Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Antique Restorer

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a skilled Antique Restorer (also known as Furniture Conservator / Decorative Arts Restorer) responsible for assessing, stabilizing, repairing and finishing historic and collectible objects. This role requires technical mastery of restoration techniques—wood repair, joinery, veneer and marquetry, gilding, inpainting, lacquer and varnish finishing, upholstery, and metal and ceramic conservation—combined with meticulous documentation, condition reporting, treatment planning, and adherence to conservation ethics and preventive care. The Antique Restorer will work with museums, private collectors, auction houses and restoration shops to return objects to structurally sound, visually coherent condition while preserving historic integrity.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Furniture conservator assistant / restoration apprentice
Fine woodworking or cabinetmaking apprenticeship
Museum or gallery conservation technician internship

Advancement To:

Senior Conservator / Lead Restorer
Conservation Lab Manager or Workshop Director
Independent Conservator and Private Practice Owner
Collections Conservator at a museum or cultural institution

Lateral Moves:

Collections Care Specialist / Preventive Conservator
Artifact Preparation and Handling Supervisor
Decorative Arts Curator or Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct thorough object condition assessments, prepare detailed written condition reports with high-resolution photography, and recommend prioritized conservation treatments and estimates tailored to the object's materials, age, and provenance.
Develop and implement conservation treatment plans that respect historical authenticity and reversible conservation principles, explaining rationale to curators, owners, or clients.
Perform structural repairs on wooden furniture and frames using conservation-grade adhesives, traditional joinery methods, and discreet reinforcement to restore stability without altering historic fabric.
Execute veneer and marquetry repair and reconstruction, matching grain, pattern, and historical adhesives/techniques where appropriate while documenting any introduced materials.
Undertake surface cleaning and stabilization of finishes, removing accretions, waxes, grime, or inappropriate coatings using solvent gels, aqueous solutions, and mechanical cleaning under controlled conditions.
Restore and replicate historic finishes, including shellac, French polish, lacquer, varnish, and wax, selecting compatible materials and layering techniques to match original appearance and patina.
Perform conservation of metal components—brass, bronze, iron—including mechanical stabilization, controlled corrosion removal, application of corrosion inhibitors, and sympathetic retouching where required.
Carry out gilding and re-gilding using traditional water or oil gilding, leafing and burnishing techniques, and synthetic gilding methods when appropriate; ensure color and tonality match surrounding surfaces.
Conduct inpainting and retouching on wood, gesso, plaster and painted elements using reversible conservation paints and methods to visually reintegrate losses while ensuring future removability.
Reupholster and repair historic textiles and furniture upholstery using period-appropriate materials and techniques (webbing, horsehair, coil springs), balancing aesthetics with long-term stability.
Treat ceramics and porcelain repairs with appropriate adhesives, infill and retouching, stabilizing cracks and losses while maintaining readability of original surfaces.
Disassemble and reassemble complex objects for treatment and transport, creating detailed assembly drawings and labeling components to guarantee accurate reassembly.
Maintain meticulous treatment documentation for each project—before/after photography, materials used, methods, diagrams and condition updates—for archives, clients and compliance with conservation standards.
Collaborate with curators, collection managers and external conservators to plan large-scale projects, ensuring alignment with museum policies, loan requirements, and conservation ethics.
Perform preventive conservation assessments and recommend environmental controls, storage solutions, mounts and handling protocols to minimize future deterioration and risk.
Manage client communications proactively—prepare quotes, explain treatment options, advise on conservation ethics, timelines and maintenance, and obtain informed consent prior to irreversible work.
Supervise and train junior staff, apprentices and interns in conservation techniques, workshop safety, and documentation protocols; establish standards and mentor skill development.
Coordinate logistics for packing, crating, shipping and installation of restored antiques for exhibitions, private installations or auctions, liaising with art handlers and rigging specialists.
Maintain workshop equipment and a safe studio environment; enforce health and safety procedures including ventilation, solvent handling, PPE, and hazardous material disposal.
Conduct material analysis and research into historic construction methods, finishes and adhesives using library resources and referral to conservation scientists when necessary.
Prepare and present technical reports for museum records, insurance claims, auction houses and clients that clearly outline condition, treatments performed and preventative recommendations.
Estimate labor and materials for projects, track time and costs, and assist in budgeting for restoration contracts and proposals.

Secondary Functions

Support conservation and curatorial teams with condition surveys for incoming loans, acquisitions and deaccessions; provide treatment prioritization and time estimates.
Participate in cross-disciplinary project teams for exhibit planning, advising on object display mounts, lighting, and environmental needs that protect restored surfaces.
Research and source historically appropriate materials and specialist suppliers (adhesives, finishes, gilding leaf, upholstery materials) to ensure conservation-grade inputs.
Provide workshops or demonstrations to clients, staff and public audiences on basic object care, preventive conservation and the restoration process.
Assist with emergency response for water, fire, or pest incidents affecting collections, conducting triage and stabilization as directed by collections management.
Maintain digital treatment and inventory records in conservation management systems; tag and archive high-resolution imagery for institution databases.
Contribute to continuous improvement of studio workflows, suggest investments in diagnostic tools and facilitate adoption of best practice conservation methodologies.
Aid in preparing objects for photography and condition capture for catalogues, sales, and online listings by ensuring surfaces are stable and visually coherent.
Advise on salvage, stabilization or consolidation of historically valuable but heavily damaged pieces to maximize preservation while minimizing invasive interventions.
Collaborate with external vendors (metalsmiths, fabricators, scientists) to commission specialized work that exceeds in-house capabilities while preserving treatment continuity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced skills in furniture conservation techniques: joinery repair, veneer and marquetry restoration, structural reinforcement and wood consolidation.
Proficiency in historic finishing methods: French polishing, shellac, lacquer, oil varnish application and touch-up techniques that match original patina.
Gilding skills: water gilding, oil gilding, raised and flat gesso preparation, and gold leaf application and burnishing.
Metal conservation expertise for decorative metals: descaling, corrosion stabilization, passivation, soldering and sympathetic repair.
Inpainting and surface retouching using reversible conservation paints and color-matching methodologies.
Upholstery restoration: traditional stuffing, spring and webbing repair, and period fabric selection and fitting.
Material identification and analysis: recognizing wood species, veneers, adhesives, finish types and common deterioration mechanisms.
Safe handling of solvents, consolidants and conservation chemicals; knowledge of solvent compatibility and material interaction.
Documentation and reporting: high-quality condition reporting, digital photography, treatment record keeping and archiving using conservation databases.
Packaging, crating and installation expertise for fragile or large-scale antiques and objects, including custom mount design.
Familiarity with conservation ethics, standards (e.g., ICOM-CC guidance), and reversible treatment philosophy.
Basic diagnostic techniques: ultraviolet, raking light, microscopes, and referral to X-radiography or lab analysis when necessary.
Budgeting and project planning skills: estimating labor, scheduling phased treatments and managing client expectations.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and patience for meticulous restoration work.
Strong written and verbal communication for client consultations, reports and cross-team collaboration.
Problem-solving and critical thinking to develop creative, historically respectful treatments for complex damage.
Time management and organization to balance multiple projects and meet deadlines.
Client service orientation, able to explain technical concepts in accessible language and build trust with private and institutional clients.
Coaching and mentorship skills to train apprentices and coordinate with external specialists.
Ethical judgment and respect for cultural property and provenance considerations.
Adaptability and willingness to research unfamiliar materials or historic techniques.
Teamwork and collaboration with curators, conservators, archaeologists and art handlers.
Business acumen for client proposals, invoicing and supply procurement in private practice or small workshops.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree or diploma in conservation, fine arts, art history, furniture making, woodworking, or a related craft/technical field, or equivalent apprenticeship experience.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or postgraduate diploma in conservation of historic objects / furniture conservation or an accredited conservation program.
Professional certifications or continuing education courses in conservation science, gilding, lacquer restoration, or similar specialties.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
Furniture Making, Joinery, Cabinetmaking
Art History with a focus on decorative arts
Materials Science, Chemistry (for conservation science)
Textile Conservation and Upholstery

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-10 years working in conservation, antiques restoration, museum labs or a professional restoration workshop.

Preferred: 5+ years of documented restorative work with a strong portfolio of before/after case studies across multiple materials (wood, metal, ceramics, textiles), demonstrable experience with museum-level documentation and familiarity with preventive conservation best practices.