface was to be restored to natural wood and the white paint removed from the interior of the display case top.

Both the interior of the display case top and the blackened writing surface were sanded clean.

New keyhole surrounds were made from ebony. The shape of the original fittings was easily recognisable, which made the choice of mould easy.

What can be done when veneers have come loose?

In order to permanently reinstate veneers, we completely remove all veneers that have come loose, even minimally, in the course of the restoration. All old glue residues are removed so that both the veneer and the support wood are clean again and provide a good surface for the new glue application.
After the faulty areas had been removed and cleaned, we were able to re-glue the loose veneers and give the entire piece of furniture a thorough cleaning.
With spirit, rags and fine steel wool, the dirt could be removed from the wood visible on the outside as well as in the drawers.

After the keys were made to fit and new runners ensured that the drawers functioned well again, we were able to start sealing the surface with shellac.

The shellac polish

The grain of the woods looks clean and tidy thanks to the newly applied shellac polish, and the mirroring of the veneers is once again clearly visible. The colour of the beautiful cherry wood appears warm and strong again.

Only through the shellac does it become clear what an excellent choice of wood the maker of the piece of furniture made. The mirrored finish of the wood creates a beautiful image on the front and sides.

We would also be happy to restore your antique piece of furniture!

Simply contact us via e-mail, SMS or WhatsApp. If you send us some photos of the object to be restored, we can usually give you the approximate restoration costs based on the pictures.

Also interesting