What's the Difference Between Conservation
and Restoration?
The
difference between restoration, conservation, and preservation, is that restoration is primarily concerned with the
appearance and function of a piece; while
conservation and preservation are concerned with preserving the object's
structure, with countering physical deterioration, and with preserving the
object’s history
and value to
the greatest extent possible.
In
rare instances, conservation can sometimes
include
restoration, especially in
those
instances where a piece is
beyond repair,
and disintegrating. Furniture is akin to a building rather than a piece of
art; it has structure and a working function that is very important!. Even
if it is not going to be used again, as in most museum pieces, the structural
integrity, the form or build-up, and the design is a valuable part of it's history.
In a true conservation process, most
typically associated with museum work, no new materials or techniques are
introduced. For instance, if the upholstery is torn, repairs are made to
the existing upholstery, but
new upholstery is not introduced to the piece. Introducing new upholstery,
even an accurate replica, is restoration work. However, if the upholstery
is disintegrating (powdering, or the threads are so broken that it is beyond
repair procedures) decisions have to be made. MPF recently assessed a
museum footstool that is upholstered with a beautiful silk appliqué on velvet,
with silver thread. The appliqué needs repair, and while that could easily
be accomplished with patience and long hours, the velvet is also so worn that a reupholstery was deemed impossible with the original upholstery. This is a
problem because the piece has breakage in the frame, and needs to be repaired,
and the repair would be best undertaken with the upholstery off the piece.
On the other hand, the piece is rarely moved, and never sat upon, and can hold
itself up -- so there is no immediate danger of the break harming the overall structure.
After much weighing of the alternatives, we recommended that the appliqué, of
historical value in itself, be removed and cleaned and repaired an placed on
display separately from the footstool, and that we reproduce a piece like it and
conserve the frame and finish, then reupholstery with the new appliquéd piece (a
restoration), OR DO NOTHING until the upholstery actually disintegrates.
We lean towards the former recommendation, and we will see what the museum
decides to do!
In upholstered pieces, restoration
may range from historical accuracy, if possible, including milling exact copies
of the original fabric and trims, all the way to simply alluding to the period
with modern milled fabric reminiscent of the period’s style. It may mean
rebuilding the form with an eye to the manner it was originally intended, after
a poor upholstery job has been performed. Restoration on case goods and
frames may mean repairing broken or chipped parts, or repairing damaged finish
areas. If the piece has been badly damaged,
especially where extensive water damage has occurred,
it may mean constructing a new part, or refinishing the wood, preferably in the
original manner.
NOTE: In order to better serve the needs of its diverse clientele,
MPF has decided to divide its business so as to clarify the nature of work
performed in its studio. We announce the formation of the new business,
MPF Conservation (MPFC), and the new website,
www.mpfconservation.com.
From now on conservation projects will be contained within MPFC, while
restoration and custom projects will be channeled into Mitchell Powell
Furnishings.
What's the Difference Between Restoration and Re-interpretation?
Reinterpretation
involves a departure from the historical intention of the piece, and at MPF,
this often involves a sense of whimsy and humor! Restoration, though it
introduces new materials, often maintains a sense of the history of the piece
- a new blue cotton velvet replaces an old worn red wool velvet.
We
tend to discourage customers from reinterpreting valuable pieces (and have been
known to just say NO!), or tend to work with pieces that have previously been
stripped and repaired inappropriately, or terribly damaged from
years of
sitting in the south 40! We look for a sense
of charm and
whimsy, and work with the inherent qualities of the original
designer to give it new life as we might want to see it today - with humor, with
style, and often with a sense of beauty it didn't experience in the
old days! The pieces inspire us! We do unusual wood finishes, outrageous
fabrics & trims, and we keep the integrity of the interiors where ever we can --
and we don't compromise the function in the process!
To
view some of outrageous reinterpretations, visit our
Reinterpretation Portfolio page.
What's the Difference between Reinterpretation and Custom Design?
Custom
design is not for everyone, but we have many customers who want something
special and we provide them with the perfect piece, designed and built from
scratch! Many of our custom design pieces arise out of customer’s desires to
bring together a room with custom pieces that compliment beloved antiques, or
customers who have unusual requirements for their personal ergonomics. An
very tall person, for instance, is uncomfortable in many chairs, even large
lounge chairs.
_small.jpg)
