We use woods up to 300 years old in our repairs, meaning that a 1780 Mahogany bureau is repaired with a 220 year old piece of mahogany that is cut along the same grain. Substructure and secondary woods are also matched according to year, type, and grain, as our objective is to maintain the integrity and authenticity of your piece. Hand-rubbed finishes such as shellac, varnish, oil and wax are applied as they were by the original craftsman and designers. Water and alcohol based aniline dyes are used to match any and all colors.

Antiques outlast their owners, they tell stories about how their lives were led. The beauty of fine furniture is often found within its acquired character and natural patina. The techniques we use do not make your furniture look brand-new, as we value the natural patina, attributes, and character your antique has been developing over the past two hundred years.

Every piece of furniture undergoes a particular journey and part of restoration and conservation is interpreting what an item needs, but not destroying what makes it unique. Phone conversations and photographs are useful, but they only mark the beginning of interpreting the life of your furniture. As your hands start to do the work, an antique's existence is slowly revealed. Often a piece is faded along one side from too much sunlight, or the bottom of a piece is damaged from mops, soaps, and lye or what was assumed to be an 'original finish' found to be a repair. Through antique restoration one can learn a great deal about the item itself, the lives of its caretakers, and most importantly - one can protect and conserve a cherished antique so it may enrich your life for years to come.

Manhattan Restorations regularly works on pieces made by accomplished cabinet makers such as: Meeks, Alexander Roux, Belter, Sheridan, Duncan Phyfe, Wooten, Kimball and Kaus, Chippendale, Heppelwhite, and Gustav Stickley. Your family heirlooms and valuable collectibles will also be restored with the same passion, consideration and skills used on the aforementioned pieces.

Complete restoration, conservation, repairs, frames, leather top installations, wood turnings, marble restoration, hand-rubbed shellac, varnish, oil finishes, Oriental and European lacquers, polishing, upholstery, gilding, caning, veneering, insurance claims, fire restoration, water damage, and mold remediation are just some of the services that we offer.