About Furniture Restoration
Hardware
The replica and counsel of a hinge or drawer pull can brew a lot of restored furniture contemplation formal or casual, on the other hand the askew style or scale--even the capitalization of a screw instead of a wood dowel--can produce it equal gaze astray. The target is that Everyone extension in architectural novel produced hardware as designated as the furniture it graced. A meagre second childhood ago, you'd be stuck substituting something that blameless didn't double o genuine. Nowadays, restoration and reproduction hardware is quite easily done to pride.
Significance
Furniture restoration hardware holds furniture calm, on the contrary it must again be comparable to hardware that was used in the space that the furniture was built. A well-chosen locate of hardware gives your furniture a professionally-crafted scrutinize of a collection that costs even extra.
Function
Hardware's advantage is either to assemble parts or to decorate the surface of furniture. Joinery---nails, screws and hinges---reflect the manufacturing technology of the extent and decorative pieces enjoy knobs, roses, handles, and escutcheons echo its style. Always exercise restoration hardware for the end for which it was originally designed. A brief proof at Coronet hardware Testament call upon you if that admirable S-shaped affair you want to use to decorate a coffee table is appropriate for indoor use...or is something that was meant to hold a window shutter open.
Considerations
Do some homework before shopping for hardware. Find pictures of hardware from "Old House Journal" or samples at a salvage yard to use for comparison. Scout out a dealer who specializes in hardware or cabinetry. Eastlake styles are decidedly formal, but others (including Craftsman) might make a turn-of-the-century piece look rustic.
Types
Perfectly good antique hardware for your furniture restoration project is available in architectural salvage houses and flea markets. "Reproduction" hardware is made from original molds or may be simply made in the same style as the original. Some reproductions are quite good, but some miss the scale or detail of the originals badly.Decorative hardware must match your furniture in scale too as style; a skimpy drawer pull will always look out of place on a bulky Tall-boy, no matter how period-correct it may be. Never use hardware from a period before the date of your piece---it will look out of fashion (architectural historians call this "decadent"). Hardware from a much later period will make it look as if someone has tried to update without using the style elements that place it in a specific period.
Metals date hardware. Aluminum was not used in hardware until the late 1920s. Look for earlier period styles in brass or nickel finishes.
Expert Insight
Some modern hardware can work well on restoration. Not all antiques are destined for museums. If historical accuracy isn't imperative and sturdiness is your main concern, find hardware is "sympathetic" (meaning that it matches the scale and stylistic theme of your piece) and made of best quality materials. Know what you want and be persistent. Your home center associate may not know what you want when you ask for a "Hoosier bin pull," but there's a family-owned hardware store somewhere in your area with a clerk who knows exactly what you need. If he doesn't carry it, he'll know where you can find it.
