ZRW Berlin

The Restoration Concept: Achieving the Desired Result Through a Meticulous Strategy

Restoration with a Plan

Customized Restoration Plan: From Planning to Implementation

If you’re planning to have an old wooden object or piece of furniture restored, this is a project that requires careful planning. Our restorers at ZRW Berlin will work with you to develop a detailed restoration plan that meets your specific expectations—including planning for time, personnel, and documentation.

The Three-Step Restoration Plan

The goal of any restoration is to preserve wooden objects to the greatest extent possible. If you’d like to have an antique piece of furniture restored, preserving the original material and ensuring the reversibility of the restoration are therefore top priorities. To ensure that your expectations are met precisely, careful professional planning is essential. This process generally consists of three steps:

Step 1: The Preliminary Examination

Depending on the condition of an antique piece of furniture, different restoration methods may be considered. When developing a restoration plan, our restorers therefore first examine the existing structure and document any visible damage.

To ensure complete and accurate documentation, our conservators also conduct an art-historical analysis as part of the preliminary examination and provide insights into the object’s history.

Step 2: Record Findings

To lay the best possible foundation for subsequent restoration work, the second step in developing a restoration plan involves a thorough assessment of the materials used, the manufacturing techniques employed, and the existing damage to the object. As part of this assessment, our restorers pay close attention to, among other things,

Signs of wear,
Signs of aging,
climate-related damage and
an infestation by microorganisms.

If necessary, we also conduct a spectroscopic analysis. Thanks to instrumental analysis and the methodical approach of our experienced wood and furniture conservators, even the smallest details are quickly identified and insights gained without causing the slightest damage to the valuable object.

Step 3: Determine the steps for art and furniture restoration

Based on the findings of the preliminary examination and the assessment of the findings, specific measures are determined in a final step of the restoration plan—always depending on

Your individual wishes and needs,
the spatial and climatic conditions at the future location, as well as
within the budget.

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Note:

Once a contract is awarded, we consider the cost estimate to be a fixed price. This means you don’t have to worry about any hidden or unexpected costs, since we can plan your budget precisely during the concept development phase.

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We will clearly outline the necessary conservation and restoration work for you in a restoration plan. This plan also includes scheduling, staffing, and documentation planning for your restoration project.

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Note:

Based on the restoration plan, we would be happy to prepare a scope of work for you. In the field of historic preservation, we at Zentrale Restaurierungswerkstatt Berlin also provide expert construction management upon request.

Wood and Furniture Restoration:

A Comprehensive Restoration Plan

If you plan to entrust us with the restoration of your treasures, this project will ideally be the sole responsibility of one of our restorers—from the moment you agree on a restoration goal through to the final documentation. This ensures a consistent level of quality and provides you with a single point of contact throughout every phase of the project.

Concept

Restoration Plan by the Central Restoration Workshop in Berlin

Whether you’d like to have a single item or an entire room’s furnishings restored:

A professional restoration plan is a crucial foundation for this project. Our certified restorers at ZRW Berlin will be happy to assist you. After an initial inspection of your antique and a thorough damage analysis, we will develop a detailed restoration plan that takes your personal preferences into account. To provide a reliable assessment, certified restorer (Univ.) and cabinetmaker Philipp H. Westebbe will gladly inspect your antique in person on-site beforehand to gain a detailed understanding of it.

We look forward to receiving your restoration inquiry and meeting you in person!