Restoration. Conservation. Creation
Restoration of a Louis XV salon table, made in La Rochelle in the mid-18th century. This piece is distinguished by its parquet top, alternating rosewood and ebony. It opens with a drawer integrated into the front apron, whose shaped moldings and cabriole legs with octagonal sides testify to exceptional craftsmanship. The table is made exclusively of solid rosewood for the base, the parquet top, and the drawer boxes, while solid ebony is used for the […]
Restoration of a pair of Directoire period armchairs (circa 1795-1805), made of solid mahogany, except for the stretchers, which are veneered. These chairs have the clean, balanced lines characteristic of the Directoire style. Indeed, this style marks the transition between the austerity of Louis XVI and the more formal style of the Consulate. The joinery is mortise and tenon. Furthermore, turned supports extend the straight armrests, as was common at the end of the Directoire period. The legs are turned in a baluster shape and taper towards the bottom. A simple molding frames the rectangular backs. […]
The restoration of this Empire dining table is now complete. The work focused primarily on the finishing touches. We removed the previously applied polyurethane varnish and applied a French polish to the solid mahogany top and its four-legged base decorated with swan neck motifs and lion's paw feet. The apron features an oak frieze. Length x Width = 162 x 140 cm. Length x Width with extensions = 252 cm.
Lightening the finish on a Bayeux wedding armoire. It is distinguished by its motifs of swans, figures, and hunting and musical attributes. Made of quarter-sawn oak, also known as "merrain," it comes from the Caen plain and dates from the first half of the 19th century. We lightened the wax finish to remove the multiple layers of tinted wax that darkened the entire piece. This work revealed the magnificent honey-blond hue of the oak and enhanced the exceptional carving of […]
A little facelift for this imposing chest of drawers from the Lyon region. A few walnut grafts, a bit of carving, a good restoration of the waxed finish, and above all, a good dose of elbow grease have allowed this piece of furniture to regain all its luster.
A look back at the restoration of this rare port chest of drawers. It is made of solid woods brought back from the Orient and the West Indies. Indeed, it combines four precious woods: mahogany, satinwood, palo santo, and ebony. Most notably, it features a fifth: royal ebony. This chest of drawers opens with three wide palo santo drawers, arranged in three rows, separated by Ceylon ebony crossbars. A solid, framed top covers it. Its parquet flooring combines royal ebony crossbars and a mahogany back, partly mottled or pommeled. […]
This week, a bit of a change of pace with solid wood. It feels good to get the gouges out again and work on walnut for the restoration of this chest of drawers.
It was in the mid-17th century that what we now call the Norman wardrobe originated. But it was in the 18th century that it took on the characteristic form we know today. With its two doors, cabriole legs, and wide cornice with broad sculpted decoration, it combines Louis XV structure and style with Louis XVI motifs. At that time, economic and social stability allowed for a certain improvement in living standards. The wardrobe then found its way into bourgeois and peasant homes. The 19th century would be the golden age of the Norman wardrobe. Destined […]
Restoration of an 18th-century dressing table from the Grenoble region, crafted from solid walnut with elm, blackened, and green-stained veneers. Before restoration. After restoration. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Here is the restoration of a small Louis XV commode, made of solid satinwood and ribboned satinwood. Curved on all sides, including the back, it opens with three drawers. In addition, a pull-out candle holder opens at the back. It comes from La Rochelle and dates from the 18th century. Its top, molded with a corbel-shaped edge highlighted by a cavetto molding, is made of ribboned satinwood. This wood is also used on the front and sides. In contrast, the base is made of straight-grain satinwood, with "snail" feet ending in split goat's hoof feet. [… ]
For a change of pace this week, a bit of what's called "rustic" furniture. It's a welcome change from veneer, and to be honest, it's not unpleasant. I'm even quite pleased to have this kind of piece to restore because, unfortunately, many of these pieces, having lost their market value, end up in the landfill or are simply burned. Moreover, these aren't pieces that require a huge amount of work. For this Louis Philippe two-part sideboard, the restoration consisted of replacing the chestnut planks […]
Very fashionable at the end of the 18th century, the cabaret table, or cabaret table, is characterized by a raised, basin-shaped top. Slightly hollowed out and edged with a rim all around, it safely holds tea, chocolate, and other beverages. This model, similar to those by the cabinetmaker Canabas, is made of solid mahogany from Saint-Domingue, with metal reinforcement under the legs. The biggest problem was the leg, which wobbled in all directions. So I mainly removed the screws added during a previous restoration, reconstructed […]
Here are some images of the restoration of this desk, with a solid mahogany base and mahogany burl veneer for the rest. Note that the recessed top is made from a single 12mm thick plank of solid mahogany burl. Here is the desk before restoration. The bulk of the work is on the legs. They are broken at the middle joint. They have already been repaired and are held together only by additional screws. Two cracks can be seen at the […]
A first experience and a beautiful piece of work by Rachèle, who restored this late 19th-century walnut prie-dieu. The project was quite daunting. The piece had been neglected for years, and wood-boring insects had had a field day. We first treated it with anoxic agents for 21 days. As nothing was holding together anymore, we disassembled each element, without much difficulty, and then glued it back together with fish glue. We replaced the back legs with new walnut, a top plate […]
Here is a secretary desk in the most understated style of the Directoire period. Its frame is made of solid beech and conifer, and it is veneered with mahogany and mottled mahogany. It is very simply adorned with bronze handles in the form of a lion's head holding a ring in its mouth. The keyhole escutcheons are in the form of a shield. The interior has seven drawers, the middle one of which locks. The drop-front closes with a period three-point lock. The lower section has three drawers, onto which Louis XV style pull rings have been added.
DIMENSIONS: H.71 W.104 D.52 This roll-top desk perfectly matches those produced by Nicolas Petit's workshop between 1770 and 1791, the year of his death. Indeed, with a few exceptions, Nicolas Petit primarily crafted this type of furniture in molded mahogany, on fluted legs and with white marble tops. Their understated elegance reflected the taste of the period. It features two drawers in the frieze, two pull-out side shelves, and a central shelf that locks when the drop-top is closed. Furthermore, the interior contains two drawers, the one on the right […]
Here are some photos of the restoration of a solid walnut commode, veneered with thuya burl inlay, with Greek key stringing in amaranth and boxwood. The drawers and the interior and back panels are made of fir. Despite the curved stretcher, its shape, and its feet, this commode is indeed in the Transition style, but from the Louis XVI period. In the title, I wrote "in the style of the Hache family": this commode certainly comes from the Dauphiné region. But that it came from the workshop of the famous family of cabinetmakers […]
The "boat" bed, with its characteristic curve, is a French invention that appeared during the Directory period. It then became very fashionable during the Empire and the Restoration. Here, the Empire style is recognizable by its lion's paw feet. Two mahogany pieces. However, the varnish on this bed had worn away, so that the two pieces of mahogany that make it up were no longer distinguishable. The restoration. The biggest task was therefore to revarnish the bed: a major undertaking, given the surface area to cover. But it was necessary […]
A look back at a fascinating restoration project (at least for me). So fascinating, in fact, that I forgot to take photos at the beginning! This cabinet dates from the 17th century. Its upper section has two drawers in the cornice and two doors. The base features two drawers in the frieze, supported by eight turned feet, and a top on ball feet. Inside, there are twelve drawers and two doors, which conceal a theater and eleven more drawers. The feet and moldings are made of solid pear wood. The rest of the […]
Restauration d’une armoire régionale en chêne massif. J’ai entièrement démonté et révisé cette armoire. J’ai repris chaque assemblage pour qu’elle se démonte et se remonte facilement. J’ai alésé tous les panneaux pour leur rendre leurs dimensions d’origine. J’ai comblé les trous, manques et éclats en chêne massif neuf, puis oxydé les greffes. J’ai ajusté les portes pour qu’elles fonctionnent parfaitement. Enfin, j’ai nettoyé et décapé le meuble, puis je l’ai ciré à la cire d’abeille.
