Restoration. Conservation. Creation
Restoration of a commode with added consoles, commonly but improperly called a "Mazarine commode", from the Regency period, veneered with end-grain olive wood and ash, probably from the Dauphiné.
Restoration of a Louis XIV period commode veneered in olive burl, ash, and walnut, likely from the Dauphiné region. This type of D-shaped commode, along with the Mazarine commode, is among the very first commodes popularized under Louis XIV. The first French furniture resembling the commode did not appear until around 1700. The oldest known and datable Parisian commodes are those delivered by André-Charles Boulle to Versailles around 1708. Their very simple decorations are inspired by Dutch designs. They are often the work of Protestant cabinetmakers, who were very fond of […]
Restoration of a Transition period commode, constructed of fir and oak and veneered with rosewood. It is framed by hornbeam stringing, white and green-stained, with a satinwood band edged in amaranth. The central medallion is made of satinwood veneer assembled in a herringbone pattern. The maker's mark and the JME (Journée des Métiers d'Art) are located at the base of the left rear leg. André-Antoine Lardin (1724 – August 10, 1790) obtained his master craftsman's certificate on July 1, 1750. He established himself on the rue de Charenton, at the sign "Au Bois de Boulogne," and worked there until 1770. He then moved […]
Restoration of a Louis XVI period commode from eastern France. It is made of solid oak and fir, veneered with end-grain laburnum, walnut, plum, amaranth, rosewood, palisander, boxwood, and green-stained hornbeam. The handles and keyhole escutcheons were added later. Indeed, the original fittings have disappeared: only the handle holes remain. This is a piece of furniture that has never been restored. Moreover, the veneer is almost 4 mm thick in places. Furthermore, one can see […]
Restoration of a Napoleon III period wall shelf veneered in blackened pearwood, rosewood, amaranth, amboyna burl, and marquetry with a music theme. Underneath the dust, aside from small losses in the blackened pearwood and rosewood, and slight dehydration, there was nothing too serious. A few veneer grafts, a vacuum-sealed glue application, a thorough cleaning, a coat of clear French polish, and voilà! All this without using sandpaper. Except for lightly sanding the varnish […]
Here are some photos of the restoration of a small Louis XVI style work table from the late 19th century. Its legs are made of solid mahogany. Furthermore, its veneer combines rosewood and sapele, with blackened pearwood and boxwood for the fluting and stringing. Nothing too serious for this pretty little piece of furniture: just a few missing veneer patches and a small chip on the oak side of the drawer. A simple restoration: a few veneer grafts glued in place […]
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 […]
This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS. Its frame is oak, except for the side panels, backs, drawer fronts, and two drawer bottoms, which are made of softwood. It is veneered with rosewood in a butterfly pattern and amaranth for the edges. The false fluting is in boxwood and ebony. A green-stained maple fillet outlines the Greek key corners. A few satinwood additions from previous restorations are visible. The marble top is Sainte-Anne gray. This commode […]
After several weeks of work, the restoration of this clock is finally complete. It is a Louis XV period clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, with rosewood restorations. The dial is by Louis David Carré, nephew of Julien Le Roy, who became a master craftsman on December 31, 1748. Lodged at the Louvre from 1744, he was elected a juror in 1775. The greatest treasure of this clock lies in its bronze mounts. They are truly magnificent, and above all, they are in very good condition. There is only […]
This sewing box dates from the Napoleon III period. Its frame is made of conifer. It is veneered with Rio rosewood, mahogany for the interior, and bound with boxwood and green-stained maple. A great quality of this box is that its lid has not warped. This is often the major problem with this type of object. People forget to lock them, and the wood warps. It then becomes very difficult to find the "trick" to make the box close properly without extensive restoration. Restoration work […]
Here is a Louis XVI style table, which is probably an early 20th-century piece. It was likely made in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, or perhaps at the École Boulle. I have seen apprentice furniture of this quality made by students during their training. Its frame is oak, while the veneer is rosewood and mahogany with a black inlay. The restoration was straightforward, apart from a lack of rosewood in the marquetry […]
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 […]
The restoration of a lovely slant-front desk, or as Riesener calls it in his memoirs, a "tomb-shaped secretary," began two weeks ago. Now that the restoration phase is complete and the varnishing has begun, I'm taking a moment to provide a brief summary. Description of the desk: Its frame is made of oak and fir, veneered with rosewood and violet wood. Furthermore, the drop-front features floral marquetry in boxwood, natural and stained maple, and hornbeam. In addition, the desk has a large drawer made of […]
A classic restoration of Boulle marquetry: rehydration of the old glue by infiltration, creation and gluing of the missing brass fittings, and reconstruction of the base, which was in poor condition but not beyond repair. Finally, the bronzes were cleaned and a clear French polish was applied. Proof that appearances can be deceiving: even a badly damaged piece of furniture can regain its former beauty.
During the turbulent period of the French Revolution, furniture production declined sharply, and most artisans faced very difficult times. Overall, from the Directory to the Consulate, furniture and seating had little time to evolve. Some Egyptian-inspired motifs had already appeared, but it was with the Egyptian expedition (1798-1801) that they formed a distinct style. However, the "Return from Egypt" style lasted only about ten years at most: it was quickly replaced by the Empire style, imposed by Napoleon. This commode features all of these elements…
This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI period secretary. Martin Ohneberg (master craftsman in 1773), who created this piece, was an excellent marquetry craftsman. Indeed, he used very high-quality rosewood. Furthermore, he produced numerous pieces of furniture with very simple lines but exquisite marquetry, including an infinite variety of drop-front secretaries. This particular one is veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with a mosaic marquetry of maple florets on a red satinwood ground. Moreover, the framing bands are made of […]
Here is a table in pure Art Deco style. It is veneered with Macassar ebony, and its legs are mahogany. It probably dates from the 1920s. Louis Majorelle is best known as one of the great cabinetmakers of Art Nouveau. It is too often forgotten that he was also one of the forerunners of Art Deco, as this table perfectly demonstrates. As for restoration, as always, the veneer requires the most work: there are gaps, it is peeling… But the most difficult thing on this table is the […]
A month ago, a lovely Transition-style commode arrived at the workshop. It reminds me of the work of the cabinetmaker Charles Topino (circa 1742-1803) – who received his master craftsman's certificate on July 4, 1773. But it doesn't bear his stamp, nor any other for that matter. Proof that a piece of high-quality furniture doesn't need a stamp. Its marquetry could very well have come from Topino's workshop. He did, in fact, sell marquetry panels to haberdashers and his colleagues, who used them to adorn their furniture. This commode could therefore be inspired by Topino […]
Remember that slant-front desk? Well, it's finished. It wasn't easy, but it's regained its former glory. All that's left is to install the drawer locks and the leather before it goes back to its owner. I remade a large part of the legs using sawn kingwood. I cut it to the correct thickness, scraped, sanded, and oxidized it before gluing. That way, there was no need to sand the entire piece of furniture, which would have damaged it even more.
A classic restoration for this type of furniture. The legs are slightly damaged, and the varnish has yellowed and dulled. A few rosewood grafts, cleaning, stripping, and a beautiful French polish will be enough to give it a new lease on life. Not forgetting the cleaning of the bronze mounts.
Thanks to its stamp, this slant-front desk can be dated between 1738 and 1783. Jean-Baptiste Hédouin's life remains relatively unknown. After completing his master craftsmanship, he set up his workshop on Rue Traversière-Saint-Antoine. All his furniture is of high quality. Primarily in the Regency and Louis XV styles, almost all veneered in sheets or with grid patterns, they are also quite varied: wardrobes, flat and slant-front desks, bookcases… But chests of drawers make up the largest part of his production. Most of them adopt the […]
Here is a corner cabinet stamped by Jean-Mathieu Chevallier. It is made of solid oak, veneered with rosewood and violet wood, with a boxwood inlay. Jean-Mathieu Chevallier was already established on Rue de Grenelle, under the sign of "La Croix Chevallier," when he received his master craftsman's certificate in 1743. He subsequently expanded his business considerably. He was notably in business with André-Charles Boulle, one of the sons of the famous cabinetmaker. Furthermore, he participated in furnishing the Hôtel du Duc de Talmont and the Château de […]
