The owner of this occasional table has always had an eye for unique things. When she recently remodeled her home, she was looking for interesting pieces. She purchased this table last year at auction, and after realizing that areas of inlay were missing, brought it to The Center.

Here at The Center, we have the honor of treating family heirlooms of all shapes and sizes. This beautifully made Gaming table has been with the client’s family for 3 generations, and was bought while the ancestor was a student in Damascus, Syria, in 1935.

 Recently, a Modern Charles (1907-1978) and Ray (1912-1988) Eames chair and an antique Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) style chair were brought separately to The Conservation Center, for review. Both chairs are examples of influential furniture designs. We received some interesting background information from the collectors and an explanation from our associate furniture conservator, Michael Young about the various challenges faced when conserving 18th century versus mid-20th century furniture.

Loose, lifting and buckling veneer are common problems encountered with historic furnishings. Historic furnishings are constructed from various species of wood and are adhered almost exclusively with the natural adhesive animal hide glue. Various factors contribute to the delaminating and distortion of veneers. An ideal environment rarely experiences rapid and/or dramatic fluctuations in temperature or humidity. Housed in optimal environmental conditions, an animal adhesive will maintain its integrity for many years; however, such conditions are seldom the case.